"Cup" Messages on Overpasses???

[ctenidae]

I like playing with those guys, too, awf. The best thing is, if you maintain your lane and make strategic moves rather than tactical, you eventually leave the lane-shifter-break-jammers well behind. I love seeing them get boxed in between two Hyundais and an oil-burning Yugo, though.

As a disclaimer on the Redneck/Hillbillies comment- I grew up in central Arkansas, basically on the redneck-hillbillie frontier. When the hillbillies saw the creek next to their still rise, they took it as a sign to hassle the 'Necks. When the 'Neck's saw the water in the irrigation ditch rise, they knew it was time to go hassle the 'Billies. In the middle there, we knew when we could go north for moonshine, and south for other recreational pharmaceuticals.

[riverc0il]

So does some have an explanation of why this fade is so big in Eastern MA? Is there something I'm missing? AWF? riverc0il? Do you Merrimack Valley natives have any explanations?

i wish i knew. i maybe native to the merrimack valley but only in the sense of having been born there. i always felt outta place which is why i moved

seriously though, this low class crap started around 9/11 when people were flying flags from bridges, writing messages on sheets, hanging ribbons, etc. etc. etc. cups were used to either spell out crap or for the country's colors or what not. what eventually happened was people who put them up left the crap there to rot, and rot it did. what originally was an eye sore just got rag tag and ugly. now it's getting out of control. i wondered how long it would take until citizens took back their bridges from vandals. it is essentially easily removable grafitti to me and should be illegal if it is not, no difference at all from my point of view.

[awf170]

Originally Posted by riverc0il

i wish i knew. i maybe native to the merrimack valley but only in the sense of having been born there. i always felt outta place which is why i moved

ya i truly hate this area, it disgusted me, i still dont think the bridge thing is as bad as people who through trash out the window, everyday in front of my house is a new bag from wendys or mc donalds, what is so hard about finding a trash can, the thing that i really appreciate is when people put there trash in a little need pile or bag then leave it in a parking lot, arent they so thoughtful

[smitty77]

Originally Posted by awf170

the best thing is people who weave in and out of traffic and dont get anywhere... i also love when people who gas it then slam the brakes in bumper to bumper traffic(i love that scene in Office Space

[Begin thread hijack]
I had some chucklehead speed by me on Belmont hill (rt.9) in Worcester just as the two lanes had oficially merged into one. He probably would have been fine, except he got greedy and kept going, passing the guy in front of me after the merge was complete. Turns out the guy in front of me was an undercover cop and the whole car lit up like a strobe-filled christmas tree. They both pulled over and the officer angrily got out of the car, slamming his door as I drove past them both. He did not look happy.

Once in a great while the a**holes get caught.
[End thread hijack]

I'm with RivercOil - the grafiti on our bridges should be illegal. I was okay with the sheets with messages like "Welcome home Pfc Jimmy" and such, until the sheets remained there for almost a year. It's nice to support our local troops and give them a little something to see on the way home, but take it down after an appropriate period. Heck, with the current state of our military, poor "Pfc Jimmy" has probably been redeployed already.

As for the argument that the messages are distracting... Please. They're easier to read than those stupid message boards. One that comes to mind was placed on the shoulder of I-395 SB in Webster, MA. It was aimed too far toawrds the road, so you had to really try to focus on it as you passed it to see that they would be "blasting from 9am to 3pm M-F". Talk about a distraction.

[thetrailboss]

Originally Posted by smitty77

[Begin thread hijack]
I had some chucklehead speed by me on Belmont hill (rt.9) in Worcester just as the two lanes had oficially merged into one. He probably would have been fine, except he got greedy and kept going, passing the guy in front of me after the merge was complete. Turns out the guy in front of me was an undercover cop and the whole car lit up like a strobe-filled christmas tree. They both pulled over and the officer angrily got out of the car, slamming his door as I drove past them both. He did not look happy.

On in a great while the a**holes get caught.
[End thread hijack]

I'm with RivercOil - the grafiti on our bridges should be illegal. I was okay with the sheets with messages like "Welcome home Pfc Jimmy" and such, until the sheets remained there for almost a year. It's nice to support our local troops and give them a little something to see on the way home, but take it down after an appropriate period. Heck, with the current state of our military, poor "Pfc Jimmy" has probably been redeployed already.

As for the argument that the messages are distracting... Please. They're easier to read than those stupid message boards. One that comes to mind was placed on the shoulder of I-395 SB in Webster, MA. It was aimed too far toawrds the road, so you had to really try to focus on it as you passed it to see that they would be "blasting from 9am to 3pm M-F". Talk about a distraction.

I'm really demented. I love to see the Mass State Police pull over folks who are driving solo in the carpool lane. It's almost always the mommy driving the huge SUV, or the big business exec in his beamer or another expensive car...both thinking they can break the rules whenever they want.

Go get 'em boys!!!

[JimG.]

Originally Posted by nancie2k

i have never seen any from nj to vt!

I've never seen any of this stuff in NY either.

[dmc]

No we just have old tattered American flags on bridges in NY...

[JimG.]

Originally Posted by dmc

No we just have old tattered American flags on bridges in NY...

Most of those are gone in my area...just another case of folks trying to be patriotic and winding up being disrespectful instead. I was taught that you take the flag down and bring it inside during rainstorms and other bad weather.

[thetrailboss]

Originally Posted by JimG.

Most of those are gone in my area...just another case of folks trying to be patriotic and winding up being disrespectful instead. I was taught that you take the flag down and bring it inside during rainstorms and other bad weather.

Yes, a lot of my boy scouts at the flag discussion we had recently. I was taught the same...the only exception would be if one had an all-weather nylon flag...but otherwise, cotton "old glories" have to come down in bad weather...

[riverc0il]

Originally Posted by JimG.

Most of those are gone in my area...just another case of folks trying to be patriotic and winding up being disrespectful instead. I was taught that you take the flag down and bring it inside during rainstorms and other bad weather.

reminds me of days after 9/11 when everyone was flying an american flag from their car. i predicted what would happen sadly... a few weeks after the flags were flung from car antenna everywhere, they fell into tattered disrepair and looked aweful. completely disrespectful to the flag, imo. much more thoughtful is the purposeful and meaningful hanging and bringing the flag down on a daily basis. to add insult to injury, soon everyone forgot about being patriotic and forgot about hanging flags from their cars after time passed. that i predicted as well, but humans are predictable. either do it up right and proper, or let it be to those with the care and respect to do it right.

don't forget trailboss to add to your boys scout troup that the flag should only be flown at night when it has a light shown on it and it should never touch the ground. i blew a nutty one time i saw someone walking around with a flag unfolded and dragging across the pavement.