History of Roadgeeking

[Rothman]

Got RMcN atlases for Christmas and my family had a collection of some state maps from before I was born that was gradually expanded.

Remember we had one old map that had the old remark that the speed limit was 80 mph on Interstate Highways unless otherwise posted...

[ClassicHasClass]

I used to draw road and infrastructure stuff also when I was a kid.  I had a pretty kick ass Lego city going through high school.  I often would repurpose some of the building for east A grades on projects.  Pretty much all of this got thrown out the window and/or abandoned once I graduated high school.  Adult life started fast once I packed up and moved to Phoenix.

I routed Interstate 19 down our cul-de-sac and marked off exits and control "cities." This was before I realized there was already an Interstate 19 because I just liked the number. I was seven at the time.

[bandit957]

So what was roadgeeking like back in the 80s and 90s?

It ruled.

[Roadgeekteen]

So what was roadgeeking like back in the 80s and 90s?

It ruled.

Did it poo?

[bandit957]

(and there was even a software package someone wrote and shared around that would generate route logs for a given state; I remember route56's Kansas site used that).

I don't remember this at all. But I did essentially put out a complete Kentucky log by writing a FreeBASIC program to parse out data from the shapefiles.

[Max Rockatansky]

I used to draw road and infrastructure stuff also when I was a kid.  I had a pretty kick ass Lego city going through high school.  I often would repurpose some of the building for east A grades on projects.  Pretty much all of this got thrown out the window and/or abandoned once I graduated high school.  Adult life started fast once I packed up and moved to Phoenix.

I routed Interstate 19 down our cul-de-sac and marked off exits and control "cities." This was before I realized there was already an Interstate 19 because I just liked the number. I was seven at the time.

I had model Lodge Freeway trenched out in the sandbox when I was a toddler.  I used 2x4s I found behind the shed for the overpasses.  I vaguely recall digging out too much sand and causing a mess in the backyard grass.

[bandit957]

One of the things I did growing up was create a fictional island country that was on the exact opposite side of the Earth. I don't know if I got the location exactly right, but I think it might have been in the Indian Ocean. Its head of state didn't do much except "sort poop." I remember drawing a crude map of this country on notebook paper. Later, I made more detailed street maps on graph paper.

[bandit957]

Another thing I remember is that this fictional country released a pop chart of the top 3 songs each week. It was the same as Billboard's Hot 100 except that it deleted anything that was too "adult contemporary."

[LilianaUwU]

Its head of state didn't do much except "sort poop."

Sounds cool.

[Quillz]

One of the things I did growing up was create a fictional island country that was on the exact opposite side of the Earth. I don't know if I got the location exactly right, but I think it might have been in the Indian Ocean. Its head of state didn't do much except "sort poop." I remember drawing a crude map of this country on notebook paper. Later, I made more detailed street maps on graph paper.

I drew road maps all the time. There was no continuity, every paper was some different location. Over time I had certain biases and themes, I usually would do "canyon roads" where I'd draw a squiggly line and then have a lot of smaller lines that were supposed to be little side roads. Sometimes I'd actually make up names, but most of the time I didn't.

I also had notebooks filled with fictional street names. Everything was a mile apart and I filled up every page, so eventually I realized I had 200+ miles of junctions in most cases.

[bandit957]

First map I drew was when I was about 4 when I drew a map on a paper grocery bag of a local neighborhood where I-471 is now. This was around Woodlawn or Newport where Lourdes Lane was.

[kphoger]

Somehow, the timestamps got out of order.  I've reconstructed the conversation to the best of my ability:

So what was roadgeeking like back in the 80s and 90s?

It ruled.

Did it poo?

I don't remember this at all.

Did it bip?

It bipped.

Anything else is unsanitary.

If you're lucky your toilet is next to the bathtub.

What about your kitchen?

Don't ask me

[formulanone]

I no longer doubt that kphoger doesn't have one of those magnetic poetry kits.

(for the record yes, but the fridge is now stainless steel and magnets are now confined to a file cabinet)

[kphoger]

no longer doubt that kphoger doesn't

I tried to untangle those negatives, and I gave up.

[JayhawkCO]

no longer doubt that kphoger doesn't

I tried to untangle those negatives, and I gave up.

Add the word 'doubt' which has a negative connotation and that's basically a triple negative.

[kphoger]

Add the word 'doubt' which has a negative connotation and that's basically a triple negative.

Yeah, that's what I meant.  I can handle two negatives.  Three is too many to bother with.

[freebrickproductions]

Add the word 'doubt' which has a negative connotation and that's basically a triple negative.

Yeah, that's what I meant.  I can handle two negatives.  Three is too many to bother with.

Treat negatives like (-1)^x.
Odd numbers of negatives = one negative. Even numbers of negatives = a double negative (positive).

[GaryV]

Add the word 'doubt' which has a negative connotation and that's basically a triple negative.

Yeah, that's what I meant.  I can handle two negatives.  Three is too many to bother with.

I had a junior high gym teacher who excelled in those things. There was an edict from on high that part of our grade had to be based on written tests. So he devised questions like "T/F - It is never illegal for a player to do X when not-Y is not happening."

[kphoger]

Thank you, everyone, for encouraging me to keep pressing on.

I no longer

doubt

that kphoger doesn't have one of those magnetic poetry kits.

You used to think I actually do have a magnetic poetry kit.  Now you don't think that anymore.

Gotcha.

[formulanone]

I messed up