Things that irk you about "road geeking"

[Pete from Boston]

No one else "get's it".  Other people can talk about their hobbies, their kids, their desires, etc, and it seems normal.  If I were to talk about an interesting sign or road layout, if they even try to care, it would most like be with a blank stare as in "what are you talking about"?

Precisely why I don't even try to have a conversation like that, especially in my family where no one knows how to get from point A to point B without using GPS...

Life's too short to worry about things like this.  Some things more people "get," some things fewer people do.  Keep your expectations reasonable as to what you expect to connect with people on, and try not to hold it against them that they don't get your favorite thing.  Be thankful when people just appreciate that it's your thing that you're into.

Hell, in a world where there are meetups of people who keep bees (now those are fanatical folks) and every other narrow-interest pursuit, this hobby fits right in.

Just a few years ago, there was pretty much no way to discuss this stuff with anyone else that wanted to.  Relatively speaking, these are the good times.

[Mergingtraffic]

Not having enough time to get to the roads that I want to drive.  When I need to spend nearly all of my off time traveling via roads that I've already clinched just to reach new roads/counties.  Then once I reach said new territory, it's time to turn around and head back home.

This time of year is a great time to road geek since not as many folks are traveling.  Unfortunately, bad weather often stands in my way of leaving my house or going where I planned to go because the weather is shitty there.

Fortunately for GSV I can road geek vicariously.  I'd still rather actually drive the roads in question.

I'll check the forecast when I leave and it says sunny but when I get there clouds suddenly roll in.

and not being able to see the buttons on button copy.

[Zeffy]

Life's too short to worry about things like this.  Some things more people "get," some things fewer people do.  Keep your expectations reasonable as to what you expect to connect with people on, and try not to hold it against them that they don't get your favorite thing.  Be thankful when people just appreciate that it's your thing that you're into.

Hell, in a world where there are meetups of people who keep bees (now those are fanatical folks) and every other narrow-interest pursuit, this hobby fits right in.

Just a few years ago, there was pretty much no way to discuss this stuff with anyone else that wanted to.  Relatively speaking, these are the good times.

I'm very much so grateful for the existence of AARoads and the Internet. I just simply dislike how I'm mostly silent during social events because no one is interested in roads. Maybe that's why I'm an introvert... well, I just generally hate [large] social events anyway.

One thing that irks me is that I can draw better looking signs on the computer than real contractors can manufacture. Who needs GuidSIGN or SignCAD experience anyway??

[OCGuy81]

Stumbling upon construction that I was unaware of. 

[lepidopteran]

When a huge tractor-trailer passes you at just the right speed and position to block your view of the one sign or other roadgeeking feature that you're trying to get a good look at or photo of.  Or if someone else is doing the driving, you might be the one passing the semi!

Regarding it being a cloudy vs. sunny day, sometimes a light overcast can be an advantage for photos, as there is less glare and shadow to interfere.  I actually find clouds to be an advantage when travelling west in the evening or east in the morning hours.  Some traffic reporters use the phrase "sunshine delay", for spots where a highway's heading and slope are particularly troublesome with respect to a low sun.

[hbelkins]

I echo traffic jams. The last few times I've had reason to go north of the Ohio River, I have actively avoided Cincinnati because I didn't want to be stuck moving 5 mph on I-75. I had that happen to me once during rush hour and it frustrated me to the point that I swore I'd never do it again. For the last Dayton meet, I used KY 11, US 68 and OH 73 to get to the Dayton area because I didn't want to deal with rush hour Cincy traffic.

I've also been stuck in creeping traffic in a number of other places (Providence, RI and Albany, NY come to mind). It absolutely infuriates me.

Also, not being able to use planned routes because of weather conditions or road closures due to construction. My attempt to drive from Horseheads, NY to Watertown, NY via NY 17 and I-88 was maddening. High water had NY 17 closed east of Waverly/Sayre, and I had to take all kinds of detours just to be able to get to Binghamton. Then I-88 was under water and closed in two locations, meaning I couldn't get a clinch of I-88. Fortunately, I had another chance to drive the route in its entirety.

[oscar]

No one else "get's it".  Other people can talk about their hobbies, their kids, their desires, etc, and it seems normal.  If I were to talk about an interesting sign or road layout, if they even try to care, it would most like be with a blank stare as in "what are you talking about"?

Precisely why I don't even try to have a conversation like that, especially in my family where no one knows how to get from point A to point B without using GPS...

