mysterious cars parked on shoulder of highway
November 7, 2010 3:44 PM Subscribe
Why were there so many cars parked on Hwy 222 South near the PA Turnpike (near Adamstown, PA).
Today while driving to Stoudt's brewery, BF and I passed a number of cars parked on the shoulder of Hwy 222, right before you get a ticket and get onto the PA Turnpike. BF and I hypothesized that they could be toll-booth workers' cars, but there were probably 20 cars parked and no where near that many booths. Any other ideas? There weren't any businesses nearby, its not a hunting area, and there didn't seem to be any people walking around or anything.
This may be a silly question, but its just driving us crazy not knowing.
Today while driving to Stoudt's brewery, BF and I passed a number of cars parked on the shoulder of Hwy 222, right before you get a ticket and get onto the PA Turnpike. BF and I hypothesized that they could be toll-booth workers' cars, but there were probably 20 cars parked and no where near that many booths. Any other ideas? There weren't any businesses nearby, its not a hunting area, and there didn't seem to be any people walking around or anything.
This may be a silly question, but its just driving us crazy not knowing.
Best answer: Car pooling, usually. Same thing happens up the road at Rt. 10 and 76/176.
posted by Loto at 4:54 PM on November 7, 2010
posted by Loto at 4:54 PM on November 7, 2010
Response by poster: No, there wasn't any construction nearby. We thought about carpooling, but seemed interesting for a Sunday afternoon. Thanks guys, keep the suggestions coming.
posted by moshimosh at 5:05 PM on November 7, 2010
posted by moshimosh at 5:05 PM on November 7, 2010
I used to see this on 95 near the airport, before the advent of "cell phone lots" . . .
posted by MeiraV at 5:07 PM on November 7, 2010
posted by MeiraV at 5:07 PM on November 7, 2010
Was there an estate auction or something similar nearby? I see these a lot driving through rural PA roads. They attract a lot of people to areas where there is usually limited parking.
posted by buttercup at 5:13 PM on November 7, 2010
posted by buttercup at 5:13 PM on November 7, 2010
I'm not super familiar with that area, but is it the turnpike exit where the PA Renaissance Faire is located?
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 5:36 PM on November 7, 2010
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 5:36 PM on November 7, 2010
The story you're about to read is a fib, but it's short. The names are made up, but the problems are real.
Could it be: calculus?
If your license plate is noted as you enter, and as you leave, it is possible to gauge how fast you must, at some point, have been going and administer a speeding ticket accordingly.
It's actually a classic high-school calculus question: physics requires that your speed be a continuous function, and given that and the fact that you crossed X distance in Y time, your minimum top speed can be calculated to be Z. Which might be expensive, if the tickets are awarded automatically, but might have a threshold within the system below which you won't get one. So your A move there is to work out how long that would be, have a smoke break until you're under that threshold, and then go on your way.
(To be honest, I doubt that's it - I suspect it's toll booth workers, who both work in shifts and do work you don't see behind the scenes - but that MathNet reflex is hard to fight when somebody gives you a good word problem. Freeze! Mathematicians!)
posted by mhoye at 5:52 PM on November 7, 2010 [3 favorites]
Could it be: calculus?
If your license plate is noted as you enter, and as you leave, it is possible to gauge how fast you must, at some point, have been going and administer a speeding ticket accordingly.
It's actually a classic high-school calculus question: physics requires that your speed be a continuous function, and given that and the fact that you crossed X distance in Y time, your minimum top speed can be calculated to be Z. Which might be expensive, if the tickets are awarded automatically, but might have a threshold within the system below which you won't get one. So your A move there is to work out how long that would be, have a smoke break until you're under that threshold, and then go on your way.
(To be honest, I doubt that's it - I suspect it's toll booth workers, who both work in shifts and do work you don't see behind the scenes - but that MathNet reflex is hard to fight when somebody gives you a good word problem. Freeze! Mathematicians!)
posted by mhoye at 5:52 PM on November 7, 2010 [3 favorites]
Maybe people going to the NY Marathon, either via carpool or bus?
posted by carmicha at 5:56 PM on November 7, 2010
posted by carmicha at 5:56 PM on November 7, 2010
Loto has it; it's car pooling.
There are a lot of flea markets and antique malls up on 272, but they are way too far to walk from where those cars are parked. Plus, it wouldn't make sense to park a mile from a flea market if you have any intention of buying anything.
posted by MegoSteve at 6:35 PM on November 7, 2010
There are a lot of flea markets and antique malls up on 272, but they are way too far to walk from where those cars are parked. Plus, it wouldn't make sense to park a mile from a flea market if you have any intention of buying anything.
posted by MegoSteve at 6:35 PM on November 7, 2010
There were a ton of bikers in Philadelphia (and surroundings) yesterday, I'm not sure what the exact event is called but I think there was some sort of meetup/shindig yesterday. It's possible people parked there and rode together on motorcycles?
posted by polexa at 7:57 AM on November 8, 2010
posted by polexa at 7:57 AM on November 8, 2010
Ah, a lingering question from my own childhood. Loto and MegoSteve are probably the most likely to be correct, in my opinion. I was dragged to Renninger's and the parking lot of the Black Angus, the two huge Sunday flea markets in Adamstown, many times as a kid. People were parking at that spot even then, and I remember asking my dad if they were going to the flea markets. He replied that they weren't, and that they were instead carpooling. I always figured it was a mix of carpoolers and toll booth workers, with more of the former than the latter.
moshimosh, I have been wondering about this for maybe 25 years, and I thank you for bringing back old memories!
posted by cheapskatebay at 8:21 AM on November 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
moshimosh, I have been wondering about this for maybe 25 years, and I thank you for bringing back old memories!
posted by cheapskatebay at 8:21 AM on November 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks everyone.
Cheepskatebay - glad I'm not the only one who wonders about things like this.
posted by moshimosh at 3:05 PM on November 8, 2010
Cheepskatebay - glad I'm not the only one who wonders about things like this.
posted by moshimosh at 3:05 PM on November 8, 2010
it's carpooling. tollbooth workers generally have parking right by the tollbooths.
posted by jrishel at 9:57 AM on November 9, 2010
posted by jrishel at 9:57 AM on November 9, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by sugarfish at 3:56 PM on November 7, 2010