Posted On: Saturday - May 10th 2025 8:59AM MST
In Topics: General Stupidity Political Correctness Curmudgeonry Peak Stupidity Roadshow
Going on 8 years since the last time, hence the last post written, since I noticed a non-Feminist, non-PC construction alert sign, I saw another. Has this "opportunity" for a pro-Feminist struggle been missed? I just can't recall.
It's one thing to use completely different wording, like "Road work in progress" or "Road work ahead" that does not necessarily have an agenda but just a different way of saying the same thing. Have I missed "People at work", "Workers working" (yeah, I know), or anything else that is PC?
This is a good sign, pun intended. Are people getting fatigued of the everyday PC/wokeness, or is it that, basically nobody cares to make new signs? The latter thought had me motivated to write this post because of another sign also there, associated with this one. The other sign tells one to merge left, as the right lane is closed ahead.
Except, the right lane WAS NOT closed ahead. We're getting back to this topic of decreasing competence, and we may see it in all walks of life. I get that the orange barrels and cones are put just off the street for the times the road work is not in progress. It'd not be efficient to keep picking them up and putting them on trucks at night. This "Right Lane Closed" sign, though, ought to be put to the side and turned 90 degrees. Hell, it's cloth, I think, so just roll it up.
Back in the days when Curmudgeonry posts were half the blog, we asked People can't merge ... is there an App for that? (This one was almost right at 8 years back.) I don't take that post back - merging really is a lost art.
A few weeks ago, I saw a lady stopped completely in the middle lane of 5 lanes of highway, with her left blinker on because she wanted to get into one of the 2 lanes that forked left, over 1/4 mile away!. She was a sitting duck there, when all she had to do, even at that point, was gun it, get up to 50 mph or so, and slide over. Or, just suck it up, and don't fork left - the phone will help you get back where you want to go anyway. Madness!
Upon seeing the erroneous "Right Lane Closed" sign, for days now, I question whether some of the merging hesitancy is due to the incompetence of the road crews or their managers. In a sports car, one may not see what's ahead, lose some time merging, and then realize that was for nothing. In a taller vehicle, I could see that there was no reason to merge - both lanes were visibly open. There's no telling now, whether the signs mean it or not. Just keep going, and if we really have to merge, oh well, wait until 100 ft. away, stop, and we'll all have a traffic jam. That's the new normal.
Finally, there's a stop light nearby that used to work "smartly", I have to say, as the side road of this T-intersection didn't have much traffic. It'd stay green until a while after a car on that side road tripped the sensor. Then, the red for he main road would be short, but a little longer if it detected a number of cars flowing through still. Smart, with no internet required! (For now.)
Once the road was paved though - one of the proud few! - the signal reverted to olde timey timer-style. The main road will have a red light for no reason now. Ha, it's funny to think that this would have sounded stupid 40 years ago. "Whaddya' mean, for no reason? It's some wiring and some lights!". With some tweaking allowed, the timing of one direction vs. the perpendicular, all you had was timing back then. Now, though, you can do better, and we are used to that. However, after the paving job, the traffic engineers must send some technicians out to re-program the box. That hasn't happened. It's been half a year.
Get used to the new World - smarter devices, stupider people.
Comments:
Moderator
Sunday - May 11th 2025 11:13AM MST
PS: I just saw your "Daily Stupid" pick of the week, Adam. It's in a tab, and it looks pretty interesting. The BBC, OMG, I can imagine their take, as you nicely described.
Moderator
Sunday - May 11th 2025 11:12AM MST
PS: Hello, CHLR. I was thinking of that very thing the other day, or I should say, experiencing it.
This entrance ramp was uphill, so the truck that was 2 vehicles ahead wasn't going so fast even after about 1/4 mile. I hung back quite a bit from the car between us for the reason you explained here. Thankfully, the car behind me didn't get on my ass or on the horn. Maybe he understood, though I'm not sure if many people do, or maybe he didn't care on that day. I was trying to do the same, leave a couple hundred yards so that if the guy in front of me merged in front of a car, then I could fit behind that one, hopefully.
I used to write much shorter posts, I just noticed, as I read through the "People can't merge" one just now to see if I covered the following (I didn't): I think you and I have talked about this one, that people now expect to pull on the road and have the cars all move over. A number of them did when that truck in question, the guy behind, and then me, merged onto the road. Is that expected now? You shouldn't have to, and I don't normally.
This was a 6-land road - 3 per side - so it wasn't too much trouble, I guess. For the standard, only 2 per side, that's not how the road is supposed to freaking work. As the merger, you find a space and accelerate accordingly. They should have driving simulators for this stuff.