Life's too short to worry about things like this.  Some things more people "get," some things fewer people do.  Keep your expectations reasonable as to what you expect to connect with people on, and try not to hold it against them that they don't get your favorite thing.  Be thankful when people just appreciate that it's your thing that you're into.

Hell, in a world where there are meetups of people who keep bees (now those are fanatical folks) and every other narrow-interest pursuit, this hobby fits right in.

Just a few years ago, there was pretty much no way to discuss this stuff with anyone else that wanted to.  Relatively speaking, these are the good times.

The aspect of my roadgeeking that non-roadqeeks seem to best understand is county-counting (not the details of that hobby, but people are impressed with how many I've been to, and how hard I work at getting new ones).  They seem to treat that as one species of "extreme travel", which is how I characterize it.

I find it useful to mention (just at a surface level) that and other road exploits, as well as my hot springing hobby.  That's not only so people aren't surprised to see me in unexpected places (I've been spotted on the NJ Turnpike, for example), but also to draw attention away from the really weird stuff. 

[SSOWorld]

Having to travel to work - which takes energy away from the "real" trips.  One can't roadgeek on a work trip - especially if:
* Your assigned a company car
* You don't get a car at all.

[GCrites]

No one else "get's it".  Other people can talk about their hobbies, their kids, their desires, etc, and it seems normal.  If I were to talk about an interesting sign or road layout, if they even try to care, it would most like be with a blank stare as in "what are you talking about"?

Precisely why I don't even try to have a conversation like that, especially in my family where no one knows how to get from point A to point B without using GPS...

Life's too short to worry about things like this.  Some things more people "get," some things fewer people do.  Keep your expectations reasonable as to what you expect to connect with people on, and try not to hold it against them that they don't get your favorite thing.  Be thankful when people just appreciate that it's your thing that you're into.

It's like people getting pissed off when they find out you haven't seen a certain movie. I haven't seen the movie, deal with it.

[Scott5114]

I'm very much so grateful for the existence of AARoads and the Internet. I just simply dislike how I'm mostly silent during social events because no one is interested in roads. Maybe that's why I'm an introvert... well, I just generally hate [large] social events anyway.

If you haven't been to a road meet, go to one. You'll be so excited that you can actually discuss roadgeek stuff with people in real life that you'll forget that you're being social. Or that's how it went for me anyway.

One thing that irks me is that I can draw better looking signs on the computer than real contractors can manufacture. Who needs GuidSIGN or SignCAD experience anyway??

This is probably my irk. Oklahoma DOT and its contractors just don't try to do a good job. It's depressing knowing my government is staffed by these people.

[NJRoadfan]

State highways that end at or in restricted areas with no opportunity to U-turn, such that they cannot be clinched by the general public without fudging or risking getting in trouble. NJ 68, I'm looking at you.

Is it actually N.J. 68 if it runs through a military reservation's gate?

Yes, it is. NJ-68 begins at General's Circle inside of MDL Joint. There is a milepost 0 as well. I managed to clinch it legally when I had to drive someone to Dix on official business. That was an interesting experience. Whats odd is the base pass they gave me was good for a month! There were a few 600 series county routes inside of the base that were rerouted. CR-545 also passes directly through the base, but I don't think its actually county maintained anymore.

The closing of access there wasn't taken very well by the locals. To this day there are issues with getting on base for a local soccer competition that is held there. I'm surprised they haven't relocated it yet.

[dfwmapper]

AIUI, that state highway ends at an intersection just before the entrance gate, so you can turn back there.  But there are several other Maryland highways which end at or before military base gates with no intersection at the endpoint, where you'd need to make a U-turn rather than turn off.  MD 246 is one such, though the gate was closed the weekend I was there so I could safely drive right up to the gate before turning back. 

Yup, Google Maps is wrong - it shows it as extending into the actual base itself, while OSM and my maps show otherwise.

Fixed now.

[thephantomcheese]

Roads that are now at the bottoms of lakes. For example, Old NC 10 can never be clinched because five miles of it are sitting at the bottom of Fontana Lake

[74/171FAN]

Having to travel to work - which takes energy away from the "real" trips.  One can't roadgeek on a work trip - especially if:
* Your assigned a company car
* You don't get a car at all.

Well I clinched most of I-95 south of Dillon, SC, while going on band trips in high school to Orlando and Miami (where we actually played during the Orange Bowl in 2009), however, I do not have the 3 miles of I-95 south of I-395/FL 836 simply because the bus did not ever go that way.

Roads that are now at the bottoms of lakes. For example, Old NC 10 can never be clinched because five miles of it are sitting at the bottom of Fontana Lake

Michael Scott would be willing to attempt to clinch it if the GPS told him to drive straight into the lake. 

