The North East 95 highway corridor disaster area

Driving along the east coast from Florida to Maine or the other way around on interstate highway 95 used to be a real tourist treat many years ago. For some families the trip by itself was a holiday. Today, driving along the East Coast is a hazardous and frustrating experience, to be avoided at all cost. Traffic congestions around DC, New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Bridgeport and Boston are of such nightmarerish proportions, that a driver with a heart or nervous condition, who ventures on this hazardous trip, might never make it to his or her destination. To ad to the frustration are the confusing road repair activities that seem to be going on for ever, but providing no traffic decongestion relief whatsoever. Cutting public financing on passenger and freight train services and offering generous tax breaks to pollution spewing trucking companies has possibly been another source for the congestion on interstate 95. You shudder to think if a real disaster would happen in any of these metropolitan areas and people had to rapidly evacuate. It would make 9/11 look like a children's bedtime story. Once you make it through the East Coast Metropolitan battle zones and finally enter the serene State of Maine, where life and progress has stood still for many years, do not think your troubles are over. In Maine you better keep an eye out for over-eager Maine State-Police-Highway Patrols, who take great pride in being the best spotters of out-of-state cars who might be going faster than the average allowed 45 mile speed limit on most Maine roads. Expect to get a hefty fine if you do exceed the speed limit by a few miles. They usually won't fine their own, because all local born Mainers seem to be related, so you will be the main target for their Christmas fund. For the brave souls who make it past all these hurdles to their holiday destination some final advice: relax, enjoy yourself wherever you are, for you will need all the rest you can get if you decide to drive back home on interstate highway 95. Rick Morren