I'm pretty open. Most people associate me as the road guy since I was in elementary school. I don't hide it all.
Found an assignment I made when I was a chemistry TA in high school.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash3%2F65934_3972573967804_1811940000_n.jpg&hash=2b2fcafdfddc6c7f6267a84e4b37b679dcb10581)
So, are you a closet road geek?
How open am I?--not very. It is mostly because road enthusiasm is a hobby like knitting, carpentry, etc.: there is a large group of people who are not into it and are not really interested in hearing much about it, but will allow their ears to be bent for a short while out of politeness; and then there is a rather smaller group of people who are road enthusiasts but don't know it yet, and have to be coaxed into it gradually. For the latter, "less is more": better to imply that there is more to learn and suggest that it might be fascinating, than to dump it all out at once.
I come at it from the "I enjoy a good roadtrip" perspective as opposed to the "OMG ROADZ" perspective when talking with other people, and that's helpful, because lots of people are in that first subset and not so many are in that second subset. Plenty of people enjoy roadtrips- the difference is that most roadgeeks do it because they like the road as opposed to the things along the road- the road becomes the destination instead of a means to get to the destination.
Being a road enthusiast is a pretty niche hobby, but there's plenty of more mainstream interesting subject matter that can come of it, so I try to skew towards that in conversation. If I'm driving through Hill Country, I'll talk about what a neat town Llano is and how great that barbeque place was instead of how much Clearview there is in Texas. There are a lot more closet cultural geographers (most people are, to some degree) than closet roadgeeks, so I try to stick to that side of the subject matter.
I've only ever met two roadgeeks that are outside of the roadgeek community- both were geographers met in an academic setting, which is probably not representative of mainstream society anwyay.
I keep it to myself. I have shown a couple of my co-workers where the original alignment of US 79 south of Magnolia, AR is now Columbia County road 7 on the east side of our railroad...they already knew about how it ran through where the steel mill is now located. (in fact, the steel mill uses the original concrete road to place the billets they unload out of the railcars).
It's tough enough being a railfan while working for a railroad. I sometimes get ragged by my co-workers, but I don't care. Trying to be a road geek & explain that to them is not worth the effort.
I waver back and forth with my tidbits. Having driven a truck coast to coast for over a dozen years, I have been to (and had a meal or two) in almost any mid-size to large US town you could name. It is fun to occasionally ask where in (insert state name) someone is from, and then tell them how great the Shade Tree Cafe used to be. The smaller and further away it is the more baffled they become. Sometimes I follow up by telling them I just made it up, and they are mystified even more...
I don't talk about it. I don't even tell my friends about it until I've known them quite a while. Some of my friends don't even know about it. I do, however, talk about my bridge photography hobby because it seems "cooler" than talking about sign fonts or highways that don't fit the numbering system.
Quote from: corco on February 23, 2013, 01:00:22 PMI've only ever met two roadgeeks that are outside of the roadgeek community- both were geographers met in an academic setting, which is probably not representative of mainstream society anyway.
I have a few friends who are not members of this community but have tripped my road enthusiast radar, in one case by making Facebook posts referencing highway features such as freeway guide signs (not the state-line welcome signs most outsiders can sort of understand). Plus there was that episode in Berlin years ago when I got into the zone photographing a large lane-assignment direction sign, only to find a young woman right next to me doing precisely the same thing. But in no case have I ever said, "Hello, are you one of us?"
In my case, one of them was an absolute highway nerd who really should be involved in the enthusiast community- we brought him along with us to be a ringer in a geography bowl at a regional conference (he lived in Evanston or something and took a couple classes online, so was qualified but had not been active with us to that point- somebody just knew he knew a ton about geography), and once we got to talking he was a pretty avid AARoads reader and knew of Kurumi's and Elkins' site and a couple others, but not somebody involved in the active community, and then we ended up scaring everybody with us at dinner by testing each other's highway knowledge, and he knew a heck of a lot. This was late 2009, so the forum was still in its infancy stages. He may very well be lurking- if you are start posting.
The other was a cultural geographer who was working on her dissertation on US 1 - basically travelled the distance of the highway and mapped culture regions and how the highway evolves over its distance, but then also knew a surprising amount about signage and alignments and things of that nature. She was actually a K-State student at the following year's regional geography conference. I'd love to see a copy of her dissertation, but she didn't have it with her nor was she presenting at the conference- the Wyoming contingent ended up dining with the K-State contingent that night because of some faculty that knew each other, and I'm not quite sure how that came up in conversation.
I'm fortunate in that I made it my career, so I get to talk about my career and throw in "yeah, this is kinda my hobby too, I love what I do." So I'm quite open about it, between my passion for highways and my photography hobby.
