Traffic Calming Ahead!

"Traffic Calming Ahead".  The sign in Takoma Park, Maryland, announcing calming gave Marash Girl pause as she had never heard of the concept in New England.  What exactly did it mean? There was little or no traffic to be seen on this suburban road which connected no particularly important streets to no particularly important streets. Were there comforting roadside stands meant to calm drivers down?  Lemonade vendors? Strains of Montovanni music coming from the windows of the lovely little houses lining the streets?  Folks sitting along the side of the road in rocking chairs ready to share their philosophy with would be passers by?  Nope. Not at all.

Turns out that the traffic calming consisted of little more than road bumps crossing from sidewalk to sidewalk (road bumps that used to be called "Dead Bodies" in Beirut, Lebanon, in the 1960's) and full islands, all attempting to frustrate the intentions of would be speedsters.  The city had been nice enough to warn drivers to  take care not to tear out the bottoms of their cars.  Thank you, Takoma Park!