Road Issues
Let's talk
about State Route 445, aka Pyramid Highway. It has proven itself
to be a dangerous highway. No one likes driving this road unless
they must. Why?
For most of the
2-lane section of Pyramid Highway, from Pebble Creek to the
Paiute reservation, there is no shoulder on to which a motorist
can escape an impending collision with an oncoming vehicle, an
animal, or an object in the road. If you drive into one of those
steep ditches at 65 mph, you’ll most likely roll over - a potentially deadly
situation. Locals can recall many sad
stories. Nevada Dept of Transportation (NDOT) should correct
this by creating proper shoulders.
There are too
few places to safely pass. NDOT should at least study this. Too
many people are passing in the no-passing (double yellow line)
zones. Very dangerous! There are a fair number of hotheads (male
and female) in modern day “muscle cars” who routinely pass
others who are doing a safe and sane 65 – 70 mph in those zones.
Why? ‘Cuz they can. One resident actually brags about routinely
driving “at least” 90 mph on Pyramid Highway. Oh, what fun.
Until the NHP nails him. We’d pay to see that.
Motorists who pull out from side streets
onto Rt. 445 with no
regard for oncoming motorists who are then forced to brake – hard –
so as not to collide. Thanks for nothing. This would be an
extra-stupid move if the roads were slick. You know who you are.
Next time, wait the 3 extra seconds you could have waited (but
chose not to) to allow us to go by. Have a problem with depth and
distance perception? Then allow even more time, and then pull out and accelerate
to speed. And please don't take 5 minutes to reach the speed
limit. Press that accelerator pedal - it’s not that
difficult.
People who drive left of center on curves and blind hills are
committing a near- terrorist act, for oncoming
motorists are frightened and alarmed (terrorized) by the prospect of a head- on collision
with you. They (and you) will be forced to make a
split-second, panic correction which will dramatically increase
the probability of driver error and a dangerous outcome. Many
rollover accidents are caused by panicked over-correction. Did you
know that?
Here's the solution: Stay to the right on blind hills
and curves! The life you save may be yours.
Inexplicably
slow drivers are a most irksome bunch. The speed limit is 65 mph
on the two-lane section of Pyramid highway, north of Pebble
Creek. Yes, we understand that number does not mean that you
must drive at that specific speed, but why would you not? Why
are you driving at 56 mph (or slower), impeding the flow of
traffic? You do understand, don’t you, that nearly everyone who
uses Pyramid Highway on a routine basis does so in order to get
to or from home, work, or errands? Few are out sightseeing. Are
you? State Route 445 is not a scenic highway, by any stretch.
According to
several online studies, including this one by
Forbes.com , one significant cause of road rage is
being stuck behind another who is driving far too slowly - for no apparent,
legitimate reason. It is not a matter of right versus
wrong here. It is matter of what is customary and reasonable. If
you are impeding the flow of traffic for reasons that are not
apparent to those stuck behind you, it is safe to assume that
you will have angry motorists on your tail. You don’t want that,
do you? Or do you even care?
If you wish to continue at
your snail’s pace, the best thing to do is to be polite, pull
over, and let others pass. The worst thing to do is to drive
even slower in order to “teach ‘em a lesson.” Now
you are asking for conflict. By the way, road rage can occur on
dirt roads, too. If a car gets behind you,
and the driver indicates by his actions that he would like
to get around you, please move to the right as far as you can safely do
so, and let that motorist pass. Maybe he's being an
an impatient jerk , but maybe he has an urgent need to get
some place. Just let him pass
you. Be courteous.
Why would you
not want to get to your destination in the timeliest manner
allowable? Think about “time exposure.” Simply stated, the more
time you are exposed on the roadway, the higher your odds are
for an accident. If you can safely get home in 20 minutes, why
would you unnecessarily extend your drive time to 30 minutes?
Driving slower does not necessarily make you safer. A head-on collision at
65 mph is just as deadly as one at 56 mph. You will not discern
the difference, as it is unlikely that you or anyone would live through
that event at either speed. Maybe, but not likely.
