Mar 31 2005

Thanks for the update…

Published by Mugwug at 17:57:53 under General

Duh...ya think traffic is moving slowly?Ya know every time I drive along the 401 I pass under the Changeable Message Signs. While some consider these an innovation, I’ve typically found these signs to be next to useless and the information either inaccurate or obvious. The irony of sitting at a dead stop directly under a sign flashing a warning that traffic is about to slow down ahead of me has not been lost on me time and time again.

Today I made the all familiar trek up the Allen Road to the 401, then West to Kitchener-Waterloo to drop Jillian off with her Grandparents. I brought the digital camera along as I had a sneaking suspicion that even at 0720hrs I’d be stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic (I’m rarely on the road at this time), and wanted a picture of exactly this.

Now I recognize that these signs can serve a useful purpose, I just don’t see them doing it in this case.

9 Responses to “Thanks for the update…”

  1. # Mikeon 31 Mar 2005 at 19:43:21

    I find something strangely “Douglas Adams” about that.

  2. # Mugwugon 31 Mar 2005 at 21:01:37

    Yes… I’ve wondered aloud before if there isn’t some sarcastic bastard sitting at the controls of these things giggling about the useless information passed on to the motorists.

    Seems like a “Bastard Operator from Hell” sorta thing, don’t it?

    (actually just thinking about it, they are very useful in the Amber Alerts, provided people haven’t become accustomed to ignoring the signs altogether - the last two amber alerts I only found out about because of the notice on those signs….hmmmm)

  3. # Patrickon 31 Mar 2005 at 22:18:59

    Are those the Amber Alerts that warn motorists to “be on the lookout for…?”

  4. # Mugwugon 31 Mar 2005 at 22:28:15

    Amber Alert - OPP Site - Basically used in specific cases of child abduction, local media carries the essential information.

  5. # Gregon 01 Apr 2005 at 02:54:51

    “Amber Alert” has a totally different meaning in my house…for the unaware, the ex-hosebag from hell was named Amber. This led to one of the Univeral Rules for Mobile Drivers, “Never marry a person who has a name that would suit a stripper”.

  6. # Mugwugon 01 Apr 2005 at 07:18:00

    Hehe, I remember how she would subtly announce her arrival at the office, a gentle melodic toot on the horn….too bad her arm seemed to get consistently stuck in the steering wheel to ruin the effect.

  7. # Gregon 01 Apr 2005 at 21:01:36

    The horn wasn’t as annoying as the look on everybody’s face as they looked at me, all of you with the same grim, manly sympathetic look of “Better you than me pal”. What really struck me as annoying would be reaching the car, the thunder of the horn still bouncing around the parkade, I’d say “Good morning” or another similar type greeting like that, only to be screeched at to be quiet or I’d wake the baby…

  8. # Mugwugon 01 Apr 2005 at 22:44:59

    Ah yes, Good times, good times…

    Memories, remember that rope that openned your car door?

  9. # Gregon 02 Apr 2005 at 14:06:41

    Yep. That car was a beater with a heater. I think my motorbike has as much horsepower as that old Hyundai. Oddly, I also own a Hyundai still, just a much newer one!