For those of you only vaguely familiar with DC traffic, I-495's reputation is well earned. The region routinely has among the 3 worst commutes in the nation, according to smart people responsible for gauging this sorta stuff. After "the sports teams suck" and "the houses are too damn expensive", it's my biggest qualm about the DC Urreah, an otherwise splendid place to call home.
I say all of that to say I'm happy I'm not on the Beltway today, because a very, very, very stupid Anti-Obama Tea Party protest is taking place, and a lot of locals are not happy.
No major traffic delays were reported on the Beltway during Friday’s morning commute, police authorities said, despite a protest by about 30 tractor-trailers and pickup trucks against what organize describe as excessive government intrusion.If you Teabaggers understood "irony", you'd grasp a few cold, hard facts:
Around 8:30 a.m., police said, the trucks crossed into Maryland from Virginia on the Beltway. They were were traveling in the right lane of the Beltway at the rate of the rest of the traffic — around 40 to 45 miles per hour, due to the wet road conditions, according to Virginia State Police spokesman Corinne N. Geller.
At one point, four tractor-trailers started driving side-by-side, across all four northbound lanes of the inner loop. That caused traffic to slow to 15 miles per hour. State police troopers stopped the vehicles and “warned them not to impede traffic,” Geller said. The drivers were not issued tickets and allowed to “proceed on their way.”
There were no other major incidents reported as a result of the truck protests, she said. Minor delays were reported near the truckers at Route 236 in Annandale at the Braddock Road exit on the inner loop, but it was unclear from traffic cameras if the slowdown was due to the truckers.
On parts of the Beltway, police said the group stood out because they had American flags draped on their vehicles, along with signs that said “#T2SDA” (Truckers to Shut Down America).
Geller said the organizers of the protest, dubbed “Truckers Ride for the Constitution,” plan to take shifts and drive around the Beltway throughout Columbus Day holiday weekend. Extra troopers are on the road because of the expected uptick in holiday drivers, and because of the protest, she said.
The protest group’s agenda has evolved since the story began making the rounds of news outlets early this week, with a story in U.S. News & World Report that said some truckers wanted members of Congress arrested, while others called for the ouster of President Obama.
Andrews said the group still wants to get rid of Obama, but will do so by legal means. She said independent truckers also are upset about new regulations, including on idling and hours of service, that, she said, threaten to put them out of business.
1) You're protesting Obama (and Congress... sure, okay) but he lives nowhere near the Beltway, and he doesn't drive either. So not only isn't he being inconvenienced by your "protest", but it's also possible he doesn't even know you nimrods exist.
2) I doubt any Congressman is actually hurt by your traffic jam, since many of them live inside the Beltway, or have drivers. BTW, most of them were prolly already at work well before your little stunt began.
3) You're not hurting the people who (allegedly) are tyrannically oppressing you. You're hurting taxpaying, hardworking "Real Americans" who just want to get to the jobs they're still lucky to have, to pay for houses they're still lucky to afford.
4) You're protesting government tyranny, but make your living on roads maintained by the government.
Get your dumb asses off the Beltway, and go deliver some freight. Assholes.
This is literally and figuratively DriveBy Activism.
Question: Am I being too hard on these fine "Real Americans" who just want to exercise their right to free speech? Will this protest have any lasting effects?
