I lived within a stones throw it i285 in Atlanta for a few years and I felt like it was killing me. Dumb with brain fog, some many health problems from dermatological to cardiovascular.

I had a white car and I I left it parked in my car port for a few days whatever side was facing the highway would develop a layer of black soot on it. Tire dust, brake dust, whatever other awful toxic VOCs and heavy metal particulate emissions.

It was hell. I have a hand drawn map of Atlanta and I marked that house in the map with a little skull, death spot.

Cursed neighborhood on a civil war battle field, civil war theme subdivision with civil war theme for street names. When I first moved I was excited my drug dealer worked out of a house one street over. Dude got kidnapped and murdered right as I closed on the house.

In summation fucked up things are happening under the power lines by the interstate. A commuters dream my ass, how about a human nightmare?

[–] tripartitegraph@hexbear.net 9 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Lived for a couple years within a few hundred feet of an interstate in tennessee. It was horrible; I could tune it out a lot of the time, but all the semi-trucks with their Jake brakes were terrible.
Then the company that owned the billboard right between our street and the interstate clearcut ALL the foliage around it. Just made things louder🙃 and I didn’t even really think about the increased pollution, I’m sure that has harmed me

[–] Fossifoo@hexbear.net 6 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Wow, I have never heard of Jake brakes before. Somehow USians never fail to take a horrible thing like trucking and make it far worse for everyone. I can't even imagine for that being remotely legal or acceptable in Europe.

[–] tripartitegraph@hexbear.net 5 points 3 days ago

Some cities outlaw the usage of these types of brakes within city limits (in my experience enforcement is kinda lax, but I think it does make some difference) but this city did not. They also didn’t have those sound-dampening walls you find in a lot of places. Living there was a real psychic attack lmao

[–] Kefla@hexbear.net 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Wait, trucks in Europe don't use that kind of brake? Isn't that unsafe?

[–] Fossifoo@hexbear.net 4 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

No, that's what brakes are for? Also, a usual motor brake with a dampener (not the r word) works just fine.

Seems we actually have rules that specify the speed you are allowed to drive downhill and what system has to be on board and don't leave it to the "free market" to come up with the cheapest but otherwise most annoying system possible. Who would have thunk.

Edit: looks like Austria came up with a noise level of 80dB (like a lawn mower, so still fairly loud) first and truck manufacturers adapted

[–] Kefla@hexbear.net 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

But when regular brakes fail you can't stop. When semi truck air brakes fail it forces the truck to stop.

[–] Fossifoo@hexbear.net 1 points 2 days ago

Well, we have mandatory, in depth checks every year for trucks and afaik, downhill mountain streets have "breaking ramps" with sand etc. Then again, I'm living in the northern European flats, so I might have no clue but I think accidents because of failing downhill braking are very rare.

[–] Ishmael@hexbear.net 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I used to live right on a major road in a major US city. I remember when COVID hit I couldn't sleep because all of a sudden the constant hum of traffic was gone. When I moved to a quiet neighborhood I found I feel a lot more rested after the same amount of sleep.