I have traveled in some large cities although I have never been out of the South. I have driven through New Orleans, Atlanta, Mobile, Houston, and San Antonio, just to name a few. In each of these large metropolitan areas, there is at least one spot where a large number of highways diverge, intertwine, and go off in a different direction.
Some of them I have given a nickname. Houston has what I fondly refer to as a can of worms, at least eight highways meet, have congress, and wander off. Atlanta has spaghetti junction.
New Orleans seems to take first prize in the “What Were They Thinking” contest. First there is the placid Lee’s Circle, with a statue of General Lee astride his horse in the center and multiple streets converging along with the trolley cars, New Orleans is known for. But the one particular automotive intersection that I refer to is at least twenty five feet in the air and has six highways coming into it and six exits, not to mention, it is a circle! It has no stop signs, red lights, or any traffic controls what so ever. And there is a concrete piling in the center of the circle that holds up a part of the roadbed for the highway above you! I haven’t given this thing a nickname. I try very hard not to remember anything about it, even where it is. It is the stuff of nightmares, even Freddy Kruger doesn’t scare me this bad.
When I have traveled these intersections, I have often wondered if the engineers were smoking something that you couldn’t buy at the convenience store or taking some sort of drug you couldn’t buy at the corner drugstore. I finally got confirmation the Department of Transportation was also wondering what their engineers were taking last week. I am job-hunting and get regular updates on openings for different government positions that are open. The Department of Transportation had an opening for (get this) a research psychologist! A psychologist! I wonder if next week, an opening for a psychiatrist will be open. Perhaps, the engineers aren’t on drugs, they just need to be.
Happy driving!
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Reviewed by LadyJtalks LadyJzTalkZone
7/15/2007
Well written and I do avoid things like those at all cost. Could not imagine going through one you just picked unless everyone in the circle was from Jersey years ago when we drove circles all the time and never had a problem. Lady J
Personal journals are full of potential, waiting for you to add the color! Pages for you to fill in the blanks with tidbits and trivia about the state of Washington.
Personal journals are full of potential, waiting for you to add the color! Pages for you to fill in the blanks with tidbits and trivia about the state of Washington.
I have traveled in some large cities although I have never been out of the South. I have driven through New Orleans, Atlanta, Mobile, Houston, and San Antonio, just to name a few. In each of these large metropolitan areas, there is at least one spot where a large number of highways diverge, intertwine, and go off in a different direction.
