Scene and heard

I shared driving duties with my son, Sean, on a round trip drive to Dearborn Heights, a Detroit suburb. On the return trip, it seemed that a quarter of I-80 in Pennsylvania was single lane. This added maybe 2 hours to the drive time. Even though we left at 9am and arrived in PA early in the afternoon, we only saw 3 ‘workmen’ the entire (I seem to recall) 314 miles of the Pennsylvania portion of the drive – the full journey from Dearborn Heights to Brooklyn is about 620 miles. 2 of these men were standing by a work truck and the 3rd, after a police car stopped traffic, jumped out of his work truck to pick up a temporary 50mph speed limit sign. That we had been going 15mph for the previous couple of miles was not lost on us. Neither was the fact that all the other temporary speed limit signs were for 40mph. But it was important that we stop so that this wrong road sign, informing us that the highest legal speed was 35mph faster than we were actually able to achieve, should be picked up.

This brings back one of my pet peeves and hopes for the future: There should be ‘smart’ road signs, which take into account both road conditions and the mood of drivers. I really don’t need to see signs warning of reduced speed ahead when I am already averaging a fraction of the new speed limit. And one sign peppered all over Pennsylvania, “Bridge may be icy”, has always prompted the thought in me “and pigs might fly’, seeing as I have never made one of my long distance drives in under 70 degree weather.

And I fail to see why, also in PA, the speed limit changes from 65 to 60 immediately after a sign informs you of road work 2 miles ahead, then changes to 55, 50 and 40 in quick succession shortly thereafter. Is this to gain revenue from the drivers who will inevitably ignore such nonsense? Could such a reason be challenged in a court?

There was one other reason for the drive through the Keystone State taking so long. There were few cars or trucks on the road for long stretches. It is ironic that when there are sufficient vehicles, the prevailing road speed may be 75 to 80 mph, so it is (or seems) safe to go at that speed with little fear of being stopped. But, when there are very few cars on the road, you have to drive closer to the actual limit.