Everyone I know probably knows I'm a roadgeek. For one thing, it's pretty hard to travel with me and not know it. Our best friend, especially. He's said before, "˜I love how much of a geek he is.' I have another good friend who designs road bridges for a living (his wife calls it doodling when he does sketches at home), and we have recently discovered each other's love of roadly things. He drives his wife nuts by stopping on the highway and taking pictures of bridge elements and such. At work, it's obvious I'm a roadgeek, since I'm on this site and Google Maps every day, all day, in between calls and work projects. Basically, this is not an interest I've ever felt a need to keep to myself.
Quote from: Steve on February 23, 2013, 08:27:51 PM
I'm fortunate in that I made it my career, so I get to talk about my career and throw in "yeah, this is kinda my hobby too, I love what I do." So I'm quite open about it, between my passion for highways and my photography hobby.
That's how I feel about my job. I get paid to play! :thumbsup:
I'm relatively open about it although I do often start with "I like taking road trips", especially when dealing with women.
But I can't for a second fool anyone into thinking I'm not a nutty character if they spend any time with me since my very personality is so unique... so my friends all know about my love of roads (and other forms of infrastructure). It won't make anyone think any more weirdly of me than they already do. :P
By this point in my life, two things have happened that tend to make the question of whether or how to talk about it pretty much a non-issue.
One is that I've travelled enough, and many of my friends and colleagues have similarly travelled, that it doesn't seem odd to talk about what I've seen in my travels. The other is that my interest in the hobby has itself evolved mostly into those parts that don't seem so weird to other people anyway, such as the cultural geography aspect, and even map reading and collecting doesn't get as many sideways glances these days as you might think. (I've had any number of "normal" people admit, unsolicited, that they enjoy maps and find them interesting, even just occasionally.)
I don't readily bring up the fact that I've compiled route logs and lists of highway interchanges (and made a website about it), but then again, I'm no longer particularly active at doing those things anyway. So I've pretty much just made it a part of my persona, and after all, when you're in a business like I am, everyone is pretty much, by definition, a geek of some sort regardless!
I try to keep a lid on it as much as I can because people generally seem to not enjoy hearing about it. But I will spit out a routing if someone is talking about heading someplace, especially far away, and if I am driving with someone and I spot something unusual or bad I will comment on it. The latter is often more acceptable than you might think, because when you comment on how bad a particular sign they're looking at is, they just have to know why. One of my friends allowed me to turn it into a conversation on the general quality of Oklahoma signs, and after having pointed out how remarkably inconsistent things were from sign to sign, he started noticing it too and it started bugging him.
I'm not particularly open about it, but it's not really hidden either. Anyone who looks at my Facebook page close enough can probably tell, though I keep a separate Roadgeeks list for posting road-related stuff.
I didn't really know there were (many) other road geeks until a few years ago. From childhood, I have been known as someone with a good sense of direction and someone who enjoyed maps and atlases. That's what I maintain for work colleagues and acquaintances.
After the Pixar movie "Cars" came out, I learned about the road geek community and realized that I was not alone in my fascination with old alignments, old v new maps, styles of signage, bridges, construction, geography, road numbering and trivia, etc. My family and close friends are aware, but I have not yet met anyone in person who shares these interests.
So - yeah....
Quote from: cjk374 on February 23, 2013, 10:06:29 PM
Quote from: Steve on February 23, 2013, 08:27:51 PM
I'm fortunate in that I made it my career, so I get to talk about my career and throw in "yeah, this is kinda my hobby too, I love what I do." So I'm quite open about it, between my passion for highways and my photography hobby.
That's how I feel about my job. I get paid to play! :thumbsup:
Yeah, me too.
Sometimes people at the office come to me with strange, obscure, road geeky-type questions about the highway and transit networks around the area, and even more disturbingly, I can usually answer them.
I'm open about it; I tend not to bring roadgeeking up "cold" as a new topic, but will certainly chime in when the conversation goes there.
In my office are a few road photos (including Hartford skyline), a US 395 sign and a bottle of 395 IPA. An engineer in another group stopped by, and figured out who I was -- from MTR. He had lurked for a while, and no longer does, but his friend, who has a site where he contributed some photos, still participates.
"Cool, who's that?" I asked.
He was reluctant to give a name; his reasons, in summary, were that the person's conduct was controversial. That was enough information that the name was no longer necessary.
So that's my 1 degree of separation from Carl Rogers :-/
(I'll leave out the co-worker's name; he's a good guy and doesn't deserve any of the notoriety)
everyone who's ever ridden in a car with me knows, because I tend to make out-of-nowhere pronunciations like "that's a 1971 sign gantry".
I'm more open about my bridge photography than I am with anything else.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 25, 2013, 09:36:01 AM
everyone who's ever ridden in a car with me knows, because I tend to make out-of-nowhere pronunciations like "that's a 1971 sign gantry".
Pronouncements or pronunciations?
