PrimoDonna
...memories of the past,
thoughts about the present,
and hopes for the future
Roads
Driving between the old house and the new one, made me think of what it used to be like traveling. As you know, growing up my family traveled alot because my dad was in the Air Force. Then I married that Army guy.
The roads and road signs have changed for the better. There weren't as many signs showing the directions to places. It seems as though we got lost took the scenic route more. That's not to say we don't take the scenic route nowadays. There are more signs showing what is up ahead, like restaurants, gas stations, parks, historical signs, and even the distance to another highway.
There were fewer restrooms. There were times my dad had to stop by the side of the road for us three girls. Now there are more state-operated rest stations for people to use or to just get out and stretch their legs. Oh, and for the drivers of those big trucks to take a break. Also, there were fewer places to eat. My mother used to pack food for us. I used to do that myself, but I got tired of eating the same thing. Now I just take along snacks, and we eat meals in restaurants. With more restaurants along the roads, there are more restrooms. That is very good!
Entrances and exits to major highways were different. Now, on the whole, they are more uniform. They take up a lot of land, but it helps make the travel from one road to another a whole lot easier.
Roads were more narrow and had fewer lanes. They have gotten wider and many have more lanes. Oh, I know it is because there is more traffic, especially big trucks, now, but it is a good thing. For a while there were "suicide" lanes. Highways had three lanes, with the middle one used to pass cars. The problem came when two cars coming in opposite directions decided to pass at the same time, and they met head on! That didn't last very long, thank goodness. (For a history lesson, see the end of this entry.)
So I appreciate the improvements to our roads and places that are along the sides of them.
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Are You not the One who dried up the sea,
The waters of the great deep; That made the depths of the sea
a road for the redeemed to cross over? Isaiah 51:10
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In the 1920s and 1930s, many roads were built with three lanes. There was one lane for each direction of traffic and a shared middle lane that was used for passing by vehicles going in both directions. This presented the very real possibility for head-on collisions as passing vehicles from both directions often shared this lane at the same time. The concept behind this lane is similar to the dashed yellow line found on two lane highways, which permits passing. Suicide lanes were finally phased out by the 1960s, with the roadways either being widened to a full four lanes (or more), or simply having them removed. Today a "suicide" lane refers to the middle lane of a road that can be used to turn left from both directions, which is similar to the suicide lanes in the past.
We in Pa. have killer curves. We have a lot of hills and valleys. The road
builders built our old roads like they followed a slithering snake. Matter
of fact we have a road callled snake hollow. It has a 90 degree turn in it.
Pretty soon you will have no need to travel those roads with the sucide
lanes and big trucks. I hate big semis.