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^^ We always have to keep in mind the climate in which roads are being built. Extreme cold absolutely destroys roads.
We also have to keep in mind the amount of traffic, and what kind of traffic goes pounding over said roads. One fully-loaded semi truck does more damage to a road than 100 cars.
So to take ararely traveled old road in the south, and claim superior construction because it's in so much better condition than (say) Interstate 90, is a moot point.
Regarding bridges... Yes, SOME of the old ones were constructed with such quality and integrity that they're still in incredible shape. The problem with that argument is that the ones that were NOT so well built have long-since collapsed, and we've forgotten about them. Let's keep in mind, for instance, the collapse of the 35W Bridge over the Mississippi in downtown Minneapolis a couple years ago. The new bridge is a hundred-fold better bridge.
Another thing we have to take into consideration, regarding road construction, is how they're built to handle the local weather. Roads in the North are now being built higher, with lower ditches, so that they don't get piled over with massive drifts every time we get 4" of snow.
It's things like that which lead me to the clear conclusion that roads are better constructed now than in the past.
Well, I wasn't referencing a rarely traveled old road in the south. LOL...but I am sure the weather takes a play into the life of a roadway for sure. That's why I mentioned the method used in NZ co-incidentally, because I was specifically seeing great roads in their alps region of the south island that are in awesome shape everywhere I went. I really was impressed. Maybe we could borrow some techniques from others that seem to be working well. Just an observation and thought.
You points are well taken about the changes they are making to raise the roadway now to handle the snow drifts however.
Well, I wasn't referencing a rarely traveled old road in the south. LOL...but I am sure the weather takes a play into the life of a roadway for sure. That's why I mentioned the method used in NZ co-incidentally, because I was specifically seeing great roads in their alps region of the south island that are in awesome shape everywhere I went. I really was impressed. Maybe we could borrow some techniques from others that seem to be working well. Just an observation and thought.
You points are well taken about the changes they are making to raise the roadway now to handle the snow drifts however.
I agree 100%. More information, more techniques and more possibilities are always a good thing.
Our problem with that is always going to involve money. Then you throw in the fact that some public municipalities are required, by law, to "take the low bid" on construction projects, and you have a recipe for disaster.
I've heard people griping about the American Interstate system is inferior to Germany's Autobahn. Unfortunately, they never seem to realize that there is multiplied times more money spent on the Autobahn - per mile - than on the American Interstates. There's no way that cannot bring about predictable consequences.
The infrastructure all across the USA needs to be upgraded, no doubt about that. One thing I wouldn't want here that they have on the autobahn are those speed traps with the cameras. Also you have to pay a special tax to use the autobahn that's separate from your auto registration fee. You have a sicker on your car and if you don't pay it, you can get a serious fine for using the freeway there. That money goes to the maintenance on the roads.
Also, I thought of something related to the OP's question - craft items like microbrewed beers, cigars, wines, and certain other foods have benefited from things like decades worth of trial and error (and data).
You can get an extremely good 12 ounces of beer for a few bucks. Adjusted for inflation, that's quite a deal compared to what people were paying for high-end beers in the 1950's.
Also, I thought of something related to the OP's question - craft items like microbrewed beers, cigars, wines, and certain other foods have benefited from things like decades worth of trial and error (and data).
You can get an extremely good 12 ounces of beer for a few bucks. Adjusted for inflation, that's quite a deal compared to what people were paying for high-end beers in the 1950's.
What was the high end beer market like in the 1950s? I really know practically nothing about that, other than there were very, very few US made craft beers in that era. I know little about imported beer in 1950s America. Guinness had been exporting around the world since Victorian times into every current and former British possession, but I don't know what other imported beers were available in 1950s America.
