Some Random Rants

The drive to NY this weekend was miserable. The trip is about 230 miles from my place to my buddies house. It took me 3 hours to travel the first 60 miles and 2.5 hours for the next 170 miles. The traffic in and around DC and Baltimore on a Friday is ridiculous. But fear not, I know how they can reduce the traffic significantly. I am actually surprised that this is not already used in such a high traffic area. So for those people who design, construct or maintain the highways, I have just two words for you:

"Metering Lights"

I mentioned this to a few people this weekend and no one seemed to know what they are. We use them in California, where traffic is also a nightmare. They are placed at on ramps, bridge tolls or freeway mergers. They basically control the number of vehicles that can enter the highway at one time. This eliminates much of what I dealt with on Friday, where 100 cars all enter the freeway at once and try to merge into the highway, which causes a mess and my particular road rage. Metering lights limit it to one or two cars merging at a time. This would also help in areas like that damn tunnel in Baltimore where they split 4 lanes into 15 at the toll plaza and then expect those 15 lanes to merge right back in the next 100 yards. Which idiot thought that up. Of course there is traffic there. We do the same thing on the bridge in SF, but right after the gate the 15 lanes go to metering lights and the lights help the merging process.

Next...I know many of you have heard me complain about HOV lanes in California. Well, let me tell you. There is actually a freeway, yes I said freeway, in Virginia that is entirely an HOV freeway in the morning or afternoon depending on which direction you are going. You are not allowed on it if you do not have two people in the car from 6-9 AM for example. So for those people who can't carpool, too bad. Find another way to get to work. Now that is messed up.

Lastly...I was in a restaurant last week and went to the men's room so I could, well you know why. They had three urinals in the men's room. The first was pretty low to the ground, for you ladies, you generally find this in most men's rooms for the vertically challenged guys or say, kids. The next one was pretty much the normal height. The last one was so high that I couldn't even use it. I am six feet tall and there is no way I could ever pee in this urinal. I mean, really, do we need special urinals for guys who are like 7 feet tall. Come on, how often does Shaq come into your restaurant. I can pee in the low urinal if necessary, I am sure Shaq could use the urinal us non-abnormally-huge guys use.

Anyway...Have a great week.