Mistakes non roadgeeks make about roads

Started by Roadgeekteen, June 22, 2020, 12:12:59 PM

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Ned Weasel

#25
Quote from: kphoger on June 22, 2020, 04:16:12 PM
It's like saying all those European roadgeeks on Skyscrapercity aren't really roadgeeks just because they refuse to call anything that isn't controlled-access a "highway".

That one bugs me when I hear it IRL.  When people don't realize that just because a road has traffic signals and at-grade intersections doesn't mean it's not a highway.  It could be an expressway or an arterial highway.  I think this once came up when discussing US 56 in northeastern Johnson County, KS.  It says right there on the sign, "[US shield] 56," hence it's part of the US highway system; thus it's highway.  Furthermore, it's designed as a hybrid between an expressway and a surface arterial, not just a plain conventional road.  US 56 in Missouri on the other hand--that's a routing error and a case of inadequate signage if there ever was one, but it's also a topic that's been discussed in another thread.

Quote from: KCRoadFan on June 22, 2020, 11:17:03 PM
Quote from: STLmapboy on June 22, 2020, 10:22:18 PM
A STL tourism map handed out by volunteers at Lambert Airport showed MO-370 as an interstate.

I've always thought that MO 370 SHOULD be an interstate - in fact, I don't know why it's not one already.

That's also a topic that's been discussed in other threads.  Ideally, the first digit should be an even number because it functions more as a loop than a spur, but that argument is really splitting hairs, especially when you can find similar examples of 3DIs starting with odd-number digits but functioning at least partially as loops.

Edit: Most of my typos aren't spelling or grammatical errors; they're mostly brain farts and often accidental word omission that results in an unintended change of meaning.  It's frustrating.
"I was raised by a cup of coffee." - Strong Bad imitating Homsar

Disclaimer: Views I express are my own and don't reflect any employer or associated entity.


Eth

Quote from: sprjus4 on June 22, 2020, 11:50:03 PM
Quote from: wxfree on June 22, 2020, 10:46:09 PM
The worst fake Interstate I've seen is "I-30" in Austin.  I've seen and can understand "I-130" and "I-45," but seeing the "1" in "130" as "I" is a stretch, especially since there is no "I" in front of the number on Interstate signs.  Maybe they just have Dallas envy.

To be fair, I've seen it referred to that way only once.
I've once heard "I-68" on VA-168 here in Hampton Roads.

My grandmother used to refer to the freeway running from LaGrange to Columbus as "I-85", as opposed to the one from Atlanta to LaGrange, which was simply "85".

jmacswimmer

Quote from: Eth on June 23, 2020, 12:55:05 PM
Quote from: sprjus4 on June 22, 2020, 11:50:03 PM
Quote from: wxfree on June 22, 2020, 10:46:09 PM
The worst fake Interstate I've seen is "I-30" in Austin.  I've seen and can understand "I-130" and "I-45," but seeing the "1" in "130" as "I" is a stretch, especially since there is no "I" in front of the number on Interstate signs.  Maybe they just have Dallas envy.

To be fair, I've seen it referred to that way only once.
I've once heard "I-68" on VA-168 here in Hampton Roads.

My grandmother used to refer to the freeway running from LaGrange to Columbus as "I-85", as opposed to the one from Atlanta to LaGrange, which was simply "85".

Isn't this exact point of confusion why Iowa and SC's DOT's chose to spell out "I-129" (formerly in this case) and "I-126" on some of their signage?
"Now, what if da Bearss were to enter the Indianapolis 5-hunnert?"
"How would they compete?"
"Let's say they rode together in a big buss."
"Is Ditka driving?"
"Of course!"
"Then I like da Bear buss."
"DA BEARSSS BUSSSS"

briantroutman

The "can't tell a letter I from a numeral 1"  problem is fairly widespread in my experience. I worked at a AAA office in Williamsport, PA a few summers between high school and college, and I spent several minutes with a confused elderly woman (a local) explaining that the in-town freeway I-180 was a separate road from I-80.

