Best resturants to have in service plazas?

[HighwayStar]

I've seen a few around here, although the most memorable one is
https://maps.app.goo.gl/3p2SJqyoFL2SMwFP6 . It's off NJ 45 in Mullica Hill, which is generally a fairly well-to-do area not near too many homes or businesses, and not near where people would be generally walking by. It's location is at a former police station that has been long abandoned.

Its been several years since I found a working payphone. They have been trying to get rid of them ever since 9/11 because too much funny business goes on when you can't monitor who is calling who.

Was this a legit reason, a made up reason, or a conspiracy theory reason?  It would be easy to ban them, albeit an unpopular move. And it's been 20 years since 9/11, so that isn't much of a reason anymore.

A very real "reason", and they were effectively "shadow banned" if you will, forced out of existence but without the unpopularity of being explicit about it.
The time since 9/11 is not relevant, any more than the fact that you have not had a fire in 20 years means you can start building everything out of paper and cardboard. The lesson was learned and the reason for changing things is as valid today as it was 20 years ago.

[HighwayStar]

Was this a legit reason, a made up reason, or a conspiracy theory reason?

It's either or both of the last two.

No, it is the first and only the first.

[CtrlAltDel]

With that in mind, a sub sandwich shop like Jimmy John's should still have a place on the sign, even if they don't serve breakfast:  why should people expect them to?  Similarly, breakfast chains (like Jiimmy's Egg or First Watch) that close in the early afternoon should still have a place on the sign, even if they don't serve supper:  why should people expect them to?

Well, to be honest, I would say it's because they're on the sign. Being on the sign means that the place in question is a place to get food, and while there is admittedly some give and take involved, I don't think you should have to go through a whole flowchart to know if that is going to be possible.

[interstatefan990]

Was this a legit reason, a made up reason, or a conspiracy theory reason?

It's either or both of the last two.

No, it is the first and only the first.

Couldn't people just use burner cells nowadays? And remember, the gov't was given a lot more power to wiretap phone calls in the wake of 9/11.

With that in mind, a sub sandwich shop like Jimmy John's should still have a place on the sign, even if they don't serve breakfast:  why should people expect them to?  Similarly, breakfast chains (like Jiimmy's Egg or First Watch) that close in the early afternoon should still have a place on the sign, even if they don't serve supper:  why should people expect them to?

Well, to be honest, I would say it's because they're on the sign. Being on the sign means that the place in question is a place to get food, and while there is admittedly some give and take involved, I don't think you should have to go through a whole flowchart to know if that is going to be possible.

What if highway guide signs for food were split up with sections labeled "BREAKFAST"  and "LUNCH & DINNER" ?

[kphoger]

With that in mind, a sub sandwich shop like Jimmy John's should still have a place on the sign, even if they don't serve breakfast:  why should people expect them to?  Similarly, breakfast chains (like Jiimmy's Egg or First Watch) that close in the early afternoon should still have a place on the sign, even if they don't serve supper:  why should people expect them to?

Well, to be honest, I would say it's because they're on the sign. Being on the sign means that the place in question is a place to get food, and while there is admittedly some give and take involved, I don't think you should have to go through a whole flowchart to know if that is going to be possible.

Well, to be honest, no flowchart should be necessary to know that a breakfast joint might not be open for dinner, nor that a sub sandwich shop might be closed for breakfast.  That's just common sense.

[abefroman329]

Was this a legit reason, a made up reason, or a conspiracy theory reason?

It's either or both of the last two.

No, it is the first and only the first.

The decline in public payphones tracks fairly well with the rise in cell phone ownership.  You may as well be telling me that 9/11 was an inside job because jet fuel can't burn hot enough to melt steel.

[abefroman329]

There are some payphones in the US District Courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia. They need them: Cellular phones (and most other electronics, including Apple Watches) are prohibited in the building–even attorneys appearing in court must get prior permission from a judge to bring a laptop. That's perhaps the second-most draconian policy of which I'm aware, and they don't provide lockers to store prohibited items. There used to be a Chinese-run deli across the street that would hold items for $5 per device; they probably made more money doing that than they did selling food.

Ha - I remember literally all of this, and I'm old enough to remember when it was $2 per device.

[CtrlAltDel]

With that in mind, a sub sandwich shop like Jimmy John's should still have a place on the sign, even if they don't serve breakfast:  why should people expect them to?  Similarly, breakfast chains (like Jiimmy's Egg or First Watch) that close in the early afternoon should still have a place on the sign, even if they don't serve supper:  why should people expect them to?

Well, to be honest, I would say it's because they're on the sign. Being on the sign means that the place in question is a place to get food, and while there is admittedly some give and take involved, I don't think you should have to go through a whole flowchart to know if that is going to be possible.

Well, to be honest, no flowchart should be necessary to know that a breakfast joint might not be open for dinner, nor that a sub sandwich shop might be closed for breakfast.  That's just common sense.