Those who
parrot the expression that “speed kills” haven’t
thought it through. If speed kills, all the drivers at the Indy
500 race would be dead before the end of the race. No,
distracted driving is by far the more common culprit in
accidents today. There are other contributing factors as well,
but we won’t list them here. Think about this: NDOT set the speed limit
at 65 mph. Do you believe that the State of Nevada would
purposely set an unsafe speed limit? Do you know better
than the road engineers at NDOT? If so, share your inside
knowledge with us.
Watch this short
video about how driving slow in the left lane can be dangerous
If you say that "excessive
speed kills" your argument might be more persuasive,
but are
you arguing that driving at the speed limit is "excessive?"
That is a lame argument.
Is your vehicle
mechanically impaired such that it cannot reach and maintain 65
mph? OK, that is understandable. Please get it fixed when
you can.
Are you
physically disabled or impaired? Sorry to hear that, but does
your disability prevent you from pressing down the accelerator pedal
so that your vehicle can reach 65mph? No? Then why are you
creeping along, holding up other motorists?
Are you driving
a big rig and /or towing a load where you simply cannot reach or
maintain the speed of 65 mph? No one likes to be stuck behind a
truck,
but we understand that tractor trailers and delivery trucks are
a necessity in life.
Are you driving
a goofy, jacked-up truck, SUV,
or Jeep with an amateur lift kit,
which now makes handling tricky and dicey at speeds over 45 mph?
Frankly, you probably should not be on the highway in that
monstrosity.
Is the road
wet, icy, or slick? If so, then you would be wise to drive
slower in such conditions. No one but a fool would criticize
you.
Is your
visibility significantly reduced due to smoke, rain, snow, fog
or other conditions? Again, driving slower than 65 mph would be
the safe choice in such conditions.
If it is a
clear, dry, sunny day with near-perfect visibility, then why are
you creeping? This we do NOT understand. Avoid road rage by
being a courteous motorist. We all must share
the road. Being courteous is being virtuous.
"Have you noticed
that anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone
driving faster than you is a maniac?"
-- George Carlin
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Chronic Barking Dogs
We
understand that almost all dogs bark - sometimes for legitimate reasons
such as sounding an alert to danger, warning off
intruders or predators, and other useful purposes as their instincts
inform them . When a
dog barks out of boredom (as some do) for hours at a time, it
shatters the peace of the neighborhood. The sound can
travel great distances, and a 40-acre parcel offers little
protection against the intrusive noise. If your animal is
causing your neighbor anxiety and loss of precious sleep, you
need to do something about it.
FYI:
Here is list of the breeds
noted for excessive barking.
What is most disconcerting is the fact that oftentimes, even
when the problematic dog's owners are home, they do
nothing about it. Certainly, you say, they must hear it!
How can they not? Are they deaf? Have they "tuned it out?" Why don't they keep their
dog quiet? What is wrong with those people?!
If
you've watched one of those "Neighbors From Hell" TV shows, you've
seen that small disputes can become big disputes, which can
become feuds, which can lead to conflict. Conflict can lead to
... well, you know the rest.
If
you are unwilling to correct your dog's behavior by verbal
commands, then please buy an electronic bark collar. Check them
out at
Amazon or other sources. These
collars have been available for many years now, they
work like a charm and are not expensive. No they are not "cruel." They are
used around the world for training and correction purposes.
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Dumpster Abusers
During the winter months, when the
Waste Management (WM) trucks cannot safely get around the
valley, large dumpsters are set up in several central areas,
Quaking Aspen Road at Wilcox Ranch Road, being one example.
The dumpsters are placed there as a convenience to the community
and are to be used to deposit regular household trash - the same
type of trash as would normally be put in the residential
green can.
The problem is that many abuse this by shoving in
large bulky items, like furniture, which often fills the
dumpster in 48 hours, leaving no room for the rest of us to put
in even one trash bag of household trash. Then , after the
dumpster is quickly filled, they dump their appliances
outside. What selfish, appalling behavior! The
dumpster is NOT a substitute for the landfill.
