Before I permanently close the Delaware file, I wanted to mentioned it took me 9hrs 15 minutes to get back home last weel. It "should" take (depending what route you take) 10h15-45. I took a longer route to avoid the New Jersey turnpike. I-81 through Thousand Islands and Syracuse takes me to the Pennsylvania turnpike.
The advantage is there are less tolls (about $10-$12 worth as opposed to $18-$20), a generally more peaceful ride with less traffic and quiet border. The disadvantage is there are less restaurant choices on the road and only one Starbucks the entire way at Allentown - cue Billy Joel. I spotted another one but it wasn't indicated and saw it when it in a mall when it was too late.
Anyway. Around 5 or 6am I missed the Pennsylvania turnpike and thought nothing of it. The indications are ridiculously unclear. You have to process signs for 495, 295, 95 in different formats in seconds. The way I took it, it felt as though they were asking me to get off my route. And in the States you don't want to get off unfamiliar exits lest you end up in West Virginia doing the squealy-pig jig for Tommy-Lee-Bob.
I finally realized what a fricken turnpike was when I got to the last toll. I was told I'd been riding on it for free and in fact owed $29.30 instead of the $6.80 if I had taken a ticket like I was supposed to. But the guy took pity upon my naive idiocy and charged me the same rate as if i did take it but not before he took down my license plate in case I pulled that stunt again. He called it a "one-time" waiver.
What is a turnpike anyway? More here.
For an alternative take on life I go to Uncyclopedia.
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