I was driving down the road the
other day and man did I like it! Modern improved roads are nothing like the
barely-paved soft shouldered byways of my youth. They almost drive themselves.
All they need is a low track in the center of the lane and they'd be like the
Autopia I once pined to be tall enough to ride at Disneyland.
Consider; your
average road
these days has a hard shoulder or breakdown lane on either side, so at the very
least you have some slop room if you take your eyes off the road for a couple
of minutes to do some texting.
Then you got Jersey Barriers to
really keep traffic corralled. Nothing like a low concrete wall to prevent
extreme meandering. I suppose a person sufficiently unconcerned about car body
damage could navigate a road by caroming from side to Jersey Barrier side.
Then there's the road turtles.
Bumps to define the lane and red reflectors to caution you're in the wrong lane
going the wrong way. Lately I've also noticed warning strips. Little
not-really-speed-bumps placed perpendicular to the line of traffic to warn you
of an impending school zone or tight curve.
You know, because the huge yellow
and black arrows and 20 MPH and SLOW DOWN signs don't get your attention
enough. I'm worried when they feel it's necessary to put in the equivalent of
road Braille. Is it a good idea to encourage blind people to drive?
But my favorite modern improvement
is the rumble strips on the edges and center line. You know you've strayed from
the appointed path when your car starts to shake like a Magic Fingers bed in a
cheap hotel room.
Vibration...
Did I mention I really like driving
on the new roads?
America, ya gotta love it.
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