Because what we really need to be spending money (and time, and “political capital”) on is renaming Interstate 69. But, yes, there’s a Congresscritter who wants to do just that.
John Hostettler, the Congressman representing the 8th district of Indiana, has been convinced by local religious groups to introduce legislation in the House that would change the name of an Interstate 69 extension to a more moral sounding number.
There are plans to extend the interstate from Indianapolis through southwestern Indiana all the way through Texas into Mexico in the coming years. While most believe this highway will be good for the state’s economy, religious conservatives believe “I-69” sounds too risqué and want to change the interstate’s number.
Once upon a time, of course, many of those religious conservatives wouldn’t have known what that meant. Shame, to see such fine people corrupted …
Besides, what else would oyu want to call a freeway that goes down Indiana?
Hostettler, a proponent of the interstate extension, agrees. “Every time I have been out in the public with an ‘I-69’ button on my lapel, teenagers point and snicker at it. I have had many ask me if they can have my button. I believe it is time to change the name of the highway. It is the moral thing to do.”
No, it’s the “Avoiding Embarrassment” thing to do. But I’ll tell you what: you fund the name change through sale of “I-69” buttons, t-shirts, and other paraphernalia, and I’ll be more than happy to support renaming the extension (especially since it really should be renamed as I-63 to follow the Interstate Naming Rules, or something of that sort).
(via J-Walk)
(posted by CronDave)
I read this and had to chuckle. If they think that it is immoral to have a highway numbered “69”, what would they think of my parents phone number. The K’s second line spells duck as well as another more interesting word. Young folks will occasionally call up and demonstrate there wit.
“Do you know that your phone number spells *uck?”
Some, like the gentleman from Indian, may find that embarrassing, if not immoral, and suggest that the number needs to be changed. I have alway liked the way my folks handled it, not with embarrassment but with nonchalant honesty.
“Yes, do you know what it means?” or “Yes, does your mother know that you know that word?”
(Of course very moral Victorians put skirts on there tables and chairs so one couldn’t see their embarrassing legs – but we now know that is silly)
It’s right up there with “read books, get brain”.
Or,
Beaver Collage changing their name.
or,
Cities removing/changing street signs/names from Morningwood back in the Beevus and Butthead days.
On the plus side, just think of all of the tee-shirt sales that could be generated, just like the liquor store up in Beaver, CO (I’ll just let you mull that one for a bit…).
…or, better yet (and I think that this was Boing-Boing) in some county in Wisconsin the intersection of county road “A” and county road “SS”.
*sigh*