Either way, it sounds like you have a the first clinically diagnosed case of Highway Tourette's Syndrome (HTS.)
Quote from: djsinco on February 25, 2013, 01:13:12 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 25, 2013, 09:36:01 AM
everyone who's ever ridden in a car with me knows, because I tend to make out-of-nowhere pronunciations like "that's a 1971 sign gantry".
Pronouncements or pronunciations?
Either way, it sounds like you have a the first clinically diagnosed case of Highway Tourette's Syndrome (HTS.)
oh dear. kids, never post before the caffeine kicks in! :-D
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 24, 2013, 05:55:33 AM
I try to keep a lid on it as much as I can because people generally seem to not enjoy hearing about it. But I will spit out a routing if someone is talking about heading someplace, especially far away, and if I am driving with someone and I spot something unusual or bad I will comment on it. The latter is often more acceptable than you might think...
With all my work travel, these things come up a lot, whether to family , friends, or acquaintances. Close friends and such know I'm apt to drop everything and drive in some obscure country road in a town they'd never heard of. What they probably don't know (and I typically don't share) is that I have an absurd amount of photographs of road signs and roadways, although I have no problem with showing off photos of my kids, family, and pets. Although, I've shown people the "Big Beaver Road" one a few times, in conversation, just to be tasteless and say I went to Michigan.
It's really no different than having any other odd or unusual hobby/interest that only a (comparatively) small handful of people enjoy. I don't find much pleasure* in boring people with information that they really don't want to hear in the first place, but if the opportunity is there, you say your bit and move on.
* Not completely true, I've been able to get both my cranky infant children to get to sleep by retelling the stories of Grand Prix races that...(yawn, oh look at the time)
I was open about it long before there was an internet. Everybody who knows me knows I'm a big road geek, and though none of them share my passion for roads, sometimes they're glad. Remember that "You Know Your a Roadgeek" thread when I mentioned giving details about roads that most people can't handle?
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=1113.msg145574#msg145574
I also remember road signs that most people don't think about, and my first reaction to some traffic problem that I see in one location or another is to blurt out some construction project, instead of accepting things as they are.
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=1113.msg150442#msg150442
I've certainly got in more than my share of arguments with anti-highway zealots, so I don't make too many friends this way. A girl who might've had a crush on me during the 1990's was horrified when I told her I wanted to see NY 347 turned into the expressway it was intended to be. It's sad too, because I thought she was attractive as well. I don't care, though. I stand by my principles even if they make me lonely.
Quote from: kurumi on February 25, 2013, 01:36:43 AM
I'm open about it; I tend not to bring roadgeeking up "cold" as a new topic, but will certainly chime in when the conversation goes there.
In my office are a few road photos (including Hartford skyline), a US 395 sign and a bottle of 395 IPA. An engineer in another group stopped by, and figured out who I was -- from MTR. He had lurked for a while, and no longer does, but his friend, who has a site where he contributed some photos, still participates.
"Cool, who's that?" I asked.
He was reluctant to give a name; his reasons, in summary, were that the person's conduct was controversial. That was enough information that the name was no longer necessary.
So that's my 1 degree of separation from Carl Rogers :-/
(I'll leave out the co-worker's name; he's a good guy and doesn't deserve any of the notoriety)
You, sir, ... wait, when did you move to California?
Quote from: Steve on February 25, 2013, 07:33:40 PM
You, sir, ... wait, when did you move to California?
20 years ago... long before I started the CT website.
My old buddy from my old delivery job, we could talk about roadgeek stuff all day if we wanted to. He would enjoy this forum and who knows, after I showed him this forum, he might be lurking.
Other than that, there's my dad. He at least understands my roadgeekery, being he's a railfan, or at least a seeker of abandoned rail lines (he was thrilled to learn an old Rock Island rail line is less than a mile from his home, being that was his first railroad employer). But mom thinks that's all weird. And the rest of my family could truly care less. A lot of them think I'm a lazy weirdo.
As for my best friend, I think he would get into it, but he has enough hobbies already.
I keep it to myself. As a geek of many geekeries, I have learned not to bore people.
I make an exception when people expound on their understanding, usually mistaken, of numbering conventions. Also, I'm not sure whether this counts, but I apparently have a neon sign over my head that says in both English and Spanish, "Ask this person for directions." Even when I am in a metropolitan area other than my own, I usually know the answer.
I usually don't say anything about it unless the subject of conversation involves either driving directions or roadways. That's when I usually see as an open opportunity to chime in conversationwise.
That said, the only time most people know about it is when they're in the car w/me (while I'm driving) or when they'll ask me for directions to get to a particular place; the latter happened more often prior to Mapquest and the widespread use of GPS navigation systems.