Customer: So I go out here and take the ramp to eye Eighty...
Me: That's eye One-Eighty.
Customer: (confused silence)
Me: You see here on the map: Interstate One-Eighty. (pointing at I-180 shield on map)
Me: "Eye"  stands for Interstate.
Customer: Eye Eighty.
Me: Eye One-Eighty...this is "eye Eighty"  over here (pointing at I-80 shield near Danville)
Customer: (pointing at I-180 shield on map) Eye Eighty...there's an eye here
Me: That's a numeral one there before the eight and the zero.
Customer: (confused silence)
Me: So you'll get on Interstate One-Eighty headed east, follow that out past Muncy and toward Milton... (tracing route on map)
Me: Then you'll see an exit marked Interstate Eighty East...Bloomsburg. And you'll take that exit.
Customer: (confused silence)
Customer: So I'll get on eye Eighty out here and take that out to Eighty...?

Hwy 61 Revisited

Quote from: briantroutman on June 23, 2020, 01:18:28 PM
The "can't tell a letter I from a numeral 1"  problem is fairly widespread in my experience. I worked at a AAA office in Williamsport, PA a few summers between high school and college, and I spent several minutes with a confused elderly woman (a local) explaining that the in-town freeway I-180 was a separate road from I-80.

Customer: So I go out here and take the ramp to eye Eighty...
Me: That's eye One-Eighty.
Customer: (confused silence)
Me: You see here on the map: Interstate One-Eighty. (pointing at I-180 shield on map)
Me: "Eye"  stands for Interstate.
Customer: Eye Eighty.
Me: Eye One-Eighty...this is "eye Eighty"  over here (pointing at I-80 shield near Danville)
Customer: (pointing at I-180 shield on map) Eye Eighty...there's an eye here
Me: That's a numeral one there before the eight and the zero.
Customer: (confused silence)
Me: So you'll get on Interstate One-Eighty headed east, follow that out past Muncy and toward Milton... (tracing route on map)
Me: Then you'll see an exit marked Interstate Eighty East...Bloomsburg. And you'll take that exit.
Customer: (confused silence)
Customer: So I'll get on eye Eighty out here and take that out to Eighty...?


Oh jeez. That would be irritating.
And you may ask yourself, where does that highway go to?
--David Byrne

Roadgeekteen

Although my drivers ed teacher did say the word freeway...
God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5

Ned Weasel

Quote from: briantroutman on June 23, 2020, 01:18:28 PM
The "can't tell a letter I from a numeral 1"  problem is fairly widespread in my experience. I worked at a AAA office in Williamsport, PA a few summers between high school and college, and I spent several minutes with a confused elderly woman (a local) explaining that the in-town freeway I-180 was a separate road from I-80.

Customer: So I go out here and take the ramp to eye Eighty...
Me: That's eye One-Eighty.
Customer: (confused silence)
Me: You see here on the map: Interstate One-Eighty. (pointing at I-180 shield on map)
Me: "Eye"  stands for Interstate.
Customer: Eye Eighty.
Me: Eye One-Eighty...this is "eye Eighty"  over here (pointing at I-80 shield near Danville)
Customer: (pointing at I-180 shield on map) Eye Eighty...there's an eye here
Me: That's a numeral one there before the eight and the zero.
Customer: (confused silence)
Me: So you'll get on Interstate One-Eighty headed east, follow that out past Muncy and toward Milton... (tracing route on map)
Me: Then you'll see an exit marked Interstate Eighty East...Bloomsburg. And you'll take that exit.
Customer: (confused silence)
Customer: So I'll get on eye Eighty out here and take that out to Eighty...?

