On Sep 25, 2005, at 11:52 AM, PAT MATHEWS wrote:
From: "Gary Nunn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
My question is this: why didn't they require standards that would
allow
current highway infrastructure to be used in time of war? Maybe the
government was (is) arrogant enough to think that nobody would
consider, or
succeed, in invading US soil?
As I recall, they were. Back in 1952. It's been over 50 years since.
I doubt it's arrogance; it feels more like simple bureaucratic
incompetence. Have you looked into how wacky the crap is that gets
attached to highway spending? It's an insane morass … and a lot of the
available budget is eaten simply by maintenance.
The recent evacuation fiascos prove that our highway system is
inadequate
for the population density that it supports - at least in an emergency
situation.
For the population and numbers of cars on the roads in Eisenhower's
day, they were state-of-the-art. Too bad the roads that made up Route
66 no longer exist in their original form except here and there, or
you'd see the difference.
It's startling to travel over *any* portion of US 66 and imagine how it
must have been to drive it when it was new. And how damned terrifying
it must have been to get passed in the opposing lane by a massive truck
… especially given the lack of seat belts, airbags or even really
bright headlights.
The road was incredibly narrow.
--
Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books
<http://books.nightwares.com/>
Current work in progress "The Seven-Year Mirror"
<http://books.nightwares.com/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf>
<http://books.nightwares.com/ockrassa/Storms_on_a_Flat_Placid_Sea.pdf>
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