6/14/2004

Gettysburg rally racing

I've been remiss in failing to keep an accurate count of the Gettysburg monuments damaged or destroyed at by out-of-control drivers: my total was four since October, but this story says six edifices have been hit. You lose track after awhile. There was the bus flattening a granite marker in May, and the very next day someone in a little Mazda hit the 58th New York Infantry Monument so hard the stone base rotated.

That one accident alone will cost $20,000 to repair. "The Park Service hopes to recoup the cost of monument repairs from drivers' insurance companies." Hope, now there's a plan for you.

And here's a friendly reminder: "the Park Service is urging motorists who drive by the monuments to slow down."

Consider me urged. Now let's get these rangers in a strong traffic enforcement role; don't ask people to slow down, get on the roads and slow them down. Preserve the battlefield from its number one enemy: drivers. Rangers can make difference! Yes, and can be a lot more useful in this than in guiding tours.

p.s. Just wondering - a philosophical question. How many monuments need to be damaged per year before a park executive's career also suffers damage?