Although, there have been times when one's GPS either screws up (it does happen) or is missing; that's when I still get the phone calls requesting better directions. At home, I have a few ADC atlases covering the Delaware Valley where I can flip to the page I need and talk them through it. Though it's always a challenge when the surrounding area of their destination, although small in area, requires looking at 4 different pages of the atlas to get the whole picture.
There also have been times while writing directions, I'll even sketch out what key direction or exit sign to look for. In those situations, I just hope that the sign(s) in question are either still there or the state DOT hasn't drastically changed the legend on the sign (I-84 & US 20 interchange in Sturbridge, MA a few years back) or completely reconfigure the interchange (I-87/287 split in Tarrytown, NY just east of the Tappan Zee Bridge also a few years back).
Quote from: DandyDan on February 26, 2013, 08:41:41 AM
And the rest of my family could truly care less
Well, that's good at least. I would have felt bad for you if they could
n't care less. ;-)
Quote from: kphoger on February 26, 2013, 03:55:01 PM
Quote from: DandyDan on February 26, 2013, 08:41:41 AM
And the rest of my family could truly care less
Well, that's good at least. I would have felt bad for you if they couldn't care less. ;-)
I am pleased to see someone else pointing out this all-too-common error.
To answer the original question, most people I know don't find roads too interesting, so I don't talk too much about the more esoteric things like signage and the like. But they're all too happy to ask for directions since everyone who knows me knows I'm like a walking road atlas at times.
My wife gets frustrated when I comment on signs and the like when we're riding in the car, though when I pointed out to her that she should feel that my being interested in road signs is probably better than being into porn or doing drugs or some such. She conceded the point but then noted that we wouldn't be married (or she'd be seeking a divorce) if I were into porn or drugs.
I could care less about pedants not getting sarcasm.
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 26, 2013, 03:56:29 PM
I am pleased to see someone else pointing out this all-too-common error.
I think it's kind of a case where both statements make sense, since they're used idiomatically:
- If they "could care less" [to care less than another], it's an obvious point, almost a redundant statement.
- If they "could
n't care less" [to not care less than another], it still means they're essentially at a point of not caring, because there's zero care for the subject matter. Even though it sounds like they do care.
Idioms are not a sense make.
Everyone I know thinks it's pretty cool that I know where so many roads lead... They call me whenever they need a human GPS :sombrero:
Quote from: formulanone on February 26, 2013, 05:01:27 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on February 26, 2013, 03:56:29 PM
I am pleased to see someone else pointing out this all-too-common error.
I think it's kind of a case where both statements make sense, since they're used idiomatically:
- If they "could care less" [to care less than another], it's an obvious point, almost a redundant statement.
- If they "couldn't care less" [to not care less than another], it still means they're essentially at a point of not caring, because there's zero care for the subject matter. Even though it sounds like they do care.
Idioms are not a sense make.
I believe the meaning is that it would be impossible for the person to care less about the topic than they presently do.
Quote from: NE2 on February 26, 2013, 04:50:21 PM
I could care less about pedants not getting sarcasm.
It appears as though you are Anti-Semantic :poke:
My family and some of my friends know about my involvement in the roads hobby. Most people think that I like to travel a lot (and this is how I present my joy of travel), but probably wouldn't connect the two together.
Quote from: djsinco on February 26, 2013, 06:25:08 PM
Quote from: NE2 on February 26, 2013, 04:50:21 PM
I could care less about pedants not getting sarcasm.
It appears as though you are Anti-Semantic :poke:
I tried to come up with a good reply to this but couldn't. Sorry.
Stalin?
Is this a day to note in history?
NE2 had no comeback!
:colorful:
Quote from: Doctor Whom on February 26, 2013, 12:48:37 PM
I keep it to myself. As a geek of many geekeries, I have learned not to bore people.
I make an exception when people expound on their understanding, usually mistaken, of numbering conventions. Also, I'm not sure whether this counts, but I apparently have a neon sign over my head that says in both English and Spanish, "Ask this person for directions." Even when I am in a metropolitan area other than my own, I usually know the answer.
Waiting to pay at a gas station in a far away city that you are in for the first time and you give better directiosn to the lost traveler than the clerk who has never left their home town
My family and friends know that I know my way around anywhere. And that I love to drive. Before gas got real expensive I would take drives just to look at roads I have never been on or to check on progress of construction projects. In college I would drive hours just for fun. ( Nice to have your parents Exxon Credit card..all I needed was a Bitchin' Camaro) So my friends knew I would go on aimless drives just to see where a road went, of course I had already seen the route on a map.
My wife really saw the depth of my road geekery when we flew to California for her Grandmothers funeral in 1997; I was able to identify cities and roads from the airplane window.