I guess it's not just I-135 in Wichita, then....
"I was raised by a cup of coffee." - Strong Bad imitating Homsar

Disclaimer: Views I express are my own and don't reflect any employer or associated entity.

kphoger

Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

formulanone

There's no time in my life to worry about the precision of words expressway, highway, freeway; or whether the right type of shield used on an advertiser's map. Nor a care to general public's idea that the state or federal government is responsible for every sign, pothole, or traffic light in their line of sight. The air defense notion has been busted for decades, never mind it wouldn't make sense to utilize it in that way for almost all of the nation.

But let's face it: the most irksome thing is when a route shield is drawn or placed precisely at intersection of two routes, so you have no idea which one is which. Only a non-roadgeek would be okay with that!

Roadrunner75

Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on June 23, 2020, 01:30:57 PM
Quote from: briantroutman on June 23, 2020, 01:18:28 PM
The "can't tell a letter I from a numeral 1"  problem is fairly widespread in my experience. I worked at a AAA office in Williamsport, PA a few summers between high school and college, and I spent several minutes with a confused elderly woman (a local) explaining that the in-town freeway I-180 was a separate road from I-80.

Customer: So I go out here and take the ramp to eye Eighty...
Me: That's eye One-Eighty.
Customer: (confused silence)
Me: You see here on the map: Interstate One-Eighty. (pointing at I-180 shield on map)
Me: "Eye"  stands for Interstate.
Customer: Eye Eighty.
Me: Eye One-Eighty...this is "eye Eighty"  over here (pointing at I-80 shield near Danville)
Customer: (pointing at I-180 shield on map) Eye Eighty...there's an eye here
Me: That's a numeral one there before the eight and the zero.
Customer: (confused silence)
Me: So you'll get on Interstate One-Eighty headed east, follow that out past Muncy and toward Milton... (tracing route on map)
Me: Then you'll see an exit marked Interstate Eighty East...Bloomsburg. And you'll take that exit.
Customer: (confused silence)
Customer: So I'll get on eye Eighty out here and take that out to Eighty...?


Oh jeez. That would be irritating.
Yes.  I got irritated just reading it.
I would've been tempted to say "Let me illustrate" and then draw the I-180 shield on a piece of paper followed by " = Interstate 180 = I-180" and then below it the 80 shield followed by "= Interstate 80 = I-80".   But it probably would've been a waste of time.  I've seen that glazed over look too many times...



jmacswimmer

#35
I never gave this example a second thought previously, but with the 1 Vs. I discussion I now wonder if MDOT SHA added this I-95 shield assembly to try to prevent confusion with the exit for I-195?

Quote from: kphoger on June 23, 2020, 02:30:40 PM
Quote from: texaskdog on June 22, 2020, 10:48:17 PM
Quote from: kphoger on June 22, 2020, 01:09:30 PM
Quote from: texaskdog on June 22, 2020, 01:01:21 PM
the narrator said interstate 97 ... a state highway
Isn't it?
was US 97
* whoosh *

As noted in the "Fun Facts about your County" thread, you could even go one step lower and call it a county highway  :-D
"Now, what if da Bearss were to enter the Indianapolis 5-hunnert?"
"How would they compete?"
"Let's say they rode together in a big buss."
"Is Ditka driving?"
"Of course!"
"Then I like da Bear buss."
"DA BEARSSS BUSSSS"

Big John

On a non-roadgeek board, I several times had to correct people referring to US 75 in Texas as I-75.  I got into an argument and he tried to show me a wikipedia page showing US 75 as "proof" that he was correct.

crispy93

* People always speed, so every road must be 30 MPH. If you raise it to 40, people will start drag racing
* Several people have complained that mile-based exit conversions are too confusing because you don't know how many exits are left until yours. Who's realistically counting exits and how does that help? Plus what if there are suffixed exits that throw off your count?
* Interstate highways must enter another state. Pointing out primary intrastate highways is met with "well, they were originally supposed to be longer, so..."
Not every speed limit in NY needs to be 30

kurumi

You can solve any capacity, flow, or safety problem by rigorously enforcing a low speed limit.
My first SF/horror short story collection is available: "Young Man, Open Your Winter Eye"

jmacswimmer

"Now, what if da Bearss were to enter the Indianapolis 5-hunnert?"
"How would they compete?"
"Let's say they rode together in a big buss."
"Is Ditka driving?"
"Of course!"
"Then I like da Bear buss."
"DA BEARSSS BUSSSS"

bing101

I-95 in Las Vegas even though for now US-95 is cosigned with I-515 in the Las Vegas area and it was discussed to becomes I-11.
The explanation over Business Routes is Business 80 must meet interstate standards even though Business 80 in Sacramento is officially CA-51.