Whether through a flowchart or not, you still have to ascertain somehow that a place might be open or closed. And my idea here seeks to limit guesswork and increase certainty, in regard to places that you think are open when they are actually closed as well as, now that I think about it, places that you think are closed when they are actually open. Just because a restaurant looks like a breakfast place doesn't mean it isn't open late, like, for example, Waffle House.

[CtrlAltDel]

Was this a legit reason, a made up reason, or a conspiracy theory reason?

It's either or both of the last two.

No, it is the first and only the first.

The decline in public payphones tracks fairly well with the rise in cell phone ownership.  You may as well be telling me that 9/11 was an inside job because jet fuel can't burn hot enough to melt steel.

Don't give him ideas! 

[HighwayStar]

Was this a legit reason, a made up reason, or a conspiracy theory reason?

It's either or both of the last two.

No, it is the first and only the first.

The decline in public payphones tracks fairly well with the rise in cell phone ownership.  You may as well be telling me that 9/11 was an inside job because jet fuel can't burn hot enough to melt steel.

Hardly. Steel looses a considerable portion of its strength when heated, therefore to cause a structural failure does not require that it melt at all. Anyone who has seen a blacksmith at work understands this concept.

They likely would have declined either way, but various sticks and carrots were applied to ensure that they went away as quickly as possible after 9/11, anyone who worked in the national security space in that time would be familiar with that.

[HighwayStar]

Was this a legit reason, a made up reason, or a conspiracy theory reason?

It's either or both of the last two.

No, it is the first and only the first.

Couldn't people just use burner cells nowadays? And remember, the gov't was given a lot more power to wiretap phone calls in the wake of 9/11.

With that in mind, a sub sandwich shop like Jimmy John's should still have a place on the sign, even if they don't serve breakfast:  why should people expect them to?  Similarly, breakfast chains (like Jiimmy's Egg or First Watch) that close in the early afternoon should still have a place on the sign, even if they don't serve supper:  why should people expect them to?

Well, to be honest, I would say it's because they're on the sign. Being on the sign means that the place in question is a place to get food, and while there is admittedly some give and take involved, I don't think you should have to go through a whole flowchart to know if that is going to be possible.

What if highway guide signs for food were split up with sections labeled "BREAKFAST"  and "LUNCH & DINNER" ?

Wiretapping does not work very well when anyone can use that phone and the people on the other end are outside of our jurisdiction, hence the end of the phone.
Burner phones do not really exist, the activation process collects data on who is using it, and they can still be traced which provides a great deal of data as well.

I agree the signs need to be simple and understandable, a massively complex view is too much for those driving by at high speed. But having more signs and letting the motorist do with that as they will is always a good thing.

Perhaps in the not distant future display technology will create signs that can actively display which restaurants are open and change when they close.

[interstatefan990]

Perhaps in the not distant future display technology will create signs that can actively display which restaurants are open and change when they close.

This is actually embarrassingly possible. We should be doing this already, at least for highly-trafficked interstates.

[HighwayStar]

Perhaps in the not distant future display technology will create signs that can actively display which restaurants are open and change when they close.

This is actually embarrassingly possible. We should be doing this already, at least for highly-trafficked interstates.

It would be an excellent part of an overhaul to introduce auction based advertising for restaurants on signs and start generating revenue.
If we take 17,000 exits on the interstate, and assume 10,000 have services, with an average of 15 services an exit, that is 150,000 signs to auction. If a year rent is worth say $1000, then that is $150M in revenue.

[hbelkins]

Pay phones were becoming a rarity even in small towns like mine, where you are not likely to find a terrorist cell, long before 9/11.

This is the first time I've ever seen anyone suggest that pay phones were phased out because of the terrorist attacks.

Some guide signs for rest areas still say "phone" and there's a pay phone in the lobby of the Mountain Parkway Exit 33 rest area.

If they are really being phased out in favor of cell phones, wouldn't it be prudent for states to install cell repeaters in places where cell service is weak? At that Mountain Parkway exit, AT&T service is terrible.

[NWI_Irish96]

Pay phones were removed for the same reason anything else in this country gets removed--they ceased being profitable.

[HighwayStar]

Pay phones were becoming a rarity even in small towns like mine, where you are not likely to find a terrorist cell, long before 9/11.

This is the first time I've ever seen anyone suggest that pay phones were phased out because of the terrorist attacks.

Some guide signs for rest areas still say "phone" and there's a pay phone in the lobby of the Mountain Parkway Exit 33 rest area.

If they are really being phased out in favor of cell phones, wouldn't it be prudent for states to install cell repeaters in places where cell service is weak? At that Mountain Parkway exit, AT&T service is terrible.

The 9/11 terrorists did not operate out of NYC, small town America in many ways makes a better base.

I guess you just learned something new then. I would say the reason most people don't know this is it was never widely discussed or advertised, just one of those policies the government did on the sly.

