When I was in the Navy and stationed on a ship that was in the shipyards, the workers there to a fault hunkered down.

This was in the Republic of the Philippines. I always thought it looked uncomfortable.

Posted by Mark Brooks on 20 August 02009 @ 2am

On the roads item, there are a lot of roads still in the same path as the wagons and horses trails. Poor vertical curves, obscuring oncoming traffic, blind corners, odd angles, all are dangerous.

No money to ever fix those problems, with no money already for maintenance of larger roads.

Posted by Mark Brooks on 20 August 02009 @ 2am

While driving around in Albemarle County, I daily encounter drivers coming at me who drive with their left wheels on the double yellow lines.

Just before we pass, they move over such that they are totally in their lane. But their default position is with the left wheels directly on that center line.

Somebody tell me: What is up with THAT?

Posted by Janis Jaquith on 20 August 02009 @ 10am

Janis, do you by chance drive up and down Rt. 20 north? Because I see drivers doing that ALL THE TIME–on or over the yellow line as they come around curves.

Posted by Cecil on 20 August 02009 @ 6pm

Cecil – Nope. Free Union Road is where I experience it most often. I find it doesn’t even take a curve to get these people riding the center line: they do it on straightaways, too.

I fantasize about a public service announcement, like the NBC “The More You Know” spots, that would address it. You could have Jennifer Anniston curled up in a chair saying, “Are you one of those fools who rides the yellow line with your left tires? Well, it’s just a matter of time till you meet up — in a big way — with some poor bastard doing the same thing and he’ll be coming from the opposite direction. So, for your own sake and the sake of oncoming traffic, CUT IT OUT BEFORE YOU KILL SOMEONE.”

Then the music swells up: “The more you knooowww!”

Posted by Janis Jaquith on 20 August 02009 @ 7pm

I had buddy who would drive near the center of the road. I asked him about it once. Turns out this was a conscious decision he made. He was afraid of hitting deer. When opposing traffic would come close, he would get back in his lane, but as cars passed, he went right back toward the center. Are the roads where you see people hugging the center line known for heavy deer populations and traffic accidents? Can’t say doing this around blind curves sounds safe.

Posted by grs on 22 August 02009 @ 4pm

Hm. How does he know which side the deer will be coming from?

Posted by Janis Jaquith on 22 August 02009 @ 8pm

He felt that driving toward the center of the road would give him better reaction time regardless of which side of the road the deer popped out on. He claimed it was a “country trick” he learned driving on the “backroads”. I’m not saying I recommend doing it, but this is why this particular guy drove like a lunatic.

Posted by grs on 23 August 02009 @ 3pm