Two gripes after a 12 day road trip.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

114. I do a LOT of driving for my job

I'm often on the Interstates in Arizona, and the right lane is often terrible.

The Interstate highway system is patterned after Germany's Autobahn, but in a cost saving move, the road bed is less than half of the 1 meter that is specified there. This results in a much more easily damaged road, whether from temperature cycling or traffic wear. It isn't as sturdy.

With the number and weight of the big trucks that make up the bulk of the traffic, and their tendency to keep to the right lane, the right lane often resembles the aftermath of an artillery barrage. They don't like it any more than I do in my 1 ton utility body work truck or my wife's Prius. You get pitched all over the place.

Idealism is great, but sometimes you have to be practical.

Another difference from the Autobahn is the maximum grade specification. The Interstate's is much higher, so the slopes allowed are much steeper, which means those big heavy trucks are laboring up those slopes at a much lower speed. This causes more traffic problems, especially in a state that is so cash-strapped it can't keep up the existing roads, much less add another lane.

Throw in weekend tourist traffic with attendant alcohol consumption and sun exposure, and The Picture Isn't Pretty.

All because they were too cheap to do it right the first time. Because it's Good Enough For Government Work.


Sorry for the rant, it's a pet peeve. I look at root causes, the reason behind the problem.