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22track
22track New Reader
4/1/17 2:03 p.m.

3 face charges in ‘maliciously set’ fire that collapsed part of Interstate 85 in Atlanta

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/04/01/3-face-charges-in-maliciously-set-fire-that-collapsed-part-of-interstate-85-in-atlanta/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_pn-atlantafire-1210pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.651393df7fa1

SPG123
SPG123 Reader
4/1/17 2:13 p.m.

So here starts the internet M36 storm.... But I feel that it would be incredibly naïve to assume that the person in the car next to you is not armed. There are around 300 million handguns in the U.S.! Know that the folks from the outburbs are very armed. Probably legally. Also assume that the younger more ITP and high crime area folks are armed. Maybe not as legal or properly trained. Don't believe me? Watch the news. Any day. 9 months ago a person pulled a 1911 AND his carry piece on me for not letting him cut two lanes and make a right turn in front of me. Berkley you Berkleying roid head. Wait in line like I did. ITP traffic enforcement? Those guys are writing accidents or hiding. Atlanta is the wild wild west. Anything goes. Did I mention that a guy was shot and killed on my primary commute this week?

SPG123
SPG123 Reader
4/1/17 2:15 p.m.

In reply to Nick (Bo) Comstock:

Very different in the last 10 to 15 years.

boulder_dweeb
boulder_dweeb Reader
4/3/17 8:33 a.m.

Folks,

How is Hot'lanta coping with this detour?

Rog

Klayfish
Klayfish UberDork
4/3/17 9:03 a.m.
SPG123 wrote: Atlanta is the wild wild west. Anything goes.

Absolute horse E36 M3. Atlanta is no different than any other major metropolitan city, as far as road rage goes. Sorry an incident occurred on your normal route, so I can see why it may hit close to home. However, that doesn't make it the wild, wild west. I commute through Atlanta traffic now, but spent 25 years commuting in Philly traffic. No difference. Road rage happened there too. People got shot there too for stupid stuff. In fact, I could make the argument places like Philly can be worse. It's one of the largest cities in the country, and the highways there aren't 8 lanes wide like they are here. They're 3 or 4 lanes, in some cases they may be just 2. Much less room for a very large number of cars = hot tempters. Atlanta is nothing special, just like in Philly a majority of people aren't a-holes, just a select few. People don't drive any faster here, or any more stupid. NY is the same way, so is Chicago, Boston, you name it.

As for the commute, I'm very happy to say that for my commute (I get about 8 miles from the collapse scene) this morning, it was business as usual. We'll see how the ride home goes...that's when I'm on 85 south, heading toward the collapse. I get off at 285 and much of the traffic normally stays on 85. Now I'll bet much of it gets off 85 at 285...it'll all depend which way they go...I go west, I'm hoping everyone uses 285 south. Fingers crossed.

Ian F
Ian F MegaDork
4/3/17 10:59 a.m.
Keith Tanner wrote:
spitfirebill wrote:
Kreb wrote: Compare that to the Freeway that collapsed after the Northridge earthquake (Southern California), and they had it replaced in about the time it takes to form an exploratory committee up here.
I was going to say they need to hire THAT contractor. He was offered a big fat bonus to finish it way early.
As the husband of a heavy highway construction estimator/project manager - I fixed that for you. You want to see a company come up with ways to get stuff done, offer them an early completion bonus.

That is exactly what they did when there was a tire fire under an elevated section of I-95 in Philadelphia back 1996. The faster it was fixed, the bigger the bonus or something. Granted, it was a smaller section (IIRC, 4 lanes in each direction), but it was replaced much faster than originally estimated. They were working 24/7, weather permitting.

fidelity101
fidelity101 SuperDork
4/3/17 11:04 a.m.
Kreb wrote: If that was in Northern California, it'd be a three-year repair. In Southern California, they'd have it fixed for Memorial Day weekend.

If this was Detroit, you would have a new permanent detour

Klayfish
Klayfish PowerDork
5/11/17 7:15 a.m.

Just to bring this up to speed.... I-85 is set to reopen on Monday. That will mean the repairs took a grand total of 6 weeks. Yeah, the traffic was definitely worse, it added time to my commute. I'm unquestionably glad to see it reopen. However, it wasn't the earth shattering disaster some thought it would be.

spitfirebill
spitfirebill UltimaDork
5/11/17 7:55 a.m.

I saw that on the news last night. That's awesome. Seems the feds fasttracked the moolah.

Blaise
Blaise New Reader
5/11/17 9:07 a.m.
SPG123 wrote: So here starts the internet M36 storm.... But I feel that it would be incredibly naïve to assume that the person in the car next to you is not armed. There are around 300 million handguns in the U.S.! Know that the folks from the outburbs are very armed. Probably legally. Also assume that the younger more ITP and high crime area folks are armed. Maybe not as legal or properly trained. Don't believe me? Watch the news. Any day. 9 months ago a person pulled a 1911 AND his carry piece on me for not letting him cut two lanes and make a right turn in front of me. Berkley you Berkleying roid head. Wait in line like I did. ITP traffic enforcement? Those guys are writing accidents or hiding. Atlanta is the wild wild west. Anything goes. Did I mention that a guy was shot and killed on my primary commute this week?

All the more reason to have both a camera AND a carry permit.

When I carry, I'm far more passive and courteous. I don't want anything to escalate. However, given the car I drive (see avatar), some people love to take out their bad days on me. Usually they're in diesel trucks. I had one guy try to run me off the highway a few times (at first I couldn't believe it). It was a very scary 5 minutes of trying to stay away from him in traffic until there was an exit- not enough power to pass him but if I slowed down so did he. He'd get in front of me and stand on his brakes (ball hitch at my eye level) or next to me and try to push me off the road.

What is wrong with some people... Yes this is Philly.

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