I know a little more about wine in America in that era: large scale domestic production in California (maybe Oregon also?), and imports from Western Europe. Of Western Euro countries, France and Italy ruled the imported wine market in the US. Obviously no imports from Hungary or Bulgaria into the US in that era as those countries were communist. Australia, South Africa, and Argentina weren't exporting much at the time. Don't know about Chile. I doubt any non-Jews were drinking Israeli wine in 1950s America, and for that matter there were probably very few Jews who drank it. One common imported wine in 1950s America that we no longer have in America today: "vin d'Alger", Algerian wine, which was at the time the cheapest imported wine and a favorite of the Beatniks. I presume that disappeared from American shelves when Algeria got its independence from France?
Anyone alive in that period: please correct me if I'm wrong.
If a car hit 100,000 miles, it was spent, done, no good. And uncomfortable to say the least. God help you if you want to drive over 100 miles a day.
As much as people see cars as being made of cheaper material, they are still far better made today.
TV's, come on, do you really want to go back to the old rabbit ear black and white screens that had to have tubes replaced twice a year?
Things are far and away made better, with less material, cheaper, and quicker than ever before.
We have this vague idea that everything used to be hunky dory, but honestly, we've got it much better today.
That might be true with cars, but for the most part the OP is right. I'm an audiophile. I'm into audio equipment the way that some guys are into hotrods. Most of my gear was made in the 70's and still going strong. When you open them up and take a look at the components inside, the newer stuff doesn't even compare. They put a lot of effort into making it look nice and flashy on the outside, but inside it's all junk. You're lucky if you get five years out of them.
I know 20 years ago I could buy an electric coffee pot that lasted 10 years no prob. Today, the average coffee pot under $100 lasts MAYBE a year and then it starts leaking, rusting out at the hot plate or just stops working.
Now I know this is a lame example, but I decided to start buying the cheaper ones so when it died in a year I felt like I wasn't wasting so much money. Hence, disposable appliance. lol
I've had my Krups coffee maker for 8 years.... works fine everyday.
There are a lot of products that are better today.
Tires: Never have blowouts like we did in the 60's and 70'
Cars: I have a 500SL that is almost 20 years old.... still looks beautiful and runs like a top (yes, it was very expensive).
Golf Clubs: Much better and last just as long as they did years ago.
Tools: I have some Delta power tools that will last until I die.
TVs: I have a large Pioneer Elite HDTV.... it's 9 years old and still looks fine (yes, it did cost a fortune back then).
Sorry Memphis, cars are NOT made better today. We live in a disposable society now. I used to drive a '64 Chevy. It was built like a tank. I loved that car. While sitting at a stop light a dump truck ran into the back of my car. It was big and scared the **** out of me, but when I got out and looked for damage, all there was, was a small dent in the METAL back bumper.
When a shopping cart hits a car these days, it does damage. Can you imagine a huge, heavy dump truck running into the back of a car made of plastic???
Cars are NOT meant to last anymore. Nothing is. If things lasted, it wouldn't be necessary to replace on a constant basis. Manufacturing DEPENDS on replacement. If things were built to last, we would need only half of everything and that would cramp the style of big business.
Even with road repair, if roads were meant to last, road crews would have nothing to do. Asphalt companies would go out of business. They depend on roads falling apart.
Being in a disposable society keeps money flowing, people in jobs and companies rich.
That might be true with cars, but for the most part the OP is right. I'm an audiophile. I'm into audio equipment the way that some guys are into hotrods. Most of my gear was made in the 70's and still going strong. When you open them up and take a look at the components inside, the newer stuff doesn't even compare. They put a lot of effort into making it look nice and flashy on the outside, but inside it's all junk. You're lucky if you get five years out of them.
I have a "new" stereo system, it was $1000 when new, still works flawlessly 10 years later.
And it's not like you can't buy good stuff now too, but it depends what you buy, pay little, and you get the consumer product, pay more to get quality, overall we have it far far better now.
When people talk about how what they had in the 50's and 60's were better quality, they forget that people had a lot less. And the reason things were better quality (if they actually were) was that they couldn't afford to have anything that'd break.
That doesn't mean you cant buy the same quality today, but you'll need to save up for it, like the old days or make due with less stuff.
Overall what we surround ourselves with today is equal or better quality than yesteryear, or it's far cheaper. What we generally do have, is a lot more to choose from.
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