Vehicle Fire, Expect Delays
Nov 4th, 2006 by mark
On my way home from work Friday, one of the overhead information displays on the bypass read: “VEHICLE FIRE. EXPECT DELAYS. PAST 69 HWY” Having abandoned the highway for surface streets in the past when there was some delay I know that the frustration of traffic lights is worse (for me) than staying on the highway and creeping along with everyone else.
The slow down this time was a good two miles from the actual incident. Worse, the fire had occurred on the far side of the highway - everyone around me was slowing down to gape in wide-eyed wonder and the smoldering ruin of a mini-van. Not two car lengths beyond the flashing lights and fire trucks we resumed driving at the posted speed limit.
I understand the curiosity in humans to stop and look at what happened to someone else, but still. Maybe the emergency crews should erect large opaque Mylar sheets around an accident so that the rest of the traffic would keep moving.
