RX: "Huh. I'd never heard of such a thing."
Me: "Never heard of what such a thing?"
RX: "A zipper machine."
Me: "Oh, one of those things that moves Jersey barriers! Those are pretty cool. I wonder which would win in a battle between one of those and a Zamboni?"
RX: "Oh, the Zamboni would get its butt kicked. Definitely."
I saw one of those outside of DC on I66 years ago and had the same reaction. :)
ReplyDeleteChris
That's just cool.
ReplyDeleteWell, would they fight on ice or on the highway?
ReplyDeleteShootin' Buddy
The one in Washington DC on the Roosevelt Bridge is a permanent one. It moves the barricades twice each day to make extra lanes for inbound and outbound rush hour and it will do so forever because DC is mind-numblingly inefficient.
ReplyDeleteBut I'd still but money on the zamboni, because those little guys are nimble.
I was half-expecting a Cain reference.
ReplyDeletejf
There is always one on the Tappan Zee Bridge - closing the lane I want to be in.
ReplyDeleteI saw one on the H1 in Honolulu between downtown and Barber's Point (the signs say it's part of the interstate system, but I think that first ramp to Seattle would be a beyatch).
ReplyDeleteMatt
St Paul
Fun Fact: In Jersey, we call them "that concrete barrier down the middle of the highway".
ReplyDeleteI grew up here, and never heard the phrase "Jersey barrier" until an Internet friend from the south used it. I had to look it up.
What do they call Swiss cheese in Zurich?
ReplyDeleteI'll put $10 on the Zamboni if Kyle Busch drives it.
ReplyDeleteGerry
"What do they call Swiss cheese in Zurich?"
ReplyDelete"That crap we snd to those assholes in America"
The Swiss eat Emmemtaler. "Swiss cheese" is to Emmentaler what "Kraft singles" are to cheese.
WV: Missi. Eat your cheese, missi.
Og,
ReplyDelete"The Swiss eat Emmemtaler."
What a coincidence, so do I. :)
Just sliced some this morning and ate it with some fresh-sliced capicola on rosemary & olive oil flatbread. It was yummy.
Actually, scratch that. This morning was Jarlsberg. I killed the Emmentaler the other day.
ReplyDeleteAin't the internet wonderful? I read about something happening in my backyard. I read about it in a blog from Indiana something like 800 miles away. The funny thing? I would not have known about it otherwise! I drove past those barriers just a week or so ago.
ReplyDeleteWe also call stereotypical overtanned, big-haired Joisey Shore types "those assholes from Long Island".
ReplyDelete"Oh, the Zamboni would get its butt kicked. Definitely."
ReplyDeleteYeah, but the Zamboni would have better organ music.
elmo iscariot - The technical term is "Bennies".
ReplyDeleteBefore we got our zipper machine, lane assignment to account for tidal traffic was done by overhead traffic lights (no median barrier, on a freeway bridge, with a high arc). Not surprisingly, there were many fatalities.
ReplyDeleteYep, those things are all over the place, Hawaii, Coronada Bridge in San Diego, I-66... and they would get beat by a Zamboni, they are just WAY too slow... :-)
ReplyDeleteDown here in Houston, there is no flange at the top, and they are moved by honkin' big forklifts. Don't get moved very often.
ReplyDeletecap'n chumbucket
I still like this one by Krupp, but it would be hell getting it across the Gate Bridge...
ReplyDeleteThe one in Honolulu was the first I saw--thought it was a snow plow, which made the "interstate" highway in Hawaii doubly odd. I was already confused because there were no signs pointing to Ft. Shafter on the "interstate" from Schofield. (Eventually, I gave up and headed back. That way had signs...)
ReplyDeleteIf you want a real larf, the zipper machine on the Roosevelt Bridge into DC is made by Ferrari. Unless there's been a new since last i saw it.
ReplyDelete