I was interviewing for a Corporate Trainer position about 15 years ago. I had to do an educational presentation on any subject. I chose a presentation to do on the Florida state route grid. I told them how the US and interstate highways all had a state route number and how the grid worked. ( Lots of people wondered why we had a SR 9A with out a SR9. I bet some of the panel are still telling friends and neighbors about I-95 being SR 9)
I have had to work at not being a know-it-all on the subject with people. I was so glad to find MTR years ago and know that I am not alone in my road-geekery. Funny thing is that my brother ended up a Civil Engineer and he cant get anywhere with out a map/GPS
Quote from: jwolfer on March 01, 2013, 11:39:33 AM
I was interviewing for a Corporate Trainer position about 15 years ago. I had to do an educational presentation on any subject. I chose a presentation to do on the Florida state route grid. I told them how the US and interstate highways all had a state route number and how the grid worked. ( Lots of people wondered why we had a SR 9A with out a SR9. I bet some of the panel are still telling friends and neighbors about I-95 being SR 9)
But did it get you the job??
Quote from: jwolfer on March 01, 2013, 11:39:33 AM
My wife really saw the depth of my road geekery when we flew to California for her Grandmothers funeral in 1997; I was able to identify cities and roads from the airplane window.
This is the type of thing that makes me get a window seat on airplanes the few times I have flown, although I never have flown with anyone I knew personally yet.
There is nothing I enjoy more than annoying the person next to me in an airplane when I'm sitting by the window, look over at them, and say "OH MY GOD IT'S ROCK SPRINGS"
One time I did that and the person sitting next to me happened to be a geographer, so that was awesome.
The coolest for me was travelling through western Nebraska on Amtrak in the middle of the night; I was standing by the door for the final ten minutes or so as we were approaching my stop. The conductor, even at night, knew every little town along the way by name. I've tried to be able to do that along the I-57 corridor in Illinois, on Amtrak from Carbondale to Chicago, and it can be both a fun and a daunting task.
It's not usually the first thing I tell people, but I'm not ashamed to discuss it when it presents itself. I also post plenty of road-related content on Facebook, and usually I do get some positive response from non-roadgeeks in addition to the roadgeek contingent I have on my page when I do post content.
Quote from: corco on March 01, 2013, 11:07:35 PM
There is nothing I enjoy more than annoying the person next to me in an airplane when I'm sitting by the window, look over at them, and say "OH MY GOD IT'S ROCK SPRINGS"
Admittedly, my knowledge of the American Southwest is quite minimal, so Virgin America has an in-seat entertainment option that kept me busy until sundown:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.formulanone.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F05%2FVirgin-GoogleMapsWindowSeat.jpg&hash=320ef2cf0f4402be9d5614c92ff938d7222da25d)
Virgin America (as well as Virgin Atlantic,) rocks! I wish they flew everywhere.
Quote from: NE2 on February 26, 2013, 07:30:21 PM
Quote from: djsinco on February 26, 2013, 06:25:08 PM
Quote from: NE2 on February 26, 2013, 04:50:21 PM
I could care less about pedants not getting sarcasm.
It appears as though you are Anti-Semantic :poke:
I tried to come up with a good reply to this but couldn't. Sorry.
Better than my ex-SO, she was anti-SEMENTIC.....(she hated cuddling and the things it led to...and that is why she is now my ex-....)
Those that know me really well know I am a human GPS and that I love bridges, but they don't really get the other aspects of roadgeeking that I enjoy. I can be quite open about it on Facebook, and most of my non-roadgeek friends probably either don't notice, or think I am just plain weird for noticing this stuff.
Quote from: djsinco on March 03, 2013, 04:22:57 AM
Virgin America (as well as Virgin Atlantic,) rocks! I wish they flew everywhere.
Good ol' Beardy Branson!
Some of my most memorable flights were on Virgin. Take that however you wish...
This has been an interesting thread to read.
For me, my openness about my roadgeeking hobby depends on the person I'm talking to. With all my friends and some of my family members, they generally know about it. On Facebook I'm pretty open about it. Once in a while I'll post a roadgeeky Facebook status and will usually include some road or sign photos as part of albums from trips I take. With my coworkers I generally talk about enjoying taking road trips in general, but with one close coworker, I'll tell her more about seeing the infrastructure, noticing strange signs, reading maps, and so on.
I recently had dinner with one of my former college professors (I now consider her to be a friend/mentor) and was explaining the roadgeeking hobby to her. She kinda thought it was odd and made a slightly condescending remark about it, but oh well.
With most people, I don't go into too much detail because I figure they don't care at all. But my better friends understand that this is something that's important to me and they will express their happiness that I have a hobby like this I enjoy and an opportunity to discuss it with other roadgeeks.
I normally try and keep me and the fact that I'm a road geek between me, family, and my close friends. The only time I really ever talk about roads, is if I'm out on the road with my mom or dad, or with other road enthusiasts. That being said, when people ask me what I want to major in college, and I reply civil engineering, that's when I usually tell them about my hobby and why I want to major in that.
