Daily conversation: What is the worst possible answer?

[Max Rockatansky]

That US 93 was the ideal way to get to Las Vegas the week before New Year's Day 2002. 

I had the pleasure of making travel plans right around when 9/11 happened, but not having bought the plane tickets yet.  I watched ticket prices fall down and down and down to the floor, but I waited too long before hitting 'reserve' and they went back up first.  And then the itinerary changed three times between late September and late December, which is when my trip was.

On the return trip, we crossed the border the day after New Year's Day 2002, and taxis were not allowed northbound across the border at the time.  So we had to walk across the border and then figure out how to get to the airport from there.  That may have been the last time I actually used a pay-phone—calling for a taxi.

My brother and I made the mistake of trying to cross Hoover Dam the night of the 30th.  It took about four hours to get across since there was an apparent threat to the structure. Every vehicle was inspected by the police before it was allowed to cross.

In retrospect we should have used AZ 68, NV 163 and US 95 vis Laughlin (the commercial vehicle detour).  2001 was a very different era in terms of traffic reporting and we had no idea the Hoover Dam backup would be that bad.

[Declan127]

11 SEP 2026

What have we learned from 9/11 about transportation?

That maybe West Street isn't the safest road to be on.

[I-57/Route 66 Fan]

10 SEP 2026

What two forum members might actually be sock-puppets or alt-accounts of each other?

Is there actually a way to prove this?

[kphoger]

Is there actually a way to prove this?

You win.

[SSOWorld]

11 SEP 2026

What have we learned from 9/11 about transportation?

That the best transport method for entering Manhattan is using a car.

[vdeane]

11 SEP 2026

What have we learned from 9/11 about transportation?

When you're getting a new Porsche 911 it's best to talk about it in a foreign language before discussing the sites around NYC you'd like to see fireworks at, complete with gestures and sound effects.  Especially if your great grandfather fought in the American Civil Jihad.

[Scott5114]

11 SEP 2026

What have we learned from 9/11 about transportation?

Property clearing can be achieved by other means than bulldozers.

[Sapphuby]

11 SEP 2026

What have we learned from 9/11 about transportation?

Proves stairs are the number one most durable means of travel

[Scott5114]

2026-09-12:
I'm about to take a trip which should clinch I-70 for me. However, it's still closed in Topeka, so instead I'm going to have 2160.07 out of 2171.71 miles, or 99.47% completion. What should I do about this?

[GaryV]

2026-09-12:
I'm about to take a trip which should clinch I-70 for me. However, it's still closed in Topeka, so instead I'm going to have 2160.07 out of 2171.71 miles, or 99.47% completion. What should I do about this?

Petition AASHTO to decommission that stretch, and you'll have the whole remainder clinched.

[NE2]

2026-09-12:
I'm about to take a trip which should clinch I-70 for me. However, it's still closed in Topeka, so instead I'm going to have 2160.07 out of 2171.71 miles, or 99.47% completion. What should I do about this?

Rent a glider and sight clinch it by air.

[Scott5114]

2026-09-12:
I'm about to take a trip which should clinch I-70 for me. However, it's still closed in Topeka, so instead I'm going to have 2160.07 out of 2171.71 miles, or 99.47% completion. What should I do about this?

Petition AASHTO to decommission that stretch, and you'll have the whole remainder clinched.

That's no excuse to pull a Syracuse.

[CoreySamson]

2026-09-12:
I'm about to take a trip which should clinch I-70 for me. However, it's still closed in Topeka, so instead I'm going to have 2160.07 out of 2171.71 miles, or 99.47% completion. What should I do about this?

Bribe KDOT to let you drive the part that is under construction.

[The_Ginger]

2026-09-12:
I'm about to take a trip which should clinch I-70 for me. However, it's still closed in Topeka, so instead I'm going to have 2160.07 out of 2171.71 miles, or 99.47% completion. What should I do about this?

Good luck with that.

