Get your kicks on Route . . . 491?
The giggles of preteens across America were stifled on May 31 when Rte. 666 was officially re-christened Rte. 491.
For 77 years, the highway has woven its way north from Gallup, N.M., into Colorado and then west to Monticello, Utah, often to the amusement of tourists. But those who live or work on the "Devil's Highway" don't find the Biblical associations with "666" quite so funny.
So this past spring, politicians from Rte. 666's three home states petitioned the federal government for a name change, arguing that the connection with Satan was hindering the economy of the towns along the highway.
Officials said it will take up to a year to change all the road signs and maps, though they expect far fewer Rte. 491 signs will be stolen than the old Rte. 666 ones.
So just how did the devil get a highway named after him in the first place? An innocent naming system from the 1940s labeled it as the sixth major tributary off Rte. 66.
Harass for cash
When the economy was down in the 1930s, businessmen jumped out of windows. Nowadays, they run teenage girls off the road with their BMWs and rob them.
Such was the case last month when a 30-year-old New York City mortgage broker decided to lash out at a 17-year-old driver and her two friends. After cutting the girls off repeatedly, the man chased their car into a parking lot and cornered them. Once he had the teens trapped, he threatened violence, called them names and even spat at their car until they agreed to give him some money.
Between the three girls, they only came up with $100, but that was enough for the broker who accepted the money and drove off.
He didn't get far, though. The girls were able to jot down the broker's license plate number and he was arrested just a few hours later.
Come on, get happy
You'd think a little friendliness on the road would keep drivers from feeling the need to lash out. But no, it looks like being friendly will just get you sent to the slammer, too.
Kevin Briggs, the manager of a pizza parlor in Richmond, Mich., was arrested last month for waving at passing vehicles.
It was all part of Briggs' new advertising campaign. He stood outside of his store carrying a sign and waving at cars. But the police said that kind of advertising violates city ordinances.
Briggs continued, though, arguing that he has a constitutional right to wave as much as he wants. So he was arrested.
While Briggs plans to fight for his right to be friendly, he said his lawyer has advised him not to act too friendly if he ends up behind bars.
mess in Mesa
When you think of Mesa, Ariz., you might think of Mormons or baseball spring training. But if you're one of the locals waiting for a bus at two of the city's newest bus stops, you might add "walking" to the list.
City officials accidentally spent $32,000 installing two bus stops where no buses run. This comes at a time when Mesa is trying to cut its public transit budget to save money.
Mesa's deputy engineer for design said that the shelter locations weren't reviewed in advance by the transportation department because they were only a small part of a complex road project.
The city has posted signs at the shelters warning that no buses pass by, but a few commuters still wait at the stops anyway (no doubt on their way to the nearest gold mine to strike it rich).
Mad cow in Germany
A recent disturbance on a German highway led to an unusual arrest.
Police were called to a highway near Neumuenster when motorists spotted a cow on the road. With the help of a local farmer, they were able to capture the cow along the side of the highway. But it quickly became obvious that there was no way to transport the cow to safety.
What the police needed was a prisoner transport van, but they couldn't request one if they didn't have a prisoner. So they decided to arrest the cow.
Once the van arrived, the cops were able to coax the cow inside and take her to a nearby farm for the night. The next day the cow released a statement that attributed the arrest to her skin color, asking, "When's the last time you saw a white angus arrested?"
