1. The prolific number of bugs, especially stink bugs...
A warm, humid climate + lots of foliage = ideal habitat for insects. I'm sure that's a scientific law- and if not, it should be. There are bugs of every size, color and description here, especially in the summer time. Being somewhat "bugaphobic" I try to avoid them and tell myself that they are food for the beautiful birds I enjoy watching. However, stink bugs are another story- since they were accidentally transported to this continent from China and there are no predators here, they multiply like crazy and stink like crazy if you smash them. BLECH!!!!
2. Traffic, extremely short merge lanes onto highways and narrow streets in downtown areas...
While our neighborhood traffic isn't bad, especially during the day when I'm usually out and about, traffic on and around the Washington Beltway (495) is usually bad and often horrendous regardless of the time of day. This photo was taken at about 1:30 in the afternoon... imagine "rush" hour!! Most of the freeways, expressways and parkways use cloverleaf interchanges with very short merge lanes rather than diamond ones with typically longer merge lanes like the ones I'm accustomed to in Arizona. One interchange actually has a yield sign as you come around the curve just before the merge lane. YIKES! Many cities have narrow streets in their downtown areas. Lanes were marked out decades ago when vehicles were typically smaller but now many people have SUV's and trucks making the skinny lanes seem even narrower. In addition, Baltimore has few parking garages/lots so more people park on the streets. The larger vehicles and increased street parking have made me wonder on more than one occasion if our car could even fit through the space in the lane. Sometimes mere inches separate vehicles. AAAAAACCKKKK!!!!
3. The extreme liberalism, naturalism and relativism, especially in the media...
I realized we were leaving a red state and entering blue territory. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I welcome thoughtful, civil debate. What saddens me is how willing people are to let others think for them rather than take the time to educate themselves on a particular issue and think through all the consequences. I have seen variations of "The government knows best..." quoted in the Washington Post several times. There are many examples- but that would be a blog post for another time. SHEESH!
4. Roads with HUGE pot holes...
A two-diminsional photo doesn't show the depth of the potholes, but trust me, they are DEEP! I will not miss the very rough, uneven roads full of cracks and fissures from the dampness and freezing cold contracting and then expanding the asphalt. While MDOT tries to make repairs when the weather cooperates, there are just too many to fix in a short time. ARRGGHHHH!!!
5. Very dark roads without streetlights...
Have you ever seen a movie where someone dumps a dead body in a dark, wooded area and then kids walking home from school find the body? I always thought that was kind of far-fetched... until coming here where street lights are seldom used. With the densely wooded areas butting up next to roadways, it gets very dark (the reason there is no photo!) and very scary-looking. We have often had to use high-beams in some areas just to see well enough to negotiate the turn and ensure there isn't a deer in our path. And yes, it's within three or four miles of our apartment and within the city limits! EEEKKKKK!!
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