Rail stands guard on sidewalk

A guard rail that knows its place would never spend so much as a minute hanging out where it’s not supposed to be.

It’s amazing how much damage is caused by out-of-control vehicles that mount the curb and smash into things like utility poles, bicycle locking rings and infrastructure intended to provide safety for pedestrians.

But with so many distractions drawing the eyes of drivers away from the road, the only surprise is that more vehicles don’t end up outside the rails and smashing into objects — or even people.

A good example is a guard rail that separates vehicle traffic on Winona Dr. from the sidewalk than runs along its east side, at the point where the street intersects with Eglinton Ave. W.

Aidan O’Leary sent us an email saying the guard rail was badly damaged last year by a car that went out of control, mounted the curb and mowed it down. He noted that a large building on the same corner is a co-op for seniors.

“It is a very dangerous crossing, and there are vehicle accidents on a regular basis,” he said, adding that a huge rock was installed at the corner of the co-op property, “after a car careened onto our lawn some years ago.”

We went there and found that the post, on which the end of the rail is mounted, was broken off in the collision. Now it leans about halfway across the sidewalk on Winona. Another guard rail on the south side of Eglinton, running west from Winona, is also damaged at one end, but at least it isn’t an impediment to pedestrians. Status: We asked a transportation services official on Tuesday if the guard rails can be repaired but have yet to receive an answer.