I'm quiet about it.. I will however show my knowledge to some people, on a band trip in San Antonio I was explaining pretty much everything about which way we should have taken, and the construction projects and such. I've only shown about three people the maps I've drawn, and not very many have seen my room with all the maps. I do have people ask me how to get places though. So it's more of people know I'm smart and road smart, but they don't know I pay attention to the fonts on road signs and get fascinated when I see lots of Highway gothic here in Texas..
So a bunch of us were at a dinner party at our pastor's house the other evening, including our friend who is a bridge engineer. He had invited a coworker, and introduced me to him as a roadgeek. The fact that there are "amateur" highway enthusiasts out there still blows his mind (didn't seem to phase his friend quite so much), and he posed this question: How many non-engineer roadgeeks are there across America? Does anyone have a good guess at the answer to that question?
Quote from: kphoger on April 15, 2013, 10:36:53 PM
So a bunch of us were at a dinner party at our pastor's house the other evening, including our friend who is a bridge engineer. He had invited a coworker, and introduced me to him as a roadgeek. The fact that there are "amateur" highway enthusiasts out there still blows his mind (didn't seem to phase his friend quite so much), and he posed this question: How many non-engineer roadgeeks are there across America? Does anyone have a good guess at the answer to that question?
There are thousands of members here, but most don't post. I'd say at least 2,000, possibly 3 times that amount. The longer we're out here, the more people discover the forum and "out" themselves. Order of magnitude (within a factor of 10), 5,000 seems like a good starting point. Keep in mind that only 1% of us, at MOST, are engineers.
Quote from: Steve on April 15, 2013, 10:39:00 PM
Keep in mind that only 1% of us, at MOST, are engineers.
But there are different kinds. I am an engineer, but my job has pretty much nothing to do with roads or any form of transportation (I make buildings more energy efficient). Do I count? :P
Quote from: Duke87 on April 15, 2013, 11:06:39 PM
Do I count? :P
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rimmkaufman.com%2Fcontent%2Furl.jpeg&hash=aa5aa137768f9e5e38217a27b5fb6e27911b7cb0)
The interesting thing is that when I was in college I had envisioned myself becoming a traffic engineer. Then life happened.
All things considered, though, it's probably best that I'm not. I'd be too opinionated about the projects I'd be working on as a traffic engineer and I want no part of designing a road the way some other entity wants it in direct contradiction to the way I want it.
Quote from: Duke87 on April 17, 2013, 11:24:34 PM
The interesting thing is that when I was in college I had envisioned myself becoming a traffic engineer. Then life happened.
All things considered, though, it's probably best that I'm not. I'd be too opinionated about the projects I'd be working on as a traffic engineer and I want no part of designing a road the way some other entity wants it in direct contradiction to the way I want it.
It is tough having to keep the personal feelings separate from work sometimes. I still remember the moment I typed the sentence about state-name Interstate shields "shall not be used" in Virginia into the Virginia Supplement to the MUTCD. VDOT has their reasons for not wanting to do this, and part of being a good roadgeek/engineer is realizing that sometimes the engineering decisions don't make roadgeeks happy, but the public agencies are catering to the mobility needs and safety needs of the public, under extreme fiscal and political pressure, and "making roadgeeks happy" takes a back seat to effective/safe/cost-effective.
But there are definite advantages to being a roadgeek engineer. I happen to be very lucky that my co-workers and clients view my knowledge as a good source of information, as opposed to "something weird".
As for me, I used to not be open about it at all...but my friends always spilled the beans. Word got out in high school...and I could never walk down the hall without, "Mike, how do you get to Alaska?" In college, freshman year, no one knew. Then, one of my high school friends came to Duke and he would typically introduce me like, "This kid knows every exit on I-95 and can tell you how to get from just about anywhere to just about anywhere in North America without a map". And guess what? I was a lot happier when I could show off a little and act myself instead of trying to hide my interest.
Then I ended up making a career out of it. I think that makes it a lot easier for me to share with others in social situations. I think the key is talking to people about it at their level. The average person doesn't care about button copy vs. Clearview, but everyone can relate to transportation because everyone does it. I think people are impressed that there is some logic to how everything works in the transportation world, and typically walk away with a positive impression. Then once people realize I know a lot about it, I'm interested in it, and I obviously know quite a bit more about it than I'm talking about, then they aren't as surprised when some really geeky thing comes up in conversation. But the key is not to chew people's ears off if they really aren't interested...keep the conversation to the basics...I like traveling, I like exploring different places, taking the road less traveled, etc.
I think I honestly have more trouble with co-workers than with non-transportation engineers. Some can't understand why I'm so into the work I do, why I'm always on the road to random places...because they are comparing me to other transportation engineers. "I'm a transportation engineer too and I don't know all this!" Key is to sell it as a valuable resource, and they'll be on board quickly!