[formulanone]

Having to travel to work - which takes energy away from the "real" trips.  One can't roadgeek on a work trip - especially if:
* Your assigned a company car

That's how I get most of my travelling done; I'm fortunate enough for the company to fly me to random places via air, they pay for the rental and gas, so that relieves a financial burden. Would I like to drive a real coast-to-coast trip? Yes...but it's not practical with a family, and they're not terribly interested in spending that many days in a car for vacation.

* You don't get a car at all.

One reason I'm not 100% thrilled about my future travels to the Caribbean, but I'll get some shots, anyhow.

[texaskdog]

When you're travelling with your spouse who doesn't tolerate stopping for things I would like to see.  I can justify a lot of things like bridges and national park entrance signs but when I see some strange sign and want to stop she'll say no

[texaskdog]

No one else "get's it".  Other people can talk about their hobbies, their kids, their desires, etc, and it seems normal.  If I were to talk about an interesting sign or road layout, if they even try to care, it would most like be with a blank stare as in "what are you talking about"?

Precisely why I don't even try to have a conversation like that, especially in my family where no one knows how to get from point A to point B without using GPS...

Life's too short to worry about things like this.  Some things more people "get," some things fewer people do.  Keep your expectations reasonable as to what you expect to connect with people on, and try not to hold it against them that they don't get your favorite thing.  Be thankful when people just appreciate that it's your thing that you're into.

It's like people getting pissed off when they find out you haven't seen a certain movie. I haven't seen the movie, deal with it.

I do this to my wife all the time.  No I haven't seen ET!!!

[Pete from Boston]

Life's too short to worry about things like this.  Some things more people "get," some things fewer people do.  Keep your expectations reasonable as to what you expect to connect with people on, and try not to hold it against them that they don't get your favorite thing.  Be thankful when people just appreciate that it's your thing that you're into.

Hell, in a world where there are meetups of people who keep bees (now those are fanatical folks) and every other narrow-interest pursuit, this hobby fits right in.

Just a few years ago, there was pretty much no way to discuss this stuff with anyone else that wanted to.  Relatively speaking, these are the good times.

I'm very much so grateful for the existence of AARoads and the Internet. I just simply dislike how I'm mostly silent during social events because no one is interested in roads. Maybe that's why I'm an introvert... well, I just generally hate [large] social events anyway.

I'm not sure this would be any different if you required that your social participation depend on any other single subject of conversation, even if it were weather or sports or politics or anything else people generally have something to say about.  Besides, half of socializing is being interested in what other people add to the experience.  Broad horizons are a good thing.

[1995hoo]

One that occurred to me last night:

My wife does not share my willingness to drive for a long trip. We had been talking about going to Rome this year but had to scrap that, so instead we've considered going west to visit her brother in Phoenix. Earlier this week, we received a card from a friend who just relocated to St. Louis suggesting we ought to come and visit.

I measured out the distance to St. Louis and found it's only about 870 miles (depending on which route we use, of course; it'd be 50 miles shorter via I-70). That's only 10 miles further than the distance to my sister-in-law's house in Florida, and we make that drive twice a year most years. (In fairness, we only drive it one-way and use the Auto Train the other. That's not an option to or from St. Louis.) So I was all for the idea of driving to St. Louis. I could clinch I-64 in the process. My wife thinks I'm nuts and she said she has no desire to drive out there. I did not mention the idea of clinching I-64 because I know what the response would be.

Then I suggested combining the two trips: Drive to St. Louis, visit for two days, then drive to Phoenix. That idea did NOT go over well. I suppose, to be fair, we'd still have the extremely long drive back home afterwards, such that the driving time would eat up too much of the time we have available for the trip. Driving to Phoenix is probably unrealistic for us at the present time.

But to me 870 miles to St. Louis seems like a relatively short trip that gives plenty of flexibility to use different routes each way to keep it interesting. (I-70 to Dayton is mind-numbing for my wife since she grew up there and has made that drive hundreds of times. All the more reason to take I-64!)

[roadman]

Running out of film. 

Wow, somebody out there is actually still using a film camera?!?

No.  It was kind of a joke, but it was a much bigger problem than running out of flash memory is today.  Film cost a lot of money and came in finite supply.  Made me take better pictures.  And there was no "delete your least favorite" to get the perfect shot.  I missed at least one once-in-a-lifetime shot after using up the previous, and last, shot on basically nothing. 

