Barrier Free - not the way to be

This post is really about our dear friend... the 4" thick yellow line that separates oncoming traffic from smashing into us head on. To increase safety the line is sometimes doubled.

It hardly seems fair that we expect so much from a strip of paint... but we do.

On major highways, oncoming traffic is sometimes physically separated from us and our precious cargo by concrete barriers or large swaths of grass and ditches. These physical barriers have evolved in design over the years to reduce truck rollovers and protect YOU from accidental harm.

But sadly, in most cases, roads are simply divided by paint.

I'm not the first to notice the failings of paint. On poorly lit highways or in inclement weather our little 4" friend is hardly visible. This probably spawned a number of "quick fixes"; most notably the "cat's eye" reflector road inserts more commonly found in the Southern states that do not suffer the indignity of having snow removal machines chew up the reflectors annually. Another quick fix is a Canadian invention... the rumble strip. The rumble strip is harder to notice unless you've just dozed off.... then it's easy to find.

But I digress.... back to the paint.

There are ONLY two colours of paint: yellow and white.

THEORETICALLY yellow lines keeps traffic in opposite directions apart, and white lines keeps traffic going in the same direction apart. In reality, they keep nothing apart.

To add to the ineffectiveness there are conditions that exist that in essence make the line "optional".

If the line is SOLID you shouldn't drive over it, but when the line is BROKEN you are free to change lanes or overtake at your discretion... in other words... they become merely "guidelines".

The effectiveness of paint as a barrier is based on the assumption that all persons driving on the road have a desire for self-preservation. When you are travelling 80km/hr, and there is only a 4" strip of paint keeping you from plowing into another car at a combined 160km/hr, it's a hell of an assumption to bet your life on.

I'm not saying there are suicidal or intentionally crazy people cruising the roads - although statistically there are probably 1000's out there at any point in time. I am more concerned by the other factors which make a strip of paint even more useless than it already is.

Things like: poor visibility of the line (due to poor street lighting, blind corners, fog, snow, wear), indifference to the line (due to impatience, carelessness), inability to obey the line (due to loss of control, inebriation)

If any of the above occur... you are in dire straits if you are relying on paint to keep you from drifting into oncoming traffic (or having oncoming traffic drift into you).

Down with paint. Up with barriers.

I love Japanese food

Like every good horror movie... "I'm baaaaack".

Thanks to all of you who have inspired me by giving me grief about not updating my blog.

To you I say... GET A LIFE. hahaha... just kidding... without you... I have no audience. :)

So... Thanksgiving is about turkey....NOT. I had a kick-ass Thanksgiving with my wife and folks last night at a restaurant called TEN-ICHI on Sheppard Ave.

We were crack heads for not getting reservations on Thanksgiving Sunday... so we paid dearly by waiting an hour for a table. It was worth the wait.

READ MY LIPS: All you can eat Teppanyaki for around $24. This comes complete with all the pomp and circumstance of any fancy shmancy Teppanyaki establishment. The chefs have serious cooking kung fu and the food they prepare before your eyes is aesthetically flawless. The "All You Can Eat" is really ALL YOU CAN EAT, and it includes all the traditional elements...
miso soup, salads, edamame, all types of sushi and sashimi, tempura shrimps et al, steaks, grilled shrimps, and deserts. I had 5 pieces of salmon sashimi for desert.

Ten Ichi gets a raging 5 out of 5 and I can't wait to go again.

Tim