Quote from: mtantillo on April 18, 2013, 12:56:33 AM
It is tough having to keep the personal feelings separate from work sometimes. I still remember the moment I typed the sentence about state-name Interstate shields "shall not be used" in Virginia into the Virginia Supplement to the MUTCD. VDOT has their reasons for not wanting to do this, and part of being a good roadgeek/engineer is realizing that sometimes the engineering decisions don't make roadgeeks happy, but the public agencies are catering to the mobility needs and safety needs of the public, under extreme fiscal and political pressure, and "making roadgeeks happy" takes a back seat to effective/safe/cost-effective.
What logic was used in the decision to exclude the state name? How do they rationalize that as improving safety or mobility?
Quote from: hbelkins on April 18, 2013, 10:28:11 AMWhat logic was used in the decision to exclude the state name? How do they rationalize that as improving safety or mobility?
I suspect it had to do with the 18" height requirement for digits in guide-sign shields used on freeway guide signs. For a motorist the critical information in the Interstate shield is the number, not the state name. If the latter is omitted, the shield easily meets the 18" requirement and legibility distance is typically 20% greater than if the state name is used.
Take Kansas' Interstate shield design, which is fairly typical among states that use the state name. At the 36" size, the designer has an 18" vertical slot available, which can be used to accommodate either 18" digits only, or 2 1/4" state name plus 3/4" air gap plus 15" digits.
This said, I would not have included a provision in a
MUTCD supplement banning state-name shields altogether--I would merely have restricted them to independent-mount shields, as is done in Kansas. The reason for this is that independent-mount shields are used largely for confirmation and tend not to be located at critical decision points on freeways. However, Kansas uses green-background ramp direction signs with guide-sign shields having 12" digits at the 24" height. This level of provision is an extra-cost enhancement above the directional assemblies with independent-mount shields that are used in many states. If Virginia is taking the cheap way out and using assemblies at ramp turnoffs, then this makes it especially critical not to have the state name in Interstate shields.
From a purely visibility/safety standpoint, I don't know why anyone uses state-name shields any more.
Quote from: Steve on April 18, 2013, 10:56:44 PM
From a purely visibility/safety standpoint, I don't know why anyone uses state-name shields any more.
It's not as if the state name provides information drivers have much use for, except marginally in areas near state lines. And it marginally takes away shield space better used to make the route number more legible.
Some Interstate shields in Hawaii have the state name. But if you need a road sign to remind you that you're in Hawaii, you probably shouldn't be behind the wheel in the first place :)
Back on the subject, I'm pretty open about my roadgeeking (though I don't go out of my way to bring it up), and in my circles it's fairly widely known in particular that I'm a county counter. That certainly helps deflect attention from other weird stuff about me, such as that I'm a retired antitrust lawyer.
Quote from: Steve on April 15, 2013, 10:39:00 PM
Keep in mind that only 1% of us, at MOST, are engineers.
And I'm among the 99% that isn't. Although there have certainly been people who thought I was.
Hopefully, soon, an active player from one of the four major team sports will go public about his roadgeekiness. No more sneaking out of the hotel before breakfast with a digital camera. No more secret compartments in duffel bags for maps. No more secret second Twitter account to follow @PAHighways.
Quote from: mtantillo on April 18, 2013, 12:56:33 AM
Quote from: Duke87 on April 17, 2013, 11:24:34 PM
The interesting thing is that when I was in college I had envisioned myself becoming a traffic engineer. Then life happened.
All things considered, though, it's probably best that I'm not. I'd be too opinionated about the projects I'd be working on as a traffic engineer and I want no part of designing a road the way some other entity wants it in direct contradiction to the way I want it.
It is tough having to keep the personal feelings separate from work sometimes. I still remember the moment I typed the sentence about state-name Interstate shields "shall not be used" in Virginia into the Virginia Supplement to the MUTCD. VDOT has their reasons for not wanting to do this, and part of being a good roadgeek/engineer is realizing that sometimes the engineering decisions don't make roadgeeks happy, but the public agencies are catering to the mobility needs and safety needs of the public, under extreme fiscal and political pressure, and "making roadgeeks happy" takes a back seat to effective/safe/cost-effective.
And you were ethically serving the needs of your customer when you did that (and FWIW, I also like state names on Interstate shields (and would bring them back for U.S. shields if I could)).
Quote from: mtantillo on April 18, 2013, 12:56:33 AM
But there are definite advantages to being a roadgeek engineer. I happen to be very lucky that my co-workers and clients view my knowledge as a good source of information, as opposed to "something weird".
My colleagues come to me pretty often when they have needs for obscure information (a recent example being the hours of operation for all HOV facilities in the suburbs of D.C., which I can (disturbingly) recite from memory).