My reply was meant as a joke.  Many of my close friends are railfans (as I am, in addition to being a roadgeek), and there isn't one of them who still uses a film camera.  But your observations about the limitations of film media are well taken.

[bugo]

When you're travelling with your spouse who doesn't tolerate stopping for things I would like to see.  I can justify a lot of things like bridges and national park entrance signs but when I see some strange sign and want to stop she'll say no

Grow a set of balls and tell her that you're going to stop and if she gripes, don't stop when she needs to go to the bathroom or something. Don't ever let a woman push you around.

[bandit957]

Running out of film. 

Wow, somebody out there is actually still using a film camera?!?

No.  It was kind of a joke, but it was a much bigger problem than running out of flash memory is today.  Film cost a lot of money and came in finite supply.  Made me take better pictures.  And there was no "delete your least favorite" to get the perfect shot.  I missed at least one once-in-a-lifetime shot after using up the previous, and last, shot on basically nothing.

And I remember the days when Kmart would lose or ruin half my photos when I took them in to be developed.

[texaskdog]

When you're travelling with your spouse who doesn't tolerate stopping for things I would like to see.  I can justify a lot of things like bridges and national park entrance signs but when I see some strange sign and want to stop she'll say no

Grow a set of balls and tell her that you're going to stop and if she gripes, don't stop when she needs to go to the bathroom or something. Don't ever let a woman push you around.

Congratulations on being single into your 40s!

[cpzilliacus]

One that occurred to me last night:

My wife does not share my willingness to drive for a long trip. We had been talking about going to Rome this year but had to scrap that, so instead we've considered going west to visit her brother in Phoenix. Earlier this week, we received a card from a friend who just relocated to St. Louis suggesting we ought to come and visit.

I measured out the distance to St. Louis and found it's only about 870 miles (depending on which route we use, of course; it'd be 50 miles shorter via I-70). That's only 10 miles further than the distance to my sister-in-law's house in Florida, and we make that drive twice a year most years. (In fairness, we only drive it one-way and use the Auto Train the other. That's not an option to or from St. Louis.) So I was all for the idea of driving to St. Louis. I could clinch I-64 in the process. My wife thinks I'm nuts and she said she has no desire to drive out there. I did not mention the idea of clinching I-64 because I know what the response would be.

I-70 from its eastern terminus in Woodlawn, Maryland to St. Louis can definitely be done in one day (you probably know most of this already).

Only bad parts are:

(1) Pennsylvania (excessive PSP speed limit enforcement between the Maryland border and Breezewood);
(2) the atrocious section west of New Stanton; and
(3) terribly mismanaged work zones in Indiana around Terre Haute leading to long (an hour each way of stopped traffic) and unnecessary delays (would not be tolerated in Virginia or in Maryland).

There were some long work zones in Illinois, but traffic moved through those pretty well.

Then I suggested combining the two trips: Drive to St. Louis, visit for two days, then drive to Phoenix. That idea did NOT go over well. I suppose, to be fair, we'd still have the extremely long drive back home afterwards, such that the driving time would eat up too much of the time we have available for the trip. Driving to Phoenix is probably unrealistic for us at the present time.

But to me 870 miles to St. Louis seems like a relatively short trip that gives plenty of flexibility to use different routes each way to keep it interesting. (I-70 to Dayton is mind-numbing for my wife since she grew up there and has made that drive hundreds of times. All the more reason to take I-64!)

I did not think I-70 across Ohio was all that bad.  Some congestion in Columbus, but still, not terrible, and I actually liked the drive. 

I-70 west of St. Louis is mostly mediocre in Missouri, but really nice (but really long, 410+ miles, thank goodness for the 75 MPH posted limit most of the way) in Kansas and varies from nice to spectacular in Colorado and Utah (if you do get out there, try to drive it eastbound from Salina, Utah to Green River as dusk is approaching).

[Pete from Boston]

Running out of film. 

Wow, somebody out there is actually still using a film camera?!?

No.  It was kind of a joke, but it was a much bigger problem than running out of flash memory is today.  Film cost a lot of money and came in finite supply.  Made me take better pictures.  And there was no "delete your least favorite" to get the perfect shot.  I missed at least one once-in-a-lifetime shot after using up the previous, and last, shot on basically nothing. 

My reply was meant as a joke.  Many of my close friends are railfans (as I am, in addition to being a roadgeek), and there isn't one of them who still uses a film camera.  But your observations about the limitations of film media are well taken.

My equivalent today is camera batteries.  Phone pics are not as good, but the camera battery languishes from lack of attention/shorter life, plus it charges much slower on vehicle power.