The Vent and Rant Thread

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by cromag

Had to make a trip to a spot in the northern NJ metro area. I didn't feel like driving, what with traffic and all, but fortunately the train station is a five minute ride from here and the office I was heading to was a short walk from the station on the NJ Transit Morris-Essex line.

Unfortunately, the Morris-Essex line terminates in Hoboken.

I drove.

Reports are still coming in, but given that the train accident in Hoboken was so bad and it occurred during rush hour, it could have been much, much worse.

Oh goodness! Happy to hear your safe.

Sent from my XT1528

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by cromag

Had to make a trip to a spot in the northern NJ metro area. I didn't feel like driving, what with traffic and all, but fortunately the train station is a five minute ride from here and the office I was heading to was a short walk from the station on the NJ Transit Morris-Essex line.

Unfortunately, the Morris-Essex line terminates in Hoboken.

I drove.

Reports are still coming in, but given that the train accident in Hoboken was so bad and it occurred during rush hour, it could have been much, much worse.

Originally Posted by Blossom

Oh goodness! Happy to hear your safe.

Sent from my XT1528

At least, for once, you can be glad that public transportation wasn't able to accommodate your needs. The train companies really need to get those automatic safety devices installed. Human beings even with the best of intentions are flawed. I'm guessing that this was the result of a medical emergency, but we'll see.

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by Freeshadow

So you'd order 5 pizzas wouldn't you? Who eats only a part of pizza as a meal!?

Depends on the size of the pizza, surely.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by cromag

Had to make a trip to a spot in the northern NJ metro area. I didn't feel like driving, what with traffic and all, but fortunately the train station is a five minute ride from here and the office I was heading to was a short walk from the station on the NJ Transit Morris-Essex line.

Unfortunately, the Morris-Essex line terminates in Hoboken.

I drove.

Reports are still coming in, but given that the train accident in Hoboken was so bad and it occurred during rush hour, it could have been much, much worse.

Now that's a lucky escape!

[issybird]

I'm trying to find out info on the closing of a major local artery due an accident and it's like googling into a void. I live in a town with the same name as a much better known city far to the south and all my hits are for there. I've got location turned on, I've specified the state and I've named the road and for those who are familiar with US road numeration, "US 4" means it's way north, and that's not north as in North Carolina.

On the bright side, poohbear's commute seemingly went swimmingly, so that's a relief.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by issybird

I'm trying to find out info on the closing of a major local artery due an accident and it's like googling into a void. I live in a town with the same name as a much better known city far to the south and all my hits are for there. I've got location turned on, I've specified the state and I've named the road and for those who are familiar with US road numeration, "US 4" means it's way north, and that's not north as in North Carolina.

On the bright side, poohbear's commute seemingly went swimmingly, so that's a relief.

I'm sorry.

[wodin]

If I drive 100 miles I'm back where I started.

[badgoodDeb]

In the suburbs, I'm used to driving 45-60 minutes to reach a friend, or a particular restaurant. That's probably not 40 miles *away*, but one doesn't drive very fast in the suburbs. And all the main roads are radial into Chicago - so it takes quite a while to go to a parallel suburb; no fast main roads.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

In the suburbs, I'm used to driving 45-60 minutes to reach a friend, or a particular restaurant. That's probably not 40 miles *away*, but one doesn't drive very fast in the suburbs. And all the main roads are radial into Chicago - so it takes quite a while to go to a parallel suburb; no fast main roads.

Well, we are far away, relatively speaking (15-20 miles) from any nearby freeway. Nor do those tend to go where I want to get to. (of course). 90% of that drive, to the doc's, is on side streets, so...yeah, it's over an hour each way. But, that's the trade-off for some peace and quiet.

Hitch

[Cinisajoy]

We drove 60 miles today for good Chinese.

[cromag]

Originally Posted by wodin

If I drive 100 miles I'm back where I started.

It's a small world after all!

[Toxaris]

If the roads are quiet, I can drive to the country borders in about 60-90 minutes... And I am living near the coast on the other side of the country.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

If the roads are quiet, I can drive to the country borders in about 60-90 minutes... And I am living near the coast on the other side of the country.

LOL. I recall when my mother and some other family members came out to see me, in AZ.

She came from the TriState area (in the USA, NY, NJ, Connecticut), and that's her primary frame of reference. That and Europe, for her college work. In the US, you can pretty much drive from NJ to Washington, DC, in about 3 hrs, 45 minutes, if you take the I-95S. Natch, she assumed that driving times--or, I guess, the expectation of how far one would go--were similar, here.

So, she and the other harridans (aka inside the fam as the Geriatric Buccanneers) took their rental car, drove from my home to Sedona, and were all proud of themselves. (About...1.5-2 hours). After that daytrip, they decided that they were going to DRIVE to the Grand Canyon, and that's when I interceded, saying "nope, not gonna happen." Suffice to say, Mother was pissed about being thwarted.

Anyway...I ended up getting a plane, and flying them from Scottsdale to the Canyon, and over it. I forget the flight time, but when we were substantially away from the Metro area, I pointed her view out the windscreens/windows and said "see that? That vast nothing? THAT is what I didn't want you three driving through." Once she saw that literally, you could see NO sign of civilization as far as the eye could see, in a bloody airplane, mind you, she decided that perhaps, I'd been right about it. (Not to mention--there is no such thing as actually appreciating the Canyon, from the ground. You have to see it from the air to really grasp its size.)

She couldn't believe that you could drive 3.5-5 hours, and STILL not leave the state. (n.b. of course, most people forget how large NY state really is, but that's for another day.)

:-)

Hitch

[Katsunami]

Hey, let's tell you something. I'm in the Netherlands, quite close to the border.

So close in fact that if I step out of my front door and stumble, I could actually end up in Germany before hitting the ground. Cool, huh?

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Hey, let's tell you something. I'm in the Netherlands, quite close to the border.

So close in fact that if I step out of my front door and stumble, I could actually end up in Germany before hitting the ground. Cool, huh?

I like it! Why not be a multinational "firm," if you can? :-)

(Two of my homes, over the years, through sheer coincidence, resided in two different counties. Not quite the same thing as two countries, but...)

Hitch