Thanks for another great response and it doesn’t surprise me at ALL to learn that you are an engineer and project manager! It isn’t necessary, exactly, to be an engineer to become one of my few close male friends but with only one exception they all are. Such INTERESTING minds. Being a PM is icing on the rutabagas.

I have trouble getting more than one reply to post so I’m going to answer you separately and write a multiple wow cum thank you. Tex Norton, of course, already write for W&G, and I think that several of you not only have plenty to say but say it very well. You could write articles of your own. Your writings are logical, cohesive, and on point. Anybody who wants to try send me an editorial over to the Texas Ring. In the meantime, thank all of you very much for your interesting comments and keeping me on my toes.

For a quick response, what if we started by encouraging privatization of major new construction, then phased to putting current inadequate stretches–such as Tacoma to Seattle–up for sale? That would go far towards handling the right of way problem. When the price asked for a service is too high people find an alternative; it would be difficult for someone to corner the market in street corners! I’m trying to come up with a way to cut out waste while producing faster, smoother-flowing traffic. Those on Tollway 8 are willing to trade money for speed; those who aren’t have ample alternatives. For fun count the number of ways you could get to work if a road were blocked. I can get to the nearest highway four different ways without costing myself more than a couple of miles. My “mile-door” neighbor where the county road in front of the ranch intersects the farm to market road COULD, in theory set up a toll both, but in addition to the disapprobation of the few of us who use Wilcox Lane he would have to buy property (not for sale) to block the other end AND a way to keep us from going through the subdivision behind the ranch. IF that could be done, I’m pretty sure The owner of the 1500 acre dairy across the street would either provide access out of civic outrage or set up his own, far less expensive alternative. It simply wouldn’t be worth it to try to block access to six people, two of them close relatives. We aren’t talking about controlling traffic on the Rhein! Hugs, Linda

No, we had to take a truck because we were picking up an old-fashioned slosh you water bed.

I’m still managing not to be dragged away from the rancho more than three times a month, averaging slightly under a hundred miles total, although I’m not doing as well persuading others that errands should be stacked up until one of them is urgent. Hugs, Linda