Well, I could do curmudgeonry traffic posts all the time and never run out. This could be a popular blog. People could read it on the road even... in the turn lane, say...
This entrance ramp was uphill, so the truck that was 2 vehicles ahead wasn't going so fast even after about 1/4 mile. I hung back quite a bit from the car between us for the reason you explained here. Thankfully, the car behind me didn't get on my ass or on the horn. Maybe he understood, though I'm not sure if many people do, or maybe he didn't care on that day. I was trying to do the same, leave a couple hundred yards so that if the guy in front of me merged in front of a car, then I could fit behind that one, hopefully.
I used to write much shorter posts, I just noticed, as I read through the "People can't merge" one just now to see if I covered the following (I didn't): I think you and I have talked about this one, that people now expect to pull on the road and have the cars all move over. A number of them did when that truck in question, the guy behind, and then me, merged onto the road. Is that expected now? You shouldn't have to, and I don't normally.
This was a 6-land road - 3 per side - so it wasn't too much trouble, I guess. For the standard, only 2 per side, that's not how the road is supposed to freaking work. As the merger, you find a space and accelerate accordingly. They should have driving simulators for this stuff.
Well, I could do curmudgeonry traffic posts all the time and never run out. This could be a popular blog. People could read it on the road even... in the turn lane, say...
Moderator
Sunday - May 11th 2025 11:03AM MST
PS: Yeah, it's a real "Boy who cried wolf" effect, Adam. Those roads are pretty hairy in the mountains, whether they are the Rockies or the southern end of the Appalachians... as long as the drop off will kill you... it's the same as a 1000ft drop on one of the roads in Yosemite I've been on. (Somehow the latter freaks me out more though...)
Maybe people are on apps that tell them what's going on... I dunno. It doesn't seem like too much trouble to just put the signs with words on them away for the night or the time period in question.
Haha, it's funny you found that 2nd one. "Workers working", as opposed to "A couple of guys working and 7 people standing around scratching their asses." I guess the latter would have to have small fonts.
Maybe people are on apps that tell them what's going on... I dunno. It doesn't seem like too much trouble to just put the signs with words on them away for the night or the time period in question.
Haha, it's funny you found that 2nd one. "Workers working", as opposed to "A couple of guys working and 7 people standing around scratching their asses." I guess the latter would have to have small fonts.
Moderator
Sunday - May 11th 2025 10:57AM MST
PS: Yeah, that's pretty bad, Alarmist. As a cyclist, I see too many people sitting at 4-way or 2-way stops, doing crap on their iCrap. The problem is, I don't know when they're going to start up all of a sudden. It's fine when people are moving along and doing what you expect. Will they just look up and forward and gun it? I don't know. It's getting bad out there.. what with the shortage on burrito coverings too...
The Daily Stupid
Saturday - May 10th 2025 8:04PM MST
PS: Yes. This is off topic...
Young men struggling.
Women hit hardest!
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20250430-scott-galloway-men-struggling-katty-kay-interview
☮️
Young men struggling.
Women hit hardest!
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20250430-scott-galloway-men-struggling-katty-kay-interview
☮️
Coulda Had Lee Rille
Saturday - May 10th 2025 2:22PM MST
PS Speaking of merging, when merging onto a main road or interstate, coming off of a ramp, 95% of mergers will get right behind the car ahead of them (maybe 20 feet or so), as if they assume that cars should be merging in groups of two or three, as if tied together. This makes merging so much harder and more disruptive for the "mergees", as opposed to merging one car at a time into heavy traffic. It's even worse than a large bus or truck merging in, as at least all parts of the bus/truck stay together. With 2 or 3 cars merging together, there is always the possibility of the rear car suddenly realizing the error of his ways and hitting his brakes. When I merge onto a busy road or interstate, I leave three or four seconds to the car in front of me, so the next "right laner" can feed in between us without huge disruptions in his speed. Of course, the "right laners" should be leaving plenty of room between themselves and the car in front of them too.
Adam Smith
Saturday - May 10th 2025 11:22AM MST
PS: Greetings, gentlemen,
I hope you're all enjoying your weekend!
https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/97798268
https://www.safetysupplywarehouse.com/CAUTION_WORKERS_WORKING_Sign_p/20721.htm
Mrs. Smith and I went to Dawsonville a few days ago to stock up on wine and cottage cheese. (Kroger has the best tasting large curd cottage cheese that I know of. I love it!) On the way there were two separate instances of a series of orange signs warning us of workers ahead, flagger ahead, etc.
Here in the mountains the roads are at times pretty narrow and quite often there is no escape route should an oncoming vehicle come across the yellow line. In many places you would end up in the holler, in the tree tops, or hitting a granite wall should you leave the road to avoid a crash. Because of this I'm careful when I see these signs on our narrow, twisting mountain roads.
