Beware of agressive asphalt pavers!

This story (Paving firm is convicted of $1.8m fraud - The Boston Globe) about unethical and illegal actions by asphalt paving companies brings to mind problems that we have had in the past. It seems that the contractors who pave the streets for the City often have extra asphalt leftover at the end of the day and they would love to make an extra buck by doing some spontaneous paving work. When the asphalt is in the truck at the end of the day I guess either needs to be used or discarded, so they are hot to make a quick sale. We have seen various pressue tactics to get people to agree "right now" to have the job done. At my house we share a driveway with our next-door neighbors and the pavers have told us the neighbor wants to have the paving done when that is not true. So it is great to see Alcott, Litchfield, and other streets in the neighborhood, but watch out in the afternoon for a great deal on driveway paving. Or if you are actually looking to have some of your property paved, here is a chance to maybe get a good deal. But if you are in the latter category, maybe you'll consider a more environmentally green approach instead of asphalt. There are many options for porous paving that allow water to drain through, let grass grow between the paving blocks, and look much better than more black asphalt to a lot of people.