Controversy between NY State and the Feds over highway signs

[Clipper]

wibx950.com/griffo-quick-resolution-needed-regarding-i-love-ny-signage/

Am I wrong in my impression that the signs in question are not much different than the signs advertising food, lodging, and fuel services, along with campgrounds or tourist attractions that are found as you approach almost any exit from the interstates? I can see objecting to large and gaudy billboards, but these simple informational signs touting the history of the area? I find it hard to believe that a person would be dangerously distracted by the small signs.

I do find it alarming if in fact Cuomo and company were denied permission to erect them prior to doing so, and told of the possibility of it resulting in a loss of federal highway funds.

[clarencebunsen]

I think there are a couple problems. The signs don't direct you to anything except a website and they don't comply with some very specific regulations.

If I am driving on the interstate at lunch time, I find it useful to have a sign telling me which eating places are available at the next exit followed by another sign when I exit telling me which direction to turn and how far to drive to get to the place of my choice. A sign telling me to get out my cell phone, go on-line and search for "Wendy's near me" is annoying. The fact that I had to pay for the sign, we may lose some federal funding because of it and that the Gov knew about this and did it anyway is really annoying.

[Clipper]

I had not looked at from the angle that it serves no purpose other than to advertise a website, encouraging drivers to go to a cell phone or other device to go on line and do a search.

I too would be annoyed to find that my money had been spent on the signs with a blatant disregard for the warning of the possible loss of federal funds if the signs were erected. It isn't surprising though coming from Cuomo. It is just further evidence that government officials at several levels are determined to push forward with their own personal agendas with little or no regard for the opinions or wishes of those who elected them. They have their way, but it is you the taxpayer that pays for the consequences.

The scary thing is that he might quite possibly run for President of the United States in the next election.

[clarencebunsen]

I have been under-whelmed with his performance. The crazy thing is that he has had such a lock on the elections that no one qualified has run against him. His opponents have been jokes. Perhaps if he were to run for President and lose we could start over with a clean slate.

[Deleted]

Gee I wonder if they were put up when I was working and paying taxes? Most cars today are hand free and or GPS capable. So all one has to say is directions to Wendy's please and the GPS would take over. Or one can ask the wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, significant other.

[Clipper]

Sadly not all vehicles are equipped with voice activated hands free capability, not everyone uses them when they ARE available, and people actually do travel alone in many cases. I see people in late model vehicles that most likely are equipped for hands free communication that still insist on driving with their elbows while they text, or with their head cocked to the side and their shoulder wedging the cell phone to their ear.

Unfortunately technology and common sense don't always rule the day.

[Deleted]

Well it is a mute point now. New slogan for New York State. No more I ( heart) NY. I think it is NYS Visit or something like that. Was on WKTV tonight but can't find story on webpage. Anywho new sighs will be going up in summer along with new website etc. Like Sen. Griffo said we can't lose 15 million. And it's a Federal Law.

[Clipper]

www.wktv.com/content/news/DOT-plans-to-replace-I-Love-NY-signs-472444243.html

Well, now the taxpayers will be on the hook for the cost of removing the signs in question and erecting the new signs. Hang onto your wallets. Cuomo has his state checkbook open again. Paying for his arrogant disregard for the federal government's denial of his request to erect the signs in question shouldn't cost you more than another 15 million or so. I will have to pay special attention to the THIRTY MILLION DOLLAR SIGNS when I next visit the area.

It is a problem that is not unique to NY State. Many states find themselves with government officials that think they rule rather than serve.

[clarencebunsen]

Barb's car has a feature that it automatically links to her phone when she gets in the car. She can answer her phone or make a call by pushing a button her steering wheel. My kids bought me a hands free device for my car. I tried it but still found it a distraction. Most people accept the fact that I don't answer my phone while in the car.

I do however use Google to alert me to traffic situations ahead so I tend to use Navigator while driving even if I know where I'm going.

