Comments on: Life in the Maine fast lane

By: rickl

rickl — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 14:48:38 +0000

neo at 9:55
That is really cool. Terminology from the days of sailing ships that has survived to the present time.

By: Gary Rosen

Gary Rosen — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 07:48:12 +0000

” I can say for the record Tom thinks the Eagles’ cover of ‘Ol 55 absolutely sucks air”

I’m sure he was so outraged by it that he turned down the royalties.

By: SteveH

SteveH — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:23:53 +0000

I have friends in Michigan that refer to the east coast as “out east”. Really weird because as a southerner i’ve been conditioned all my life to out being west and back being east. Almost as natural as up north and down south now that i think about it.

By: neo-neocon

neo-neocon — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:55:50 +0000

Daniel: no, way up north is not the opposite of downeast in Maine. Technically speaking, though, my joke wasn't appropriate for this stretch of highway, because the highway is inland and "downeast" is more properly used for the coast of Maine because it is a sailing term. But "downeast" really does mean "up north" in Maine (see map at link). Here's the explanation:

When ships sailed from Boston to ports in Maine (which were to the east of Boston), the wind was at their backs, so they were sailing downwind, hence the term 'Down East.' And it follows that when they returned to Boston they were sailing upwind; many Mainers still speak of going 'up to Boston,' despite the fact that the city lies approximately 50 miles to the south of Maine’s southern border."

By: Daniel

Daniel — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:23:52 +0000

We raised the speed limit in Jersey, and that did slow people down.

Before we raised it to 65 on some roads, the State Patrol made it very clear that they were going to go on a rabid enforcement effort to keep the speeds down. They had been hovering around 80+ at the time, and when the speed limit was raised, we all slowed down dramatically to avoid the draconian fines. As the years went on, the actual speeds have increased, but not as bad as they once were.

When we are made to go too slow for comfort, we speed up and then have to cope with other people doing the same. Enough people always want to be out in front and that will cause a sort of “speed race”. The key is to make the speed limit reasonable for the roads.

And isn’t way up north just the opposite of Downeast in Maine? DownEast is the tourist areas which are quite nice. Way up north in the wilderness is not like that at all.

By: rickl

rickl — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 03:53:04 +0000

I felt like i was out looking for a lost dog while driving through the place.

Thread winner.

By: gs

gs — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 01:54:19 +0000

I’ve gone up there a couple of times. A 75 mph limit on I-95 makes complete sense.

Driving on a two-lane state road, I recognized the scenery of Stephen King’s The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.

By: SteveH

SteveH — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 01:37:56 +0000

Madison Wisconsin has a ridiculous 25mph speed limit everywhere. I felt like i was out looking for a lost dog while driving through the place.

By: Paul_In_Houston

Paul_In_Houston — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:13:20 +0000

With all due respect to Scott, there’s nothing particularly new about what he’s experiencing.

When I lived in Michigan (1984 to 1994) the town of Ithaca was one of the most notorious “speed traps” in the state. It was their way of getting revenue for the city.

So, while there are many things I decry about the current times, and for which I blame those times, this ain’t one of them.
–

By: gcw

gcw — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:50:31 +0000

I went through junior high and high school with Mr. Waits, and we were in our first band together in 8th grade. Having endured this incredible artist and friend through the years since then, I can say for the record Tom thinks the Eagles’ cover of ‘Ol 55 absolutely sucks air.