ryl@ihlts.UUCP (06/11/83)
On a recent cross-country road trip, I saw the following sign on the turnpike in Oklahoma (red letters on a white background from Joplin to Tulsa, white on red from Tulsa to OKC): DO NOT DRIVE INTO SMOKE This has puzzled me with a great puzzlement. Besides being a statement of common sense, what could this possibly mean? Is it significant that Oklahoma is the only place where I've ever seen such a sign? Anyone care to try to explain? Bob "Route 66" Lied ...ihnp4!ihlts!ryl
lsk@otuxa.UUCP (06/13/83)
I have a friend from Oklahoma who described this. 'DO NOT DRIVE INTO SMOKE' means just that. It seems that in the dry season very bad brush fires break out. So much so, that if you drive into one you can literally die before you drive through it, assuming you don't get lost. Hence, don't drive into the stuff! -larry
rew@nscs.UUCP (06/13/83)
The "DO NOT DRIVE INTO SMOKE" signs occur in states other than OK. I've seen them in the central valley in CA and in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. In those locations they are placed in areas where smoke often obscures the road. In Oregon this happens when the farmers are burning off the grass seed fields. Cars that DO drive into the smoke often slow down suddenly when it becomes apparent that they can't see. Then cars behind them ram them and a chain reaction accident happens. Bob Warren cbosgd!nscs!rew