Anyway, did you see that someone recently hacked Travel Mapping and removed an 11.64 mile stretch of I-70? They even put a password and encryption on the site, so Jim and the TM maintainers are going to have to work overtime to get that stretch re-added. With this section removed, a person could drive everything else and still have it displayed as "clinched".

[Max Rockatansky]

2026-09-12:
I'm about to take a trip which should clinch I-70 for me. However, it's still closed in Topeka, so instead I'm going to have 2160.07 out of 2171.71 miles, or 99.47% completion. What should I do about this?

Charter a plane and fly over the segment for the sight clinch.

[Big John]

2026-09-12:
I'm about to take a trip which should clinch I-70 for me. However, it's still closed in Topeka, so instead I'm going to have 2160.07 out of 2171.71 miles, or 99.47% completion. What should I do about this?

fly a drone over the construction zone.

[Mapmikey]

2026-09-12:
I'm about to take a trip which should clinch I-70 for me. However, it's still closed in Topeka, so instead I'm going to have 2160.07 out of 2171.71 miles, or 99.47% completion. What should I do about this?

Use the Topeka interstate bypass as a pinch runner off the bench:  "Now running 4 70..."

2nd option...insist only I-70 is closed and drive US 40 instead...

3rd option...ride a unicycle across the top of the median jersey wall...

[ModernDayWarrior]

2026-09-12:
I'm about to take a trip which should clinch I-70 for me. However, it's still closed in Topeka, so instead I'm going to have 2160.07 out of 2171.71 miles, or 99.47% completion. What should I do about this?

Print a batch of Kansas I-70 route shields, use them to cover up all the I-470 shields, then claim that 470 was the real 70 after all.

[The_Ginger]

2026-09-12:
I'm about to take a trip which should clinch I-70 for me. However, it's still closed in Topeka, so instead I'm going to have 2160.07 out of 2171.71 miles, or 99.47% completion. What should I do about this?

Print a batch of Kansas I-70 route shields, use them to cover up all the I-470 shields, then claim that 470 was the real 70 after all.

I'm sure Jake can hook you up with 'em. Granted, they won't be reflective, but who cares? No one looks at the signs anymore anyway.

[xonhulu]

2026-09-12:
I'm about to take a trip which should clinch I-70 for me. However, it's still closed in Topeka, so instead I'm going to have 2160.07 out of 2171.71 miles, or 99.47% completion. What should I do about this?

I drove that section a couple of years ago before the closure, so I generously gift that experience to you. Consider it a surrogate clinch.

[Sapphuby]

2026-09-12:
I'm about to take a trip which should clinch I-70 for me. However, it's still closed in Topeka, so instead I'm going to have 2160.07 out of 2171.71 miles, or 99.47% completion. What should I do about this?

Tunnel underground the entire stretch for a ROW clinch

[TheCatalyst31]

2026-09-12:
I'm about to take a trip which should clinch I-70 for me. However, it's still closed in Topeka, so instead I'm going to have 2160.07 out of 2171.71 miles, or 99.47% completion. What should I do about this?

Start a Topeka independence movement to convince the city to secede from the United States. The independent nation of Topeka will have a different highway system in TM, so you'll have all of I-70 clinched.

[Declan127]

2026-09-12:
I'm about to take a trip which should clinch I-70 for me. However, it's still closed in Topeka, so instead I'm going to have 2160.07 out of 2171.71 miles, or 99.47% completion. What should I do about this?

Walk the length

[cockroachking]

2026-09-12:
I'm about to take a trip which should clinch I-70 for me. However, it's still closed in Topeka, so instead I'm going to have 2160.07 out of 2171.71 miles, or 99.47% completion. What should I do about this?

Recalculate the total mileage of I-70 from official DOT sources, instead of using straight line distances multiplied by 1.02112. You'll then realize that you'll have greater than 100% of the route clinched!

[xonhulu]

2026-09-13:

What does this sign mean?