The adopt-a-highway program has always bugged me. I’m not sure what’s expected of the adopter. If I did it, for instance, would I be expected to mow the median? Or would it be enough to pick up garbage along that stretch of highway? That wouldn’t be so bad if they could stop traffic while I was out there. Having to stop on the highway and get out of the car for any reason makes me incredibly uncomfortable. It’s the way the cars speed by. I get unnerved even walking in residential neighborhoods where there are no sidewalks so I have to find that fine line between trespassing through peoples’ yards and walking in the street. In neighborhoods the drivers are supposed to be slower but they aren’t always. I sometimes see signs in yards that say “Drive like your kids live here” and then a car whips by me and I think, “Wow, that guy hates his kids,” but that’s another story.
And then I noticed that a bus stop had been adopted by a restaurant right on the same corner. It’s not a bad idea. I guess the restaurant owners, or rather the employees, will take responsibility for keeping the bus stop clean and looking nice. Maybe it was the frogs’ idea.
And there’s valet parking, but why use that when the bus will put you right in front?
I’m tempted to adopt a bus stop myself. According to the MTA website anyone who wants to adopt a bus stop will be “provided all supplies, training, contact information, and recognition signage”. Maybe I can even paint it different colors. Maybe I can decide which buses stop there. Maybe I could alter the route or adopt a stop right in front of my house. The possibilities are endless!
More and more lately, I see the big INMATES sign on the side of the highway. Guards with shotguns, and all the guys in orange jumpsuits picking up trash.
I’m always expecting a escape scene, like from the movies. Maybe a gunfight or a helicopter swooping down and picking up the gang leaders.
I say if there’s a big escape scene let ’em go. We’re already at too much risk of being shot while on the highway without guards with shotguns trying to take down escapees. Given some of the weird things I find just along regular streets, though, do they really want to let prisoners go out and pick up stuff on the side of the highway?
True story: I once found a small washing machine on the side of the highway. Took it back to college with me and saved a fortune on laundry. It was just so small it could only hold a single sweater. Took me forever to wash everything.
Umm. I think those are called bowls.
Oh yeah. What I found was basically a box with a central agitator. Once it was plugged in it sort of pushed the clothes around in a circle. Then the water could be drained and replaced for a “rinse cycle”. Still had to pay to use the dorm driers, though.
Oh this sooo reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer and Newman adopt (?) a stretch of road/highway (?) and then they take it upon themselves to re-stripe the road. (If I’m recalling any of that correctly, I’m not sure.) But of course, Seinfeld-style mayhem ensued.
I remember that one too! Elaine swerved all over the road because of the repainted lines. Now I want to call the transportation department and ask if I can do that. Also I have some interesting questions for them about roadkill.
Isn’t this what we pay taxes for?
That’s what I thought, but the city clearly has other ideas. According to their terms, though, “Your group will be provided all supplies, training, contact information, and recognition signage.” So, yes, our taxes are paying for it. It would bother me that the restaurant is getting free advertising, but then it’s right there in front of the stop.