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There's roadwork on one of the interstate exit ramps/bridges about 5 miles away from here.  I got stuck in traffic because of it today.

Which leads me to this rant.

Why in the hell do construction crews decide to close sections of road for 10 mins at a time right in the middle of rush hour?  What are they thinking???  Isn't it common sense to do it at some other time, when there's less traffic to back up??? It was so bad this evening, vehicles were backed up onto half a mile of the interstate slow lane both east and westbound, and a good mile on the service road that passes over the interstate.  It was dangerous; I ended up calling my friends at law enforcement dispatch and asking them to send a patrol out to assist the fucking morons with flags and those tin stop/slow signs.

Which leads me to the second part of my rant.  Why so they always give the dumbest ones the flags and signs?  The ones who have no fucking clue on how to wave traffic, who have no experience with controlling traffic flow, and who just stand there with the fucking signs in their hands whilst cars and trucks keep in piling up??  They there were this evening, trying to yell across the lines of cars to each other about who should wave next and from what direction.  It made me want to get out and rip the signs out of their hands and start waving cars myself, just to keep things moving.

Arrrggggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!  I hate morons with flag!!!!!  I detest construction crews who have their heads up their asses and who disrupt rush hour traffic as much as they possibly can!!!!

There, I feel better now.

Here endeth the rant.

 


Comments
on Aug 04, 2004
Dharma,
I can relate completely! In Maine the flaggers even have to take a test and get a "Flaggers License", who'd a thunk it? Look at the bright side, at least they are fixing those frost heaves ; )
Two seasons in the northern US: Winter and road repair.
on Aug 04, 2004
Around here (where Highway 95 goes right through the middle of town) they do the work in the middle of night.

One night I was coming home from the casinos and they had squished the southbound traffic down to one cramped lane. They had a 15 mph sign out. I was going 5-10 mph. Very slow. As I pass, this flag idiot steps out and yells "Slow down!" I screamed back, "Get out of the F&*^%ing road you idiot!" and kept going.

What? Did he want me to get out and push the car by? Maybe pick it up, sling it over my back, and quietly and respectfully tiptoe past? I hate idiots. I'm surprised they don't get a lot of flag colonics.
on Aug 04, 2004
They're union.

'Nuff said.
on Aug 04, 2004
dharma...

zwei said it better than I could...the union guys would never agree to a contract that makes them get off their collective arses during offpeak hours.
on Aug 04, 2004

Around here (where Highway 95 goes right through the middle of town) they do the work in the middle of night.

Exactly!  Why can't they do that here?!  It's been really hot, and I know it can't have ben safe or pleaseant out there in the heat with all the traffic....but noooo, here in South Dakota we have to do things ass backwards.

Geezer:  I think that anyone who is the designated flag holder ought to have at least a rudimentary knowledge about waving traffic safely and sensibly.  On the road crews around here it's usually the women who hold the flags (they have to hire a certain number of women and minorities...the women can't keep up with the dudes so they get stuck on flag duty - why they're there in the first place if they can't do the fucking job is beyond me, but that's a whole other rant).

Zweihandler: fuck the unions.  Bunch of wanna-be communist bastards. Sorry, but that's how I feel about them at the moment.

Gideon:  Too true, see the above comment for further explanation!

Thanks for the comments, dudes?

on Aug 04, 2004
Dharma,

I live in Philly. Yes, THAT Philly. the place where unions maintain a iron grasp on a city on the brink of destruction. The Real World: Philadelphia, which could easily boost this city's rep, was turned away by our pitiful unions and their silly rules.

You can't fight them. They always win. And they will be the downfall of the birthplace of the nation.
on Aug 04, 2004

You can't fight them. They always win. And they will be the downfall of the birthplace of the nation.


Apparently so...why didn't the want 'The Real World' there?  I mean, it'd be revenue for the city ultimately, right?


I think it's all about the power, dude.  They rule the city, they know it, and they know nobody can do anything about it.  That pisses me off.

on Aug 04, 2004
You just answered your own question. More revenue for the city, but not for those local union carpenters.
on Aug 04, 2004

More revenue for the city, but not for those local union carpenters.

Oh, so as long as they're lining their own pockets...well, fuck everyone else, right?

Yep, it's a power trip.  'I am the union in this here town, and you will obey..'

on Aug 05, 2004
Yeah I hate them too. There is some constuction going down on the road I live on. They have one side of the road closed off and traffic is backed up like crazy. My road is used as a back road for the by-pass going through. I think it's stupid that they do it when the traffic is at it's worst part of the day. And not to mention some of the stupid drivers that don't follow the guy holding the sign!! I drives me nuts!!

~carebear~
on Aug 05, 2004
I feel your pain Dharmagrl, personally I think all construction on busy highways or roads should be down between 11pm and 3am when everyone isn't in a rush to get to work, school, hospital, etc...
on Aug 05, 2004

between 11pm and 3am when everyone isn't in a rush to get to work, school, hospital, etc...


Exactly!  It's absolute insanity!  It was rotten again this morning when I went into town.  I drove past, and traffic was backed up again - and this was at 745 am, right when people are going to work, dropping kids off at daycare etc. 


It also doesn't help that sunday starts rally week and we have 20,000 extra people travelling in the area.  rally week is the same damn week every freakin' year, but they pick this week to do the road work.


someone in the planning department has their head up their rear end.....