How does one drill a hole in a guardrail anyway?

[James Gagney]

Titanium was exactly what I was missing!

The bit is a bit scratched up, but other than that, it's no worse for the wear!

[James Gagney]

The gold colored bit drilled into the guardrail like it was soft steel.

Obviously my 'other' bits are junk!

[James Gagney]

I followed all your advice (even designing it so that it couldn't possibly harm a crashing vehicle or snag a passerby).

Here's a picture of the now-mounted garbage can:

Here's a closeup of the drill holes & mounting U bolt: And, here's a closeup of the attachment inside the garbage can: You guys are great!

[micky]

Right. In the median they are free to hit each other. That's pretty much what "median" means. Medium, neutral, like a free-fire zone.

Since the cars are on equal footing (another meaning of "median") in the median, hitting is okay, but it's not when one car is in its own lane and another car isnt.

Not surprised. I don't remember any high speed problems but iirc a guy behind me was swerving on a wide city street, and I pulled over so he'd go past, and at the next red light, he hit the stopped car in front of him. Not much damage and probably no injury. He was probably drunk.

[DerbyDad03]

Except for the rubbernecking delay that will be caused by the accident.

Granted, there might still be a slight rubbernecking delay if drivers saw 2 vehicles in the median, one up against one side of the guardrail and the other up against the other...

"Would you look at that, Martha! Now what in blazes are those 2 fools up to?"

...but there would be less rubbernecking than in the case of the carnage resulting from a head on collision in the median.

You know, there is a theoretical fix for a rubbernecking delay, but it takes the cooperation of multiple drivers - one in each lane of the road being travelled. It won't help the drivers that break up the jam, but it'll help out everyone behind them.

Here's the idea...

A lot of people think that a rubbernecking delay is caused by drivers who slow down to look at an incident that is not physically blocking any lane.

While that may be the initial cause, more specifically what happens in a rubbernecking delay is that just about every driver, even the ones who have been stuck in traffic for a long time, don't accelerate even when they reach the front of the jam. That's because they are now even with the incident and want to have a peek. It's only after they have had their look at 5 MPH that they hit the gas, leaving the jam behind them. Had they been travelling at highway speed and saw cars on the side of the road, they may have slowed down a little, but not nearly as slow as the speeds (and stops) encountered while in the jam. Since just about every driver takes their 5 MPH peek as they reach the front of the jam, the jam can last until the incident is cleared.

OK, so here's the theoretical fix:

A driver in each lane stops when they are, let's say 10-15 car lengths from the incident and lets all the cars in front of them have their peek and then leave. This basically moves the front of the jam back

10-15 car lengths from the incident.

Now, once the other cars are all past the incident, the stopped drivers accelerate as rapidly as possible and *do not* slow down when they reach the incident. No peeking, eyes straight ahead!

If all goes as planned, the drivers behind them will see them clear out and accelerate also, happy to have a clear road in front of them. Hopefully, this trend continues backwards through the jam so that all drivers are travelling at a decent rate of speed when they reach the incident instead of the 5 MPH that allows them to dawdle and take a peek.

So the next time you are stuck in a rubbernecking delay, think of all the poor souls behind you, and coordinate the fix described above with the drivers on either side of you. We'd all appreciate it. Thanks.

[James Gagney]

Interesting theory!

BTW, I drilled the holes. The trick was the titanium.

I didn't get a chance to try the pistols & shotguns suggested! :)

For the record, here's a shot of the now-attached garbage can.

Here's a closeup picture: And, here's the inside of the garbage can (without plastic bag):

[dennisgauge]

You think the GOVERNMENT puts those crosses there?

Government has nothing to do with it. Grieving families, friends, or private do-gooders erect those distracting memorials.

They're distracting. They litter the landscape. They should be outlawed, but then the politicians who made the laws would be presented as cruel and heartless by the opposition.

...and makes it even more dangerous, because I am looking at the cross, wondering who died, instead of paying attention to the road.

The red has no significance to differentiate between injury and death. They don't put up crosses where someone got hurt. Crosses are grave markers, not owwie markers.

Don't worry, nobody will put one up for you.

[DerbyDad03]

Just an FYI...

Most people following threads in usenet read all of the posts. You've posted basically the same response and links in at least a half dozen posts. Trust us, we got the message: Titanium rules.

Of course, twere it me, I'd have come up with a method that makes removing the can very simple.

The first time the bag rips and all of the used condoms, empty beer cans and DNA covered underwear ends up in the bottom of the can, you are going to wish that you could just dump it all out instead of having to climb inside and grab all that nasty stuff.

[Steve Barker]

cutting torch

[micky]

I think you're taking this too seriously. Clue: I don't really consider the median a free-fire zone.

I take my peek but then I accelerate a lot tand catch up with the guy in front of me, minuse the apprropriate non-tailgating amount.

It's a compromise. I've earned my peek, and I only take about 2 seconds. I'm always way ahead of the guy behind me.

[micky]

Thanks for getting back to us. I'm sending these pictures to the Weasel Cnty, Montana, prosecutors office. Don't say you weren't warned.

[notforme]

No, I don't.

do-gooders erect those distracting memorials.

Yes. But some times something indifviduals do, some county alderman or state rep will decide the governement should do.

then the politicians who made the laws would be presented as cruel and heartless by the opposition.

They're probably llegal now, in that people probably aren't allowed to put anything on the shoulder. But in some places the police won't take them down for months. I knew a road where they stayed for years.

wondering who died, instead of paying attention to the road.

don't put up crosses where someone got hurt. Crosses are grave markers, not owwie markers.

I'll accept that. The difference must be who is making them.

Okay.

[Harry K]

Couple of bungee cords solve tht problem. But litter bugs won't use it. I have picked up garbage right next to an empty can.

Harry K

[DerbyDad03]

Maybe the garbage was trying to escape.

[DerbyDad03]

Clue: I didn't think you did. I'm just chatting.

Minuse? Can't figure out what you meant there.

Besides, the fact that you peek before you accelerate simply means that you are part of the rubbernecking delay problem. You are holding back everyone behind you.

How can you be way ahead of the guy behind you in stop and go traffic?

[James Gagney]

That's amazing. How did you know the bag is filled with 'that stuff' (especially the used rubbers)?

It is, by the way. And it's disgusting! But I wonder how you knew that.

[James Gagney]

That would work - but with the 'vagrants' who stop at that corner, I wouldn't put it past them to steal the bungee cords.

Not that bungee cords are expensive ... but bolts are cheaper.

[James Gagney]

Well, I guess if it were a steel garbage can, I could have welded it to the guardrail. That would be interesting. Or I could have chained it.

If I want to put a top on it, I can chain the top handle to the U-bolt to keep it from being flung over the cliff by the bad-ass litterers.

[DerbyDad03]

I know that because, as I said when I menti "On the other side of the guard rail is a cliff ... hence the lovers lookout name of that part of the road. They leave trash (yes, even 'that' kind of trash) all the time."

Lovers and 'that' kind of trash usually means used rubbers, booze and DNA stained underwear.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Every town or region as a place that the teenagers park. They all contains that stuff for the past 50 or so years since I started to drive.