A
MACHINE AND HALF A HOLE
Tennessee
Department of Transportation Road Building Methods
Tennessee
is a wonderful mess. One of the most unique things I have seen since we arrived
from Arizona four years ago is the arrangements for parking earth moving equipment.
This method is called, "A machine and half a hole."
As
you travel around eastern Tennessee you see hundreds of yellow back hoes, ditch
diggers, Caterpillars, Turn-a-pulls, and so forth. These big yellow monsters are
parked beside half a hole. That is, a hole has been started which will become
a pipe line, road widening, culvert, power line conduit, etc, and the machine
is parked and abandoned before the job is finished.
I
am convinced that this is by design, for I have watched for weeks to see if some
particular yellow machine is ever moved, and it is not. I believe this is a very
smart plan really, for this arrangement eliminates the need for large parking
sheds for the equipment. If every job is started and then put off for eight weeks,
all those big yellow machines do not need to be taken back to the parking barn.
All the holes are eventually finished, and the job is done in the end, and everyone
is happy, well sort of.
If
the machine is in your front yard in what is commonly known as the "set back"
of your property where Caesar has the right to dig holes, well, you might get
a bit weary of the view. But, there is a saying in Tennessee which helps us all
in such trying times-- "Deal with it." Only in Tennessee.
