Delaware is a tiny state.
It’s small, quite insignificant really, except for when you are on i95 traveling to the more exciting New York and further or you are heading south towards the finer beaches in Virginias, Carolinas and Florida.
I think that’s pissed the state off in a few ways.
(No, am refusing to acknowledge the Bethany and neighboring beaches just coz am a little ticked off with the state right now)
So what do they do? They go create fake backups. Miles together. To just to pay the $4 toll after you sit through the 7 mile long way before you step into PA or MD depending on which direction you’re headed, for HOURS together. Nope, no accidents. No construction. Just backup. Pile and shred the passengers patience. Get them to defy nature’s call to the end! Yesterday what was to be a 3 hour drive was dragged to 6 hours thanks to Delaware’s DOT. They in fact should have paid each car a $20 gift just to not go bersek and postal on their insanely long lines. Even the husband said that, and he’s the God of patience at home.
The only nice thing that happened was through the t-storms that hit in PA, we saw a gorgeous, bright, full arched, startlingly pretty rainbow. I don’t remember the last time I saw such a magnificent sight, and it was positioned in such a way that we were driving through it for a bit. Lovely.
Then to top it, we see another faint larger rainbow outside of this. How amazing is that?! The iphone sure came in handy and here are the pictures. I can tell you, these snaps surely don’t do justice. Munchkin was so suitably excited through the whole time. So was the mom.
Piece it all together and you have the whole arc.
August 11, 2008 at 11:54 am
Ya! Bethany, Rehobeth, New hope(no hope, in fact).. dont count!
One good reason I stay away from 95!The backups near DE and NJ are just too much of a stress. Thats the main reason I havent made that oak tree road trip yet!
August 11, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Lol, is this that toll for Delaware Memorial Bridge? It was quite nice :P. But yeah, I traveled a day before Christmas along I-95 and further on to NJ turnpike. It didn’t remotely resemble a “highway”.
Why Delaware mela ivolo kovam? It is the first ever state, no? :P
August 11, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Ya… funny thing is – they have been doing “construction” (note the “”) near the Christiana Mall on I-95 (between exits 3 and 4 in Delaware) since ‘05 when I lived in the area. And when I was driving by in April, the subterfuge was still on. I say subterfuge because I don’t ever remember having seen people working there. It’s always those big orange plastic cones, causing people to slow down. So, you are right, it does get crazy. However, there is also the problem with drivers, which you have to acknowledge. At one point, as you approach Wilmington from the south, I-95 separates into I-95, I-295 and I-495 (there are a couple of SRs that merge on there) and that merge point is essentially why all the backups happen.
Similar things happen near exit 8a on the NJTP in Jersey and it is for these reasons that I *heart* my Garmin (it came with a years worth of free traffic updates).
A few weeks ago on the NJTP traveling south, I was on the truck lanes and it actually directed me into a rest area and out on to the car lanes to avoid congestion a few miles down!!!!
On my return legs to North Jersey, it always gives me different routes (sometimes getting into Princeton univ) depending on which hwy is congested :D
August 11, 2008 at 1:42 pm
anantha: Whew! :D I so totally see that you are a native of the area!
Exit 4 and 5 is what they said, but there was really nothing happening there. No cones either. :\
awesome@garmin. Traffic updates is a blessing. *sigh. Wish we’d known earlier we’d have taken rt 76 and sped down the other way :(
Adithya: Don’t ask, it was irritating as hell! First state should actually be scurrying along, if it slows rest slow :P
Altoid: Let’s find some country roads before we hit NJ. Then oak Tree would be do-able.
But people, what’s the focus on ranting for? Stay positive already! Look at the rainbows. Pretty no? :D
August 11, 2008 at 2:49 pm
The rainbow is beautiful. I just read a blog post today that the iPhone is the No. 1 phone from which photos are posted in Flickr.
August 11, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Altoid: Let’s find some country roads before we hit NJ. Then oak Tree would be do-able.
Romba kashtam! Only thing you can try to do is to get on 295 and then on 130 till you hit 1 near New Brunswick. But you know, apart from those two stretch on 95 before the bridge and then on exit 8 on NJTP, it is pretty smooth usually (though I have never been on the Del Mem Br much!).
As for me being a native of that area, I seem to have a connection with DE. I was there for 6 months in ‘05, but keep visiting often since I still have friends in the area and a couple of our clients are close by too. I love driving and more than that, I love driving on the Turnpike :) Driving the Turnpike is a game of strategy, anticipation and the odd pitfalls. Add to it the random speed traps and it’s one 2.5 hour game of chess :D
August 11, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Tell me about I-95. We took almost 7 hours to reach Boston, and it has like two lanes…So where did you go?
August 11, 2008 at 6:23 pm
boosmom: Oh, you passed through Delaware too? We went up to this place west of Philly. Nice countryside :)
Anantha: Okay pa. You’ve proved that you ARE the go-to person in case I decide to ever step on i-95 again :)
Your lines “ Driving the Turnpike is a game of strategy, anticipation and the odd pitfalls. Add to it the random speed traps and it’s one 2.5 hour game of chess :D”
a killer.
Copyright it! Reads like a Tom Clancy cincher line :D
Dinesh: Thank you for staying positive with me on the rainbow side :))
Flickr’s just a treasure trove!
August 11, 2008 at 8:45 pm
We ran into the same problem at Delaware this weekend as well (even with ezpass). Saw a lot of minivans; hey, maybe you were there in front of us. :p
August 12, 2008 at 11:10 am
Wait 95 northbound doesn’t have construction work going on? It was until last month. And it was a pain :) And last year 95 southbound was a pain. And I think Delaware’s economy runs on the tolls it collects.
August 12, 2008 at 12:36 pm
pilgrim: No, nothing going on, and we are talking the same i-95 right? :P
bpsk: O totally! I waved at the chaat bhandar wagon behind but you were busy tending to chota bhel :p
August 12, 2008 at 1:19 pm
[...] yes yes! Orey Clancy-esque1 only! Naan engeyyo [...]
August 12, 2008 at 3:56 pm
What a gorgeous rainbow! Just like the one I saw (and my photo was from the iPhone as well).
August 13, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Hey, I was driving too around phili and saw this. It was awesome, esp the double rainbow!! Nothing to beat the sight of such a bright rainbow in the rearview mirror!
Sadly, I couldnt pull over to take a snap. Neither I was ambidextrous :(
August 13, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Arun: No Kidding! Really? It WAS cool wasn’t it? :))
That’s okay, you can have my snaps, I can share! :-p
Yogamum: Yep, it was such a surprise when I saw yours :)
August 13, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Dissing Delaware, the first State – Sacrilege! Having been a resident of that beautiful (erm.. lets stick with beautiful for now) state for 2 good years, I am offended!
As locals (or poor grad students) would know, there are ways to avoid the toll and the traffic at one of the toll booths. But, as I said, I am offended – no tips for you!
August 13, 2008 at 7:05 pm
ooh, The rainbow is beautiful – too bad you had an iPhooo to capture it.
August 14, 2008 at 11:43 am
deitaDi: lol! Well, I had a group following me, so now it’s an established poll, not just my opinion :P
Next time, we planning on skirting DE altogteher ;-)
August 14, 2008 at 3:03 pm
I hurted! – I want to talk to Nellore Pedda Reddy right now! ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N9GR-axMaU )
August 14, 2008 at 6:31 pm
LOL. Manchi movie kada :)