Friday, February 7, 2014

Celtic traffic planning

The Celts, though long gone as a discernible community around here, have left us a few things.

For one, there is an incredible number of Celtic burial mounds in the woods around here.

And there are roads.

As much as it saddens us, we have come to the conclusion that their traffic planning sucked. Especially compared to the Romans. Our Roman roads went straight wherever the terrain allowed, you can see it to these days on the high plains in our hills and in the fatlands along the river.

Very different, Celtic roads meandered through the landscape. There is one stretch in particular on a nice, flat high plain - it winds through the fields as if done by the early 21st century "slow down the traffic flow" guys. But it has been like this for eons.

The stretch in question has enough curves to make a great test road for drunk drivers. I'd love to know how many Germans have driven their vehicles into the shallow drainage ditches on either side after a Saturday night of booze and women.

We have tried to imagine how the road came to have its shape and came up with something like this.

Two Celts are walking through the fields.

Says one: Why is this road so winding, would be better if it were straight!

Says the other: Last time someone tried a shortcut, the chief messed with his goat.

Hm?

I tell you, messed with the guy's goat!

As in....?

Yes, man, as in...!

Having some sort of explanation makes driving this road more enjoyable.


No comments:

Post a Comment