One of the things I found most confusing when I moved here from Flroida back in February 2007, was the "inner" and "outer" signs in relation to I -440, or what I soon learned should be referred to as "the beltline."
I wrote a blog about it back then, and my friend Dave Sweeney explained the whole concept of "inner" meaning clockwise and outer meaning counter-clockwise. That is essentially how I've managed it to date. I found it quite bizarre and I've always wondered why it wasn't simply "east" and "west."
As a newcomer, that was quite frustrating but I did learn to manage.
Given that the beltline is actually a circle, there are ultimately instances when you are traveling "north" and "south," so maybe that's why the "inner" and "outer" came to be in the first place--the avoid all of that potential confusion.
So, with the new changes-I know there will be gripes and after living here for 18 months and talking to countless NATIVES who only understnad the inner and outer concept, I also know that confusion will soon return.
So, listen up DOT. You'd better save some of that $1 million contract you're getting to give beltline drivers a new sense of direction, for additional customer service representatives to man the phones.
I could be wrong, but I think you're in for it!






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August 25, 2008 7:59 p.m.
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