Shopsmith Forums

Truckers trying to come to DC to mess up traffic like they did in Ottawa have no idea what they are in for. The beltway outside DC is a parking lot 365 days a year, as is downtown DC, so I doubt commuters will notice any difference. And any trucks proceeding in the left lanes or HOV lanes will receive massive tickets and points on their insurance for the effort.

There was an attempted trucker "convey" from Scranton, PA to Washington, DC yesterday. Only one semi showed up, a handful of pickups and a couple of sedans. For those of us who live and commute around DC, the "convoy" predictably found itself stuck in the normal Wednesday afternoon DC beltway traffic, which the organizers characterized as "bedlam." They turned tail and went home.

How appropriate that those who intended to create bedlam had to experience same first hand!






P.S. 25% of total commercial traffic between Canada And US? Hope that bridge is well guarded!!!

JPG wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 8:44 am


P.S. 25% of total commercial traffic between Canada And US? Hope that bridge is well guarded!!!

I was listening to a story about the Ambassador bridge on the radio the other day. The bridge is almost 100 years old and is privately owned .
There have been efforts to build a new bridge for many years, but the owner, who died in 2020, successfully lobbied the Michigan government to block and delay. He also got the access roads arranged so that all traffic goes past his gas stations.
All in the spirit of free enterprise and competition of course.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambassador_Bridge

Back in 1979, DC was the focus of the farmers' anger. Tractor convoys came and stayed for a visit on the National Mall. My memory of the event was one of general sympathy. They were reasonably well-behaved, and this article reminded me that they helped DC dig out of a heavy snowfall. https://modernfarmer.com/2014/02/living ... ars-later/

I'm hoping (and expect) the local authorities are on top of the current situation.

Trying to make sense of the sheer volume of nonsensical stuff going on is making my head hurt.

Lookin for patterns in all the noise - I need to stop trying to do that.

WHY on earth is a bridge between two countries privately owned???

JPG wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 4:27 pm WHY on earth is a bridge between two countries privately owned???

Private money paid for it, and all the governments approved it.

I knew none of this until rpd prompted me to look it up.

JPG wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 4:27 pm WHY on earth is a bridge between two countries privately owned???

I have been told that the turnpike in Indiana is privately owned by a foreign investor group, figure that out.

I haven't been across it in a truck in a few years but at that time the Chicago Skyway toll bridge and the toll roads in Chicago use to be owned / leased by foreign investors as well . Indiana toll road was owned/ leased by foreign investors , I am sure it still is , when they took over the rates doubled for trucks , I recall at one time paying less than 60.00 and than all of a sudden paying nearly 200.00 dollars to go from Chicago to Buffalo , I think Indiana did this under Mike Pence , Ohio tried to lease the toll road but the people protested it . with a annual budget of $696 million I just in Il. have a hard time imagining any reason the roads should not have been paid for . in case some one does not know , the toll roads were supposed to become public once initial cost was paid for . this is supposed to reduce shipping cost and transportation expenses .

Ed in Tampa wrote: Fri Feb 25, 2022 8:05 am

JPG wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 4:27 pm WHY on earth is a bridge between two countries privately owned???

I have been told that the turnpike in Indiana is privately owned by a foreign investor group, figure that out.

We must acknowledge that "private money" owns this country. Whenever something happens that you don't understand or dislike, find out who benefits financially. Then and probably only then will you understand.