[Clipper]

My truck has a hands free capability similar to Barb's. I have button on the back side of the wheel that can control the radio tuning or volume control and on the front of the wheel are the buttons for the phone and cruise control. I simply push the button on the wheel with the little phone receiver printed on it, and I can voice dial, or answer the phone hands free. The "U-connect" system in my truck also has the feature that allows you to select "driving mode" which automatically sends the caller to voice mail with a message that I am driving and will call back. The number does appear on the screen and I am able to answer it if I choose to over ride the voice message.

The technology built into vehicles in recent years is nothing short of amazing. With buttons on the wheel I can scroll through a menu that allows me to see my tire pressures, oil temperature, transmission temperature, fuel economy, how many miles before I need fuel, and other data. I am simply not on board yet with the idea of driverless cars. Heck, I don't feel comfortable riding with another human behind the wheel, much less riding with NOBODY behind the wheel. I guess I am a control freak. I feel most comfortable when it is ME that is driving.

[Deleted]

I wish I had a headset I could wear that was connected by Wifi to Google that was GPS capable and could alert me to dangerous conditions ahead of me as I carry groceries home form store.

[Clipper]

I can hear it now. "in 200 feet turn left." If you program your destination and vary from the route, you get an annoying voice saying "recalculating, in 500 feet make a U-turn." My Garmin unit also tracks your speed, and arrival time at your destination. It would be interesting to see how fast you walk and how long it takes you to walk home from the store. Heck if you're going to go high tech, you might also consider getting a back--up camera to clip on the back of your belt. It would not only prevent you from backing into anything, it would alert you to anyone approaching from the rear with any nefarious intent in mind.

[clarencebunsen]

I haven't used it recently but I think the Google Navigation ap on my phone has a walking setting. As I recall, it has a "Where's my car?" feature. It helped when I was walking around Grand Rapids MI. Got me back to the parking garage but couldn't tell me what floor. My general practice for the last few years if I park in a garage is to take a picture that identifies the floor, row and slot of my parking space. My memory is swiss cheese but some of my brain cells still function.

[Deleted]

Last summer I was waiting outside Walmart for my Bus. It was rather noisey because of some hammering going on in part of the parking lot. And old man and his wife walk up to me and say: Hey there can you help us. I looked and said maybe what happened. He told me he parked his car somewhere over there and can't find it. Also that he pushed the button to sound an alarm of some sort so he could find his car but can't hear anything. Well I said to him where abouts in over there that your car may have been parked. He pointed to an area so I said hold on let me walk closer then push that button and I'll listen for this alarm. Well the noise from the hammering got louder and I couldn't hear it either. He then told me he was a little deaf and so was his wife. Now I'm starting to think is this guy pulling my leg so the kid that collects the cart walks over and I asked if he could help. Well we went through that whole thing about the alarm on his car and he lost the car and couldn't find it. So the kid walks fast down one end of the parking lot and I said to the guy keep hitting that button so he can find the car. All of a sudden the kid yells out IT'S DOWN HERE!

This guy sure did lose his car it was nowhere near where he told me but way down at the other end. My Bus was pulling up so I had to leave. I thought hope the poor guy doesn't lose his keys next.

[Clipper]

I lost my truck in the garage at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital once while Kathy was there for one of her back surgeries. It took me several minutes to track down the truck by hitting the button on the remote and following the sound of the horn. They have colored cards about the size of a post-it note near all the elevator doors in the parking garage. The buttons in the elevator are also color coordinated so you can find your way back to the proper level. Then all you have to do is toot the horn and locate the vehicle. Before I got the red truck and then later the blue one that I presently drive, our old vehicles didn't stick up above the other cars in the parking lot. Now the brightly colored 4x4 trucks are tall enough to stand above the cars so you can see them from afar. Kathy had a silver Dodge Caravan. It was not unusual to see 4 or 5 of them in any given parking lot.