[kphoger]

They have been trying to get rid of them ever since 9/11 because too much funny business goes on when you can't monitor who is calling who.

Please at least offer us a shred of evidence to back up your claim.

[kalvado]

With that in mind, a sub sandwich shop like Jimmy John's should still have a place on the sign, even if they don't serve breakfast:  why should people expect them to?  Similarly, breakfast chains (like Jiimmy's Egg or First Watch) that close in the early afternoon should still have a place on the sign, even if they don't serve supper:  why should people expect them to?

Well, to be honest, I would say it's because they're on the sign. Being on the sign means that the place in question is a place to get food, and while there is admittedly some give and take involved, I don't think you should have to go through a whole flowchart to know if that is going to be possible.

Well, to be honest, no flowchart should be necessary to know that a breakfast joint might not be open for dinner, nor that a sub sandwich shop might be closed for breakfast.  That's just common sense.

This assumes I know that it is the breakfast place to begin with. Especially in case that is the chain not well represented in my area. For one, I never heard about Jiimmy's Egg (although lone 2 locations in northeast right in my area ) or First Watch - nearest one is 5 hr drive away from me.

[HighwayStar]

They have been trying to get rid of them ever since 9/11 because too much funny business goes on when you can't monitor who is calling who.

Please at least offer us a shred of evidence to back up your claim.

The only source I have on this is private conversations with people that were around at the time. Take it or leave it.

On the subject of actual signs, the current practice is to sign Gas, Lodging, Camping, Restaurants, and sometimes Tourist Activities. Anyone seen others besides those, or have ideas for additional listed services? (I for one think "automotive services" would be a very natural idea, show where you can get a tire shop, etc.)

[HighwayStar]

With that in mind, a sub sandwich shop like Jimmy John's should still have a place on the sign, even if they don't serve breakfast:  why should people expect them to?  Similarly, breakfast chains (like Jiimmy's Egg or First Watch) that close in the early afternoon should still have a place on the sign, even if they don't serve supper:  why should people expect them to?

Well, to be honest, I would say it's because they're on the sign. Being on the sign means that the place in question is a place to get food, and while there is admittedly some give and take involved, I don't think you should have to go through a whole flowchart to know if that is going to be possible.

Well, to be honest, no flowchart should be necessary to know that a breakfast joint might not be open for dinner, nor that a sub sandwich shop might be closed for breakfast.  That's just common sense.

This assumes I know that it is the breakfast place to begin with. Especially in case that is the chain not well represented in my area. For one, I never heard about Jiimmy's Egg (although lone 2 locations in northeast right in my area ) or First Watch - nearest one is 5 hr drive away from me.

A valid point, and the issue with any kind of regional chain on a sign will always be that someone from the opposite side of the country is unlikely to know what a Bob Evans, Roy Rogers, or P. Terry's serves.

[HighwayStar]

Pay phones were removed for the same reason anything else in this country gets removed--they ceased being profitable.

What is or is not profitable is very often a function of policies designed to make it so. The easiest way to ban something is to rig the rules against it so it is no longer profitable, it will disappear just the same, but without the distasteful accusations about "banning" things. And better yet all the libertarians will go right along with it because its "capitalism" at work.
Full size cars and full service gas stations have both disappeared due to policies that made them "unprofitable" to name just 2 examples.

[kphoger]

They have been trying to get rid of them ever since 9/11 because too much funny business goes on when you can't monitor who is calling who.

Please at least offer us a shred of evidence to back up your claim.

The only source I have on this is private conversations with people that were around at the time. Take it or leave it.

Then I'll leave it.  I mean, I've had private conversations with people who told me radon testing was a conspiracy, and I've had private conversations with people "who knew people who knew" that Hillary Clinton was bisexual and always traveled with her "companion" while she was First Lady–but that doesn't mean I'm going to state as much as fact.

[HighwayStar]

They have been trying to get rid of them ever since 9/11 because too much funny business goes on when you can't monitor who is calling who.

Please at least offer us a shred of evidence to back up your claim.

The only source I have on this is private conversations with people that were around at the time. Take it or leave it.

Then I'll leave it.  I mean, I've had private conversations with people who told me radon testing was a conspiracy, and I've had private conversations with people "who knew people who knew" that Hillary Clinton was bisexual and always traveled with her "companion" while she was First Lady–but that doesn't mean I'm going to state as much as fact.

Eh Radon is legit, actually did some testing myself with a home made rig on that one.
As to that second one... 

[kphoger]

As to that second one... 

If you tell me you did some testing yourself with a homemade rig...  then I'm going to be rather skeptical.

[HighwayStar]

As to that second one... 

If you tell me you did some testing yourself with a homemade rig...  then I'm going to be rather skeptical.

Its not that hard make a crude Geiger counter that will pick up on radon allowing for relative comparisons. Now making one that can produce accurate readings in Curie Per Liter is another matter entirely.