issue of national security

BACKGROUND: from approximately Asbury Park to the bridge that crosses over the Raritan River, the Garden State Parkway has EXPRESS LANES with only limited access to limited exits and LOCAL LANES with a lot of access to a lot of exits.

At least that’s the official story.

What they don’t tell ya’ is that there is yet another lane. When times get hard – and most often during traffic jams and the occasional sinkhole repair - I see the more adventurous travelers venture in this direction.

It’s the grass median between the express and local lanes, and here’s a news alert for Napolitano: folks are crossin’ over it faster and with more frequency than landscapers over the Rio Grande.

Now perhaps I just don’t understand - because I don’t have 4WD and therefore, this snap decision is not a wise option for me - but when I see grass I don’t automatically think of it as an exit strategy. I’m not risking my life, limb, and alignment for the chance of going 5 mph faster.

And here’s a little related insight from an experienced crabby commuter: most of the time that 5 mph is just an illusion – cuz the backup in the express lanes is 2 miles down the road and it’s going to hold you up 10 minutes longer than the one in the locals, and once you’ve cut me off to cross over…I’m not letting you or your grass stains back in my lane.