Two questions!

[xcslowpoke]

I am fairly new to NE/Massachusetts but I have two basic questions:

1. How hard is it to label an intersection? Every time you come to a major road in Mass. its not labeled. The majority of the side streets are labeled but never the major rd.. Okay Boston proper is better but drive further out and forget it.

2. Whats the deal with the speed limit changing every few hundred yards? Driving down a road and the speed limit will go from 30 to 20 to 30 to 25 to 20 to 30 all within a 1/2 mile drive. This is all on a road that runs through a residential area. Do some people have special kids, others have kids that they don't want, or do people just get to put up speed limit signs in front of their house they want?

Okay I've lived all over the US and each place has its pro's and con's but these two things stick out as NE traits. Yes I have to get use to them as I've chosen to live here but their just plain annoying.

[orangediamback]

better word, there just plain stupid....dont worry man,nothing in this state makes sense.....

[digger]

1. More frustrating is when the intersection with no street name sign is clearly marked as a "square" named after a dead guy few knew when alive.

2. The speed signs are for somebody else and are to be ignored, at least that's the way it seems.

[Tim]

1) Don't know - that's just the way it is. Get a GPS and move on.

2) Revenue enhancement. Also beware the "thickly settled area" - as defined by MA laws, this is a built up area (I forget the exact definition) in which the maximum speed limit is 30, no matter what is posted. And no, there is no requirement to have a "thickly settled area" sign, although many places do have one. I think they whack you an extra fine for speeding there.

Welcome to MA! Hope that in addition to the driving you've enjoyed the spectacle of our new gov handing out cash to all the 'crats who've been sucking hind *** for the last 12 years.

[MTBME]

Isn't this the only state that requires state troopers to be present at construction sites along the highway. Which drives up construction costs while causing multiple rear end collisions as drivers instinctively go for their brakes when they see the state police along the side of the road.

[Mr_Cheeze]

Yea, which is why those troopers generally make close to 100k a year. But hey, it's hard to begrudge a cop for making good dough being as they put their lives on the line to keep us safe. They may be the ONLY government employees who deserve to make good money. (I challenge anyone to rebut that statement.) Cops get a bad rap from too many people these days, including the main stream press (read: Boston Globe).

I have zero problem with speed limits. Perhaps if you do you drive too fast... and I've flipped you the bird when you passed me for not going more than 10 mph over the posted limit.

BTW... residential speed limits are as such for a good reason, don't you think?

[xcslowpoke]

Hey Mr. Cheeze,

I have no problem with residential speed limits, just make it uniform on one road. If the minimum is 25, don't have it go up and down every 20 yards just keep it at 25.

Funny thing, the cop that pulled me over told me that if your within 10 then there is no problem. Apparently I was doing 37 but thought I was still in the 35. I haven't been pulled over in more than 10 years, so he gave me a warning.

As far as police getting their fair shake, if you think its bad here then you should go out to the Bay Area. It was unbelievable listening to the news nightly. A guy could escape from San Quentin and they would discribe it as, "Poor man climbing down the wall was shot by ruthless police." They would completely fail to mention that the man was in jail, had just killed 4 people inside, was in jail for life for killing 10 other people, was armed, had fired at the police officer that shot him, and prior to shooting the cop called out for him to stop. The news became a voice for the criminal. Now I consider myself fairly liberal but it has gotten way out of hand in some places.

Would I have been mad if I got a ticket? Yeah but at myself for not paying closer attention. Sad thing is I passed the cop atleast 5 times prior to the day I got pulled over and was always doing greater than 30, must have been doing less than 35. Didn't even know I was speeding.

As for flipping you off, nope. I only flip off the guy who rides my bumper no matter what speed I'm doing. NE is really bad for tailgaters. You would think with slippery roads that people would have enough brain matter to back off.

Dave

[FriedRys]

Yea, which is why those troopers generally make close to 100k a year. But hey, it's hard to begrudge a cop for making good dough being as they put their lives on the line to keep us safe. They may be the ONLY government employees who deserve to make good money. (I challenge anyone to rebut that statement.) Cops get a bad rap from too many people these days, including the main stream press (read: Boston Globe).

I have zero problem with speed limits. Perhaps if you do you drive too fast... and I've flipped you the bird when you passed me for not going more than 10 mph over the posted limit.

BTW... residential speed limits are as such for a good reason, don't you think?
Hmm, seems to me that Firemen and Correction's Dept. employee's deserve to make a decent wage. Fair amount of Doctor's and Nurse's work for the State, I got no problem with them making some good dough. Don't forget the Parks and Forestry Dept. people that Nemba has worked with and will continue working with, beat's going to Boston City Hall and trying to get Deval to approve some trail constuction and improvement.

[hogboy]

a trooper's daily job is to scoop some family's brains off the highway 'cuz some drunk crack-smokin meth head ran their van down...they deserve every penny they can wrangle from side duties, and deserve respect at all times