In both cases, these signs were out there warning us to look out for workers who simply were not there. Did they leave them out from a previous day? Did they leave them out and go to lunch? I will never know.
But I think it is potentially dangerous leaving these signs out when there are no workers on our twisting, narrow mountain roads. It happens so often that people will stop believing the signs and disregard their warning. (Mrs. Smith said to me that there were no workers ahead wen we saw the first sign. I agreed that she was probably right, but I slowed down a little just in case.)
One day someone will come around a blind corner ignoring the signs, assuming that there are no workers out (because it happens so often) and there will be a bucket truck, a slow moving mower, or a worker in the road. One day something bad will happen if these signs are so carelessly left out when there are no workers. I hope a worker does not end up dead or crippled.
☮️
I hope you're all enjoying your weekend!
https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/97798268
https://www.safetysupplywarehouse.com/CAUTION_WORKERS_WORKING_Sign_p/20721.htm
Mrs. Smith and I went to Dawsonville a few days ago to stock up on wine and cottage cheese. (Kroger has the best tasting large curd cottage cheese that I know of. I love it!) On the way there were two separate instances of a series of orange signs warning us of workers ahead, flagger ahead, etc.
Here in the mountains the roads are at times pretty narrow and quite often there is no escape route should an oncoming vehicle come across the yellow line. In many places you would end up in the holler, in the tree tops, or hitting a granite wall should you leave the road to avoid a crash. Because of this I'm careful when I see these signs on our narrow, twisting mountain roads.
In both cases, these signs were out there warning us to look out for workers who simply were not there. Did they leave them out from a previous day? Did they leave them out and go to lunch? I will never know.
But I think it is potentially dangerous leaving these signs out when there are no workers on our twisting, narrow mountain roads. It happens so often that people will stop believing the signs and disregard their warning. (Mrs. Smith said to me that there were no workers ahead wen we saw the first sign. I agreed that she was probably right, but I slowed down a little just in case.)
One day someone will come around a blind corner ignoring the signs, assuming that there are no workers out (because it happens so often) and there will be a bucket truck, a slow moving mower, or a worker in the road. One day something bad will happen if these signs are so carelessly left out when there are no workers. I hope a worker does not end up dead or crippled.
☮️
The Alarmist
Saturday - May 10th 2025 10:13AM MST
PS
The week before, while in the US, I needed to make a left turn in one of those left & u-turn notches on a four-lane road, but there was a lady stopped in front of the turn lane, not waiting to turn, but instead texting on her "smart" phone. Apparently getting off the road was too much bother, just use the turn lane.
This goes beyond incompetency, beyond even solipsism; it is sociopathy.
🕉️
The week before, while in the US, I needed to make a left turn in one of those left & u-turn notches on a four-lane road, but there was a lady stopped in front of the turn lane, not waiting to turn, but instead texting on her "smart" phone. Apparently getting off the road was too much bother, just use the turn lane.
This goes beyond incompetency, beyond even solipsism; it is sociopathy.
🕉️
Moderator
Saturday - May 10th 2025 10:09AM MST
PS: Yeah, California has changed though. I've seen that aggressive lane-guarding behavior - possibly in Boston, where the drivers are very aggressive. I can't blame that all on foreigners either, as at the time in question, it was mostly those Massholes, born and bred.
Anyway, I gotta say that I recall California as having drivers who were very nice to pedestrians, at least. My next post will be about California, to some degree.
Anyway, I gotta say that I recall California as having drivers who were very nice to pedestrians, at least. My next post will be about California, to some degree.
SafeNow
Saturday - May 10th 2025 9:51AM MST
PS
“Get used to the new World - smarter devices, stupider people.”
- Mr. Moderator
I agree …especially as a Californian. But I will add a footnote…cruder, less polite people (especially as a Californian.). It is a often a matter not just of IQ, but of sensibility. A few years ago a relative from the Midwest paid a visit. He rented a car. He commented to me: Oh, I get it ..here, when you change lanes on the freeway, if your signal the turn, sometimes the fellow in the desired lane will actually accelerate…. to thus close the gap.
“Get used to the new World - smarter devices, stupider people.”
- Mr. Moderator
I agree …especially as a Californian. But I will add a footnote…cruder, less polite people (especially as a Californian.). It is a often a matter not just of IQ, but of sensibility. A few years ago a relative from the Midwest paid a visit. He rented a car. He commented to me: Oh, I get it ..here, when you change lanes on the freeway, if your signal the turn, sometimes the fellow in the desired lane will actually accelerate…. to thus close the gap.