Things I Didn't Know
There actually was a US Route 666, in the four corners area. It was renumbered under pressure from Christian groups, and for the pragmatic reason that people kept stealing the signs (I would love to have one). Apparently there was a horror film by that name, but it couldn't be as good as the classic Interstate-60, an exploration of freedom and slavery that is one of my favorites and should be on the must-see list of every libertarian.
Update: From my son, Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia
John:
Now Hwy 191 from essentially Douglas AZ to Cortez, NM. And I believe the Christian groups were predominantly Native American groups from north of Gallup.
June 26, 2009, 3:16 pmrox_publius:
drove it back in the day to mesa verde
had no idea it was renumbered
June 26, 2009, 4:03 pmJames H:
I traveled on that road a couple of times on the way to Wolf Creek Ski Area, I thought it was kind of funny.
June 26, 2009, 4:33 pmMonsyne Dragon:
I recall driving along this road with my dad some years ago. It was aptly named. Miles and miles of switchbacks, shear cliffs on both sides, curves with 15mph-and-we-mean-it speed limits. The topper was when the road dissapeared entirely, dug away for mining, and had to be detoured *through* an enormous phelps-dodge open-pit copper mine. We had to drive right under the conveyors carrying ore from the rock crushers.
June 27, 2009, 2:09 amTim Worstall:
When I was there (more decades ago than I like to remember) it was said that it had the highest death rate of any road in the US.
Wouldn't be all that much of a surprise, going from alcohol free reservations to hte nearest liquor stores.
Or, at least, that's the story they were telling young Englishmen at the time.
June 27, 2009, 4:44 amBob Sykes:
It was a particularly bad horror film.
June 27, 2009, 5:42 amMichael:
Smart kid. Unfortunately this is going to end up in the DSM and a new drug will be created to treat it.
June 27, 2009, 2:37 pmDavid:
In Herndon, Monroe Ave is VA route 666. I am always amused by this when I pass it on the Dulles toll road...
June 27, 2009, 7:20 pmMichael:
Aren't all roads in VA paved to hell?
June 27, 2009, 7:37 pmMichael:
I'm sorry Dave. I didn't realize you paid to avoid Rt. 666.
June 27, 2009, 9:31 pmwolfwalker:
"for the pragmatic reason that people kept stealing the signs"
Some people will steal anything, no matter how useless. I remember a couple of years ago, I saw a news story from Washington state discussing the chances of a big volcano eruption from Mt Rainier. The story contained a comment that local officials had endless problems planning any evacuation because people kept stealing the signs that said "VOLCANO EVACUATION ROUTE".
June 30, 2009, 4:33 amMJ:
Apart from the religious/superstitious objection to the numbering, it does make sense to renumber the route. As I remember it, it was essentially a north-south route, meaning that it should have an odd number. Thus, the 191/491 numbering makes sense.
July 5, 2009, 12:34 am