Interesting show of what events do to traffic in areas with few options

[Marthony]

It was an interesting weekend for driving, or rather, parking on either side of a mudslide in the rockies:

http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/mud-slide-...anada-1.887292

On the West side of the mudslide the build-up of vehicles seeking to head East on highway 1 was 20km long at one point. Delays were as long as 7 hours. On the East side of the mudslide the authorities set up a single-file 'checkpoint' 20km East at the national park gate (<5km of the nearest town of Canmore), letting people continue to Banff or turning drivers away that sought to drive further West than that. Delays around 2.5 hours. Canmore hotels were filled.

Information was available via listening to the radio, but otherwise drivers had no idea at all why they were stopped. You know how many stories I heard about people getting their info from the radio..? None. I encountered many well-to-do and annoyed drivers who had no idea why it took so long to get through the gate until they finally talked to the RCMP.

A 20km build-up of vehicles from a mudslide. I couldn't help but think, what if this had been a sustained blockage of the highway? In the mountains in that section, there simply isn't another route by car; the detour is around 8 hours! Some may eventually think & manage to cross the median & go back the way they came, if in summer, but I have to wonder what that would look like. The weather was fair so no danger to the stranded drivers there, but at +/-30C vehicles could have run out of gas. If sustained over a day, the Banff & Canmore towns could receive thousands of tourists, truckers & locals on foot. In peak tourist season the hotels would fill up fast..!

Some locals are avid outdoorsmen/mountaineers and would have prepared vehicle kits, and I'd hope the truckers would as well, but tourists are often in rental vehicles and have next to nothing with them much less the preparedness mentality while vacationing.

What do you folks think that would look like?

[rentprop1]

I remember not long ago traffic stopped on I4 in central Florida , temps were in the high 80's , and the time frame was about 4 hours, so just a few folks peed themselves, could imagine how bad if the weather was warmer or colder, I guess the worst thing to some was cell reception was spotty, a friend said he just sat in the car and watched a movie ??? Does make you think, I could just take a nap, but I have to have the guy next to me come wake me up should it start to roll

[IDTANDY]

Sat in total gridlock of St.Louis,270/255 was shut down and all cross interstates there'sI 70,164,I55 and I44 that intersect in St.Louis

[Katrina]

Gridlocked at the Ohio River bridge, 3 hours, no way to pull off the road,with a 5 year old grandson who hadda go NOW. Made him go in a mickie d's cup, with him and Sissie laughing so hard about it he missed the cup a couple of times. Needless to say when we got to Atlanta we had to take car to wash it out.

[izzyscout21]

^^I keep empty gatorade bottles in the car. I've had to do the same thing. The wide mouth helps in target aquisition for than a water bottle mouth, and having a lid is nice. Torque it down and throw it in the back so you dont have to look at it.

It's an art trying to do while driving down the interstate.............especially when traffic flow is at a stand still, or at high speed driving with your knee........... I've gotten some funny looks.................


And...............if you do that............be sure to not buy yellow gatorade to drink. Stick to red, blue , grape...........anything but yellow.

[Marthony]

Izzyscout, that's too funny! I hope that learning experience was a close call and, um, not what I almost pictured. I also keep a vessel in my kit for those times; even if you can get to a private spot away from the road to do your business there's that nagging feeling the traffic will start moving when you're out of your vehicle!

[izzyscout21]

You should try it driving a Stryker down MSR1.............guys in the back were scared s***less!

[Sniper-T]

#1, I don't see what the big deal is, you need to go, go. step off to the ditch, turn and let it rip

#2, little more involved, but I don't think I know many people who haven't gone to the bathroom on the side of the road.

downtown in a city, maybe not so much

[Marthony]

I guess I fit into the nervous pisser category when I know dozens of people may be watching.

[msomnipotent]

My subdivision exits to the busiest street in the county, and the only other exit is another busy street that leads right back to the major street. I have to assume that if something happens, we will have no choice but to walk. I might try driving through the field and stables, but I wouldn't risk it unless I really needed to. I totally foresee people walking through our neighborhood, perhaps ringing doorbells for assistance. Our community pool is right next to the major street and it isn't a stretch of the imagination to see someone with a car full of kids stranded on a hot day trying to get into the pool and maybe see what else is in the neighborhood. The majority of people living in my town are considered well to do and expect service, so I would expect to hear, "I demand to know what is going on!!!" and then fists start to fly. Gee, I can't wait to move!

The few traffic jams I have been in have only been 2 hours give or take, so it wasn't that hard to just sit there and shut up.