Traffic Situation - How to Handle? - Page 3

CrazyDaisy · ‎03-20-2010

wrote:
wrote:
OK, looked up the incident ..... This happened on Sunday afternoon and the highway was reopened by 1 am. Traffic was backed up for a few hours as drivers were forced off the highway to alternate routes. While some trucks may have been stuck it is no where near the disaster some are assuming.
Not a disaster? They closed the interstate at noon and it re-opened at 1:00 a.m. That's 13 hours of being totally shut down. That's more than a "few hours" of traffic being backed up.

Semi trucks aren't allowed to drive on any road they choose.

IF you read the news articles, traffic was not backed up for 13 hours, There is a big difference from road closed and traffic sitting,

If the police direct a semi off the highway, yes they can drive on that road.

Someday, when scientists discover the center of the Universe....some people will be disappointed it is not them.

patbz · ‎03-10-2010

@Kachina624: We were stuck on eastbound 40 (near route 66 casino) several months ago. We had two toddlers in car and traffic didn't move for over two hours. Worse yet there were no traffic updates online and no law enforcement trying to divert traffic. New Mexico needs to do better than this (the problem we encountered wasn't an accident, it was a homicide investigation). What posters here don't understand is that part of NM is very desolate, so there are few exits and they are far far between.

VaBelle35 · ‎03-10-2010

This is not uncommon here in the DC area. Not just suicide but people getting up in tall buildings like the Washington Monument with a gun, so major arteries are blocked off for hours.

At least here,there is a process they use to turn vehicles around, even on interstates, to get you on your way somewhere, even if it's not the direction you want to go.

I think, because I keep old running shoes and socks in the trunk of my car, that at the 3 hours mark, I probably would have gotten out and started walking, depending on the weather and how far it was to the nearest shelter.

===================================
QVC Shopper - 1993

# IAMTEAMWEN

CrazyDaisy · ‎03-20-2010

wrote:
@Kachina624: We were stuck on eastbound 40 (near route 66 casino) several months ago. We had two toddlers in car and traffic didn't move for over two hours. Worse yet there were no traffic updates online and no law enforcement trying to divert traffic. New Mexico needs to do better than this (the problem we encountered wasn't an accident, it was a homicide investigation). What posters here don't understand is that part of NM is very desolate, so there are few exits and they are far far between.

Most highways outside of metro areas have very few exits. I have been stuck on the Ohio Turnpike for hours because of an accident; I71 into Cleveland for almost 3 hours because of weather. it is not a unique situation nor a disaster.

Someday, when scientists discover the center of the Universe....some people will be disappointed it is not them.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

Maybe they need to have some of those inflatable things they use for stunts in movies, put them under the bridge or structure the person is on, and push them off onto the inflatable, then take them into custody to get them the help they need.

It would have to be faster than 16 hours to end it that way.

CrazyDaisy · ‎03-20-2010

wrote:
Maybe they need to have some of those inflatable things they use for stunts in movies, put them under the bridge or structure the person is on, and push them off onto the inflatable, then take them into custody to get them the help they need.

It would have to be faster than 16 hours to end it that way.

Stunt men and women know how to hit those inflatables properly so they are not injured.

Someday, when scientists discover the center of the Universe....some people will be disappointed it is not them.

goldensrbest · ‎03-10-2010

I live in southern maine, about 11 miles from new hampshire , we get there by the tall bridge over the river,and sea that meets, we have people trying to jump,never seen the bridge shut down for very long, you can't turn around no exit.

When you lose some one you L~O~V~E, that Memory of them, becomes a TREASURE.

Lipstickdiva · ‎03-10-2010

wrote:
wrote:
wrote:
OK, looked up the incident ..... This happened on Sunday afternoon and the highway was reopened by 1 am. Traffic was backed up for a few hours as drivers were forced off the highway to alternate routes. While some trucks may have been stuck it is no where near the disaster some are assuming.
Not a disaster? They closed the interstate at noon and it re-opened at 1:00 a.m. That's 13 hours of being totally shut down. That's more than a "few hours" of traffic being backed up.

Semi trucks aren't allowed to drive on any road they choose.
IF you read the news articles, traffic was not backed up for 13 hours, There is a big difference from road closed and traffic sitting,

If the police direct a semi off the highway, yes they can drive on that road.

There are roadways trucks physically cannot get down. But that's not the point. Being as the OP lives in the area, I'll take her word for what happened. I doubt she'd make up the story, especially about refrigerated loads being ruined, etc.

What's most disturbing about this is the fact that the roadway was shut down because drivers were going past the man and yelling for him to just do it already, kill himself, jump, etc.

Love4cats · ‎03-09-2010

wrote:
There was a difficult situation yesterday in our fair city (Albuquerque) and I've been pondering what would be an alternate way to resolve the situation.

A man got up on one of the overpasses over Interstate 40, and threatened to jump. They held up traffic for 16 hours while they tried to talk him down. This major East-West highway has very heavy truck traffic and it inconvenienced truckers to the point of ruining their refrigerated loads and leaving their schedules in shambles. Needless to say, they were backed up for miles and miles with no alternative but to just sit there. Traffic all over the city was affected and was a mess.

It just doesn't seem like one disturbed person should be able to bring a city's whole transportation system down. All the police could do was bring in a negotiator to try to talk him off the overpass....and talk, and talk. For hours, all they could do is talk. It seems as though they need a tranquilizing shot for people like they have for animals.

Any thoughts on a possible solution for this type of situation? A lot of people are really steamed about this.

OMG, this poor man was so distraught that he wanted to die. If they had to tie up traffic for a week, then so be it. As a person who has attempted to end my life, and who fight's depression and anxiety everyday, I am deeply insulted that you don't understand the worth of a human life. Sure hope it did not inconvenience you too much. I hope you or someone you love never get's into the state of mind this poor man was in. WOW!!!!!

happycat · ‎09-18-2010

@Love4cats, I hope you got the help you needed, and I really hope you are doing better now.

I took my elderly parents to the dr yesterday in a town about an hour and a half away. My father needed a heart cath. I thank God that we didn't end up in any kind of a traffic jam, let alone one for 15 hours. Not sure how my 80 year old, sick father could have handled that.

While my heart goes out this person who was threatening suicide, it also goes out to all those who were adversely affected by this.