Mum, the Trolley, and the Pharmacy Run (Marina Alta #5)

newcitiesfoundation.org pharmacy image

This one is personal. I walked the late-afternoon pharmacy run with my mum and wrote down what actually made it easy or hard. The goal was not theory; it was “can we get there, queue, and get home without fluster.”

Route and set-up

  • Start 18:10, 28 °C, light breeze
  • Distance door-to-pharmacy: 540 m each way
  • Surfaces: mixed concrete, two patched sections, two zebras
  • Kit: small two-wheel shopping trolley (loaded 3.1 kg on the way back), tape measure, stopwatch

Stopwatch log (outbound)

  • 00:00 leave house
  • 03:18 reach first zebra (delay 00:27 to cross)
  • 05:56 bench pause (1 min)
  • 08:12 second zebra (delay 00:19)
  • 09:40 arrive at pharmacy door
  • 16:05 exit pharmacy (queue + counter 6 min 25 s)

Return with trolley heavier by a box of paracetamol, a shampoo, and a litre of milk added to prove the point.

Observations and cheap fixes

ItemObservedCheap fix (≤ €300)
Shade continuity52% shaded; longest gap 70 m between first zebra and benchClip a 6–8 m mesh span between two existing posts for summer afternoons; materials ≈ €180
Seating spacing160 m gap outbound; 180 m inboundOne slatted bench at 150–180 m mark, set back 2.2 m from carriageway; ≈ €280
Kerb lips at zebras14–18 mm at noses; trolley snagged onceGrind to ≤ 6 mm; ≈ €120 consumables and crew time
Ramp gradientDriveway at 7.4% over 3.2 m; OK on foot, slow with trolleyAdd a 0.6 m coarse strip at toe for grip; ≈ €40
A-board clutterOne signboard placed 0.9 m from building line; aisle narrowed to 1.25 mMark a 0.5 m “shop line” in chalk/paint for boards; ≈ €35
Pharmacy queue6 min 25 s; line backed across thresholdMove “start here” marker 1.5 m inside; add a small floor arrow; ≈ €25
Noise at bench61–63 dB LAeq over 30 s; OK for conversationNo change needed

One change to do now (work order)

Two moves, done the same morning:

  1. Grind both zebra lips to under 6 mm.
  2. Mark a 0.5 m “shop line” for street-side boards on the tightest block and move the worst A-board behind it.

Kit

  • Battery grinder and edge guide, eye protection, brush, small bag of patch mortar
  • Chalk line, 1 can line-marking paint, tape measure, printed “boards behind this line” notice

Placement

  • Lips: work at the nose corners first (where trolleys cut). Clean, grind, brush, patch as needed.
  • Boards: snap a straight line 0.5 m from the façades on the narrow block; paint over chalk once position is agreed with shop.

People

  • One person on a cone and sign while grinding; one person to walk the shop fronts and agree board positions.

Cost

  • Wear on disks, paint, small patch: roughly €110 if the grinder is already council stock.

Why these first

  • They remove the single worst snag (18 mm lip) and the single worst aisle squeeze (A-board). Mum didn’t mention the distance; she mentioned those two.

What I timed on the way back

  • Bench pause with trolley: 1 min 20 s felt right; seat height was fine; sun on the legs was not
  • Return zebras: 00:22 and 00:20 to cross; drivers yielded but late
  • Home arrival: 17:32 door-to-door return including one pause

Notes from walking with mum

  • Pacing matters more than distance. We slowed on the unshaded stretch and sped up when the breeze returned.
  • The trolley handles kerb lips badly; even 14 mm caught once.
  • A single A-board changed our path more than any slope. Moving it would cost nothing but the line and a nudge.
  • Shade at the bench would be welcome. Sitting was fine; feet in sun were not.

What I’ll check next week

  • Same run at 10:30 and 19:30 to see if shade percentage or crossing delay shifts.
  • After the grind-and-line day: snag count with the trolley (target zero), aisle width at the former board spot (target ≥ 1.8 m clear), and queue start position inside the pharmacy (target 1.5 m past threshold).
  • One quick intercept at the bench: “Is the seat usable now at this hour?” record yes/no.

My home prep checklist for this run (kept on the fridge)

  1. Trolley loaded evenly (heavy low, light up top)
  2. Small water bottle
  3. Card with list of meds and an emergency contact
  4. Phone on silent but unlocked
  5. Hat
  6. Five euros in coins (copy shop or unexpected print)

If I had one hour of crew time per week

Week 1: grind the two lips and mark the board line.
Week 2: fit the mesh span on the unshaded run.
Week 3: place one bench at the inbound midpoint; slatted seat, back to wall, 2.2 m setback.
Week 4: paint the zebras and add give-way triangles.

Each stands alone if the rest never happens.

Edge cases worth noting

  • If it rains, the driveway ramp will go slick at the toe. The coarse strip will help.
  • If the pharmacy line grows, an inside “start here” marker and one “please wait” sign outside should stop the threshold block.
  • If shops object to the board line, aim for a one-month trial: chalk first, paint later if everyone agrees.

Why this post exists

The health-centre and market tests were general. This one is specific: a weekly errand with a person I care about. It keeps me honest and sets up the off-house list I want to run next: night lighting at home, a small backup for power cuts, and a quieter fan for hot evenings. Those will be separate posts. For now, the pharmacy run works; it will work better once the lips and the board are dealt with.

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