What Would My Mamie Say?

  We hear all kinds of complaints about driver distraction
these days!
  Cell phone use and texting seem to be the biggest
concerns.
  But try to keep your eye on the road in Florida and
Georgia when there's an endless line of billboards
trying to attract your attention!
   50 years ago First Ladies Mamie Eisenhower and Lady
Bird Johnson lead a national movement known as the
Highway Beautification Crusade. The idea was to
encourage the development of "scenic highways" by
discouraging "distractions" such as billboards along
those roads.
    I guess it's worked in some areas.
    But not along the southern interstates we were
traveling yesterday!
    There were billboards everywhere.
    And what a selection of messages!
    Some were for tourist attractions. Many were for
motels. We saw a lot for gas stations, often with the
price included! And that price varied a lot from
county to county and state to state!
    There were a few I've chosen not to mention
here because of their "delicate" subject matter. But
there they were...in super large and bright letters
for all to see along the Interstate.
    There were some other interesting signs too.
    Like the ones CUTTING the speed limit down
to 60 miles an hour IN A WORK ZONE!
    I'm not so sure Mamie or Lady Bird would be
happy with all that advertising. But at least they'd
be able to pick a place to sleep or eat or know where
to buy tires and such!
    And they wouldn't have to text through a work
zone to get their information.
    Hope you're enjoying the scenery and that all
your NEWS is good!