I have to work at not being a know-it-all. I have lots of random knowledge about a lot of stuff. When people start running their mouths about road stuff that is down right wrong... I can't help but open my mouth. Since GPS more people know the secret Florida state roads... 20 years ago it was known to the DOT, Police and the select few.
Quote from: kurumi on May 02, 2013, 11:36:31 AM
Hopefully, soon, an active player from one of the four major team sports will go public about his roadgeekiness. No more sneaking out of the hotel before breakfast with a digital camera. No more secret compartments in duffel bags for maps. No more secret second Twitter account to follow @PAHighways.
Auto racing is a safe haven for them. :paranoid:
Quote from: kurumi on May 02, 2013, 11:36:31 AM
Hopefully, soon, an active player from one of the four major team sports will go public about his roadgeekiness. No more sneaking out of the hotel before breakfast with a digital camera. No more secret compartments in duffel bags for maps. No more secret second Twitter account to follow @PAHighways.
Funny. There as so many dromophilaphobes in the world!!
We can call road-geekiness... dromophilia... from the greek word for road... dromos
Would they not merely be dromophobes, then?
Quote from: djsinco on May 03, 2013, 02:58:28 PM
Would they not merely be dromophobes, then?
those would be the people who are afraid of driving.
plenty of them on the road, nonetheless.
Quote from: djsinco on May 03, 2013, 02:58:28 PM
Would they not merely be dromophobes, then?
Dromo= Road Philo= lover of Phobe= person who fears... fun making up words
Quote from: jwolfer on May 03, 2013, 03:17:51 PM
Quote from: djsinco on May 03, 2013, 02:58:28 PM
Would they not merely be dromophobes, then?
Dromo= Road Philo= lover of Phobe= person who fears... fun making up words
But what about viatology? *RUNS FAR AWAY*
Quote from: Steve on May 03, 2013, 04:23:42 PM
Quote from: jwolfer on May 03, 2013, 03:17:51 PM
Quote from: djsinco on May 03, 2013, 02:58:28 PM
Would they not merely be dromophobes, then?
Dromo= Road Philo= lover of Phobe= person who fears... fun making up words
But what about viatology? *RUNS FAR AWAY*
*SMACK!* :pan:
I've been trying for a while to come up with a legitimate term for the irrational fear of the right lane.
Dextroviaphobia is the best I've come up with so far. Anything better?
Quote from: kphoger on May 03, 2013, 08:47:58 PM
I've been trying for a while to come up with a legitimate term for the irrational fear of the right lane.
Dextroviaphobia is the best I've come up with so far. Anything better?
It has to include the terms "Ohio" or "Buckeye" to be legitimate.
Something like three of my friends either appreciate or tolerate this interest. Several more know me as the obnoxious guy that always wants to analyze their route somewhere. That's about all I need, coupled with an understanding woman in my life who tells me "That picture has you written all over it" because it has a construction barrel and a parking garage in it. Don't take things like that for granted -- a friend of mine found a woman who was the only person besides me to tolerate him driving around to photograph supermarkets and married her. Chances are you won't find two who get it!
Quote from: hbelkins on May 03, 2013, 10:51:23 PM
Quote from: kphoger on May 03, 2013, 08:47:58 PM
I've been trying for a while to come up with a legitimate term for the irrational fear of the right lane.
Dextroviaphobia is the best I've come up with so far. Anything better?
It has to include the terms "Ohio" or "Buckeye" to be legitimate.
"Cheesehead" works. Of course, there's always "Fuckeye" instead of "Buckeye".
Quote from: Brandon on May 04, 2013, 12:33:05 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on May 03, 2013, 10:51:23 PM
Quote from: kphoger on May 03, 2013, 08:47:58 PM
I've been trying for a while to come up with a legitimate term for the irrational fear of the right lane.
Dextroviaphobia is the best I've come up with so far. Anything better?
It has to include the terms "Ohio" or "Buckeye" to be legitimate.
"Cheesehead" works. Of course, there's always "Fuckeye" instead of "Buckeye".
Or New Jerseyan. Or Connecticutian. Or New Yorker, for that matter.
Quote from: empirestate on May 04, 2013, 09:54:24 AM
Quote from: Brandon on May 04, 2013, 12:33:05 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on May 03, 2013, 10:51:23 PM
Quote from: kphoger on May 03, 2013, 08:47:58 PM
I've been trying for a while to come up with a legitimate term for the irrational fear of the right lane.
Dextroviaphobia is the best I've come up with so far. Anything better?
It has to include the terms "Ohio" or "Buckeye" to be legitimate.
"Cheesehead" works. Of course, there's always "Fuckeye" instead of "Buckeye".
Or New Jerseyan. Or Connecticutian. Or New Yorker, for that matter.
Those are more "love of the center lane" than "fear of the right lane."