Check out this picture: What sort of person(s) would
do this?
February 14, 2021
One year, WM delivered a different style dumpster with open-able
end doors. Shortly thereafter, some genius (with help)
rolled a derelict car in there and closed the doors! No doubt all the fluids
were still in the car. In a sane world, that would be a felony, with a
massive fine
and prison time. Alas, we do not live in sane world.
Such uncivilized behavior definitely qualifies for our pet peeve list. If you are
reading this, you know who you are.
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Litterbugs:
Littering is a detestable action by those who show
contempt for the community and for nature. And yes, even
cigarette butts are litter. They are NOT quickly bio-degradable
as you may have been told. Learn more
here.
Without question, Pyramid Highway is not only a dangerous
highway for motorists, it is among the most disgusting, filthy,
litter-strewn stretches of highway in America. It's an
embarrassment, thanks to litter-tossing jerks. Sadly, NDOT
will not clean up Route 445. They have a book of
ready-made excuses as to why they cannot perform a routine
litter pickup: it's too hot, it's too cold, it's too risky, the
sky is too blue, etc... Contact them
here to hear their reasons why
they cannot or will not clean up Pyramid Highway.
Absolutely mystifying.
Do
you ever wonder what impression foreign visitors to our annual
Burning Man festival take home with them? In traveling to the
Black Rock desert, most see the entire stretch of Pyramid
Highway. Do these people go home with the impression that
America is a land of uncaring slobs? We are not, of
course, but you've got to wonder.
Here in Pal Val, we have our own litter-tossing criminals.
Not long ago, some dirtbags drove into Pal Val and dumped three old
sofas in three different areas of the valley. Two were
dumped in areas that were visible , but very
difficult to access. Some "Good Samaritan" neighbors who
cared about their community, managed to extract them and
property dispose of them at their own expense. We sure
could use fewer criminals and more good folks.
For years, certain stretches of Ironwood Road (inbound side)
were routinely littered with pint-size vodka bottles. Same brand,
same area. Clearly tossed by a resident who showed contempt for
his own community. Inexcusable behavior.
Attention homeowners: Do us all favor and tell your
contractors or work crews to put their debris in your green WM
trash can. Do not allow them to drive out of the valley with
loose, unsecured construction debris in an open bed pickup.
We know for a fact and from personal experience that a great
deal of litter is caused by this negligent act.
Have you run out of space in your green WM trash can? Then place the trash/debris in bags
outside the green can and put a yellow WM sticker on it.
All households using WM services receive 20 yellow "excess"
stickers every year. Have you run out of yellow stickers? Put an
ad up on NextDoor and your neighbors will provide you with some
of their unused ones.
Here is a link to Waste
Management's FAQ page describing the limitations on the excess trash
bags left outside the green can. Waste Management
employees are not your enemy. Be kind and help them do
their job.
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Nevada transplants with conflicting, incompatible values and mindsets:
Pardon the over-simplification, but there are two basic factions
in this rural area:
A. Those who have been here for a while and wish to have limited government and minimal
imposition into their lives.
versus
B. Those who moved here from a troubled and decaying “big
government” state but still stubbornly cling to and support the
same failed ideas that resulted in the intolerable conditions from which they fled.
A fool never learns from his mistakes.
A smart person learns from his mistakes
A wise man learns from the mistakes of others.
Which are you, and
where do you stand?
Vandalism
Property damage by spray painting (tagging) is a
detestable and ugly crime, and
is a misdemeanor. If the cost to repair the damage
reaches or exceeds $5,000, it becomes a felony. By the way :
Law enforcement agencies have gang task units and they have learned
to identify and distinguish between generic graffiti done by
local punks versus de facto gang
tagging by gang members. Photograph and report any and all graffiti you see to the Washoe
County Sheriffs Office.
Vandalism by property destruction is also a ugly crime. It
is the least understood crime. Why, why, why would anyone want to
smash someone's mailbox, shoot a street sign with a gun, or engage
in other mindless, stupid acts of vandalism? There are
people who live out here who would gladly shoot a vandal on
sight if they were legally able to.
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