| Date & Weather | 6/19/02 (Wed), Partly Cloudy | Check Out | 7:00 AM (EST) |
| Milage & Route | 339Miles (Cleveland, OH - Chicago, IL) | Check In | 3:30 PM (CST) |
| Motel | Motel 6 | ||
| Awful Traffic I'd like to write about traffic situation in from D.C. to Chicago. There were some differences compared with almost all western area. Above all, the following four differences have sometimes annoyed me. The first one is toll highways. I am not sure what name is a correct for them  because various states have different names. For example, "Turnpike"
in New Jersey, "Throughway" in New York, "Tollroad"
in Indiana, and "Skyway" in Chicago, Illinois. In these highways,
of course, we cannot enter and leave them without fees. However, although
it cost us, it is much cheaper than in Japan. If I drive from Tokyo to
Osaka (about 350 miles) on highway total toll will be over $100. But if
I had driven all toll highways today (about 350 miles), total toll would
have been at most $10. Second, it was the first time for me to experience "Full Service"
in Gas Station in U.S. In New Jersey, I was surprised to say, "I'll
do it by myself," when staff was filling it up with gas without any
consent because I was sure self service was much cheaper. However, I had
to pay for it since there was no other choice. But it was not only waste
of money but also waste of time because the staff's job was too slow. Moreover,
I am still wondering why that service was "full." He just put
a gas nozzle in the car!!Third, speed limit of almost all states was 65 mph. It sometimes took me more time than I had expected. Of all 15 states in Chapter 2 including Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois, there was only one state which has 70 mph speed limit. Could you get the answer? The final one was awful traffic jam. Above all, D.C., New York City, and Chicago were  too bad. It was much worse than I had expected. Since I used to drive
in such heavy traffic situation in Japan, my road trip in the U.S. (western
& southern regions) has been usually comfortable so far. However, in
this trip that awful traffic sometimes exhausted me. If I choose the worst
among these awful traffic places, the entrance of Lincoln Tunnel to Manhattan
was the worst one. There was really no rule. However, I have no picture
of it because I could not afford to do it. Anyway, I need a rest tomorrow. |
|||