Take the high road--or for that matter just take any road that's open

Oct. 5, 2023--You see these every day while in a vehicle—okay, maybe not every day since some areas do get tons of snow—but every day for most of the year.

• They stand out—mostly because of their color.

• Some people love what these do for them, and others gasp in shear frustration when they see them because they know what it means when these are around.

• The sheer volume—there’s an estimated 140 million around the world—is enough to make some people roll their eyes, waves their hands in the air and curse—some under their breath and some totally out loud. (I wholeheartedly believe there must be 60 million alone in my neck of the woods.)

• They’re around 18” and usually only weigh about seven pounds.

• They’re also somewhat of a protected species because many states make it illegal to mess with these in any way, shape or form.

I’m talking about traffic cones. (You probably figured that out because of the photo.)

And pretty much everyone knows there are two seasons: Winter and Construction.

Of course, the road workers are happy to be surrounded by them for protection—but as a driver who is attempting to make it on time for a doctor’s appointment or pick up an item before the place closes—I am not happy to see them. They mean trying to merge as the road goes down from three lanes to one, waiting for a truck to back up across our path or finding out at the last minute the ramp you need to take is now closed. (C’mon Waze, you couldn’t have warned me?) Bottom line is always a delay—sometimes a huge delay.

I know. I know. It's all done in the name of progress. And if I sit back and just chill for a minute I’ll realize it’s all going to be over soon (Soon? No such thing as construction being over soon.) and I’ll have a nice, new road to travel. Worth it, right? Maybe.

I’ve done more than my fair share of sitting in traffic this summer giving me ample time to just stare at the traffic cones along the side of my car. And with 140 million in use around the world, I’m a little bummed I didn’t invent that cone because I’m pretty sure the guy who did became a zillionaire ten times over. That got me to thinking—and that got me to researching.

The inventor is Charles D. Scanlon, who in 1940 was working as a street painter for the City of Los Angeles. He created a hollow conical marker in an attempt to keep cars from driving over the wet paint. It worked—most of the time--so he patented the rubber traffic cone in 1943. Happy 80th anniversary!

Shoutout to Cityworks News Solutions for teaching me something new in your “Fun Facts about Traffic Cones” article.

I also learned polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from bottles can be recycled to make the traffic cones. (Note to self: stop drinking water from plastic bottles—you’re only giving them more material to make more cones.)

I don’t have anything against the cones themselves—I do see them as a good thing for the road workers and to warn me of some indoor maintenance going on or a wet floor—but it’s really more about what they represent.

I wonder if I ran out in the middle night and confiscated all the cones I could find along the road—would that make the construction stop? Nah. If I did, I could get in some trouble over that. These cones are considered government property and as such you’ll risk a fine or even jail time, if you deface, break, or steal one. Not worth the risk over a big hunk of plastic.

So instead, I'll take the high road. I’ll just smile and think of each cone I pass as a good friend—and then smile again and think how awesome that I have 140 million good friends all around the world.

Take it one day at a time….

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