kphoger

I once witnessed an opposite US/Interstate route mix-up by a non-roadgeek.

Before my wife and I got married, we were living in Naperville and Wheaton, IL (respectively).  We got married in Branson, MO, and moved to southern Illinois upon getting married, with a honeymoon in Mexico by way of the Kansas City airport.  Suffice it to say that planning all of that was complicated.  About three weeks before our wedding, we rented a moving truck and hauled our stuff to our newly rented house in Herrin, IL.  My wife drove to Branson from there, while I took Greyhound back to Chicago to keep working for about a week and a half.  I lived out of a backpack during that time, at first in my apartment and then later at a friend's house.  After my last day of work, I took public transit to the south suburbs and started hitchhiking I-57 south the next morning–beginning at the Lincoln Hwy exit in Matteson.  My hitchhiking sign was a piece of white cardboard with a big red hitchhiking thumb attached to the left side.  The white part had the words "Getting Married" and an outline I-57 shield.  While I was hitchhiking south, my wife and her little sister were driving west.  Three rides and not quite 300 miles later, I had them wait for me at the Herrin exit.

All of that was to set up the following:  My sister-in-law later described my hitchhiking sign to someone as having a "US Highway 57 shield" on it.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

bwana39

Quote from: sprjus4 on June 22, 2020, 12:17:09 PM
Every road that ever-so-slightly resembles a freeway (divided, shoulders, etc.) is an interstate, even if it has driveways, intersections, etc.

My former daughter in law was just the opposite. She was so fixated on Interstates she would drive from Town East Mall in Mesquite TX, which is right by US 80 a six lane controlled access freeway (and a former routing of I-20), via I-635 to I-20 then to Longview.

I also know people that use the term FREEWAY and INTERSTATE interchangably. While never I-175. US-175 might be callad "the Interstate".

Let's build what we need as economically as possible.

STLmapboy

Quote from: ozarkman417 on June 22, 2020, 11:44:46 PM
Quote from: KCRoadFan on June 22, 2020, 11:17:03 PM
Quote from: STLmapboy on June 22, 2020, 10:22:18 PM
A STL tourism map handed out by volunteers at Lambert Airport showed MO-370 as an interstate.
Ditto with MO 364.
might want to upgrade the 64/364 junction before that happens.


Quote from: STLmapboy on June 22, 2020, 10:22:18 PM
A STL tourism map handed out by volunteers at Lambert Airport showed MO-370 as an interstate.
Did the map display MO-364 correctly?

Sorry I'm late, but yes. This was before Phase III completion past Cottleville; it was handed out in Lambert Terminal 1 bag claim in 2013.
Teenage STL area roadgeek.
Missouri>>>>>Illinois

DandyDan

Quote from: kphoger on June 22, 2020, 04:47:20 PM
Quote from: DandyDan on June 22, 2020, 04:37:32 PM
I work with someone who routinely makes the trip from here in Mason City down to Fort Dodge. According to his description, he follows I-35 to I-20. I told him it's US 20 and he told me I don't understand that since it's freeway, it's interstate.

Well, that combines two mistakes, considering 20 isn't even controlled-access west of the Eagle Grove exit.
I had to check to make sure you weren't making that up, being I've only ever been on that part of US 20 once. I suspect he probably exits at Business US 20 or US 169, so he just might think it's all freeway there.
MORE FUN THAN HUMANLY THOUGHT POSSIBLE



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