A lot of them get burned for fuel, but a lot of them end up in massive piles across the country.
Here in the anti-environmentalist state of Mississippi we have a $2 state tax on each tire sold to pay for the old tires to be hauled off and ground up. The tire mulch is added to asphalt used in road building. I have for years wondered who lobbied for that legislation.
When an owner gives up on a car…the vehicle can become depressed and feel rejected. There aren’t a lot of support groups for the vehicle to turn to… Its options are fairly limited. Some wander town slowly in a dejected manner. Others gain weight and dont care about their appearance any longer.
Some sit under car ports plotting and planning their owners demise. Others more actively try to bring about their owners final reward by intentionally causing accidents. A few will sit and moulder quietly, some leak fluids on purpose to show their disdain. sometimes a horn can become stuck and thus they complain more actively. I have even heard of a few that go off and get themselves into accidents leaving their owners to think the vehicle was stolen, but that isn’t always true. Many hit and runs happen this way.
Many things can happen… many things…
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An environmentalist probably lobbied for it. I’m kidding. Sort of. But I do wonder where that tire disposal tax was originally intended to go. To fund a tire recycling grant?
Mississippi politics is all about the “good ole boys” which a neighbor/judge told me years ago was considered the Dixie Mafia. We are the most corrupt state in the country and seem quite determined to fight to hold that position. HIway 45 from Shannon to Macon is a marvelous example of spreading the cheer among the well connected. On a few LONG stretches of level roadway a driver might see up to 5 cars all at once on either east or west route.
I would argue with that. Maybe at one time but there are at least two others that seem to be extremely corrupt, and unlike Mississippi, are bound and determined that the other states follow. Now that I think of it, maybe three other states plus a district.
I would raise a hand for PA to be on the most corrupt list, maybe not THE most as in number 1 but its got to be in the top 10 … No?
Now I have to look it up as if those stats will be correct…corruption is a hard metric to measure. As in “How bent is a politician” I guess its subjective.
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OK, maybe four plus a district. Now there are some pretty corrupt cities too that may or may not be within the most corrupt states. We’ve got a couple in Minnesota too that are teetering on the brink but with the public’s blessing.
So what you’re saying is they should’ve left highway 45 in that stretch a 2 lane? It was only made a 4 lane because some influential guy living in that area wanted it?Just trying to follow what you’re saying.
Quite a bit of traffic through there. I’ll be using it myself Tuesday to get to Columbus. Lots of people north use that route to get south, although I agree that particular stretch isn’t in the most populated area. Pretty much all highways are like that though, right? Passing through low population areas and connecting higher populated areas…
You seem to be down on MS, Rod. But I guarantee you the “good ol boy” / taking care of your own system in politics (and business) extends way past the borders of MS. Notice, I’m not denying it exists here in the least. But it’s everywhere else too.
They host a radio show called, “Car Talk.” Perhaps you’ve heard of it.
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There are now 2semi limited access 4 lane highways from Shannon to Macon @Scrapyard_John . There seems to be less than 20 miles separating them anywhere along the way and they each fall into city streets along the way, But then 40% of the cost was paid by those other states that Mississippi doesn’t want to talk about.
And I never let my kids get away with anything because their friends were. Why should I let adults get away with waste and corruption just because other states do? But in Mississippi the adage regarding wasting money is used selectively.
We donated a car to our local NPR-affiliated radio station once
It was very easy
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Oh, ok. I will give them my old car, then. 
Don’t know, Rod. I was thinking of hwy 45, that goes from Corinth, south to tupelo, south to West Point, etc. Sees quite a bit of traffic.
Never really considered where the funding came from. I’m not real in tune with state politics, so will bow out.
Check Google map and look at 45 primary and 45 alternate @Scrapyard_John. And did you ever wonder why that hiway runs through West Point on a city street? And similarly the other 45 runs through Columbus past the mall. Thru traffic gets caught running red light to red light on either route but then the route from West Point to Columbus is a winding 2 lane farm road while getting there from the north is as open as I-10 east from El Paso.
I of course don’t know anything about these roads or what goes on down there, but one person’s corruption may be another person’s public influence. Of course some people are more influential than others and can push their own priorities.
In Minnesota decisions are made by the DOT and there has been the classic clash between metro spending and spending outside of the metro area. Of course the metro areas have more big blocks of votes which can influence the idiots at DOT. Some major improvements on highly traveled roads have been blocked or slowly implemented over 20 years while others, including trains, are fast tracked in the metro. Several influential folks finally managed to get the funding for a southern Minnesota project that had been on the back burner for years.
I’m biased but I’ve seen tons of money spent on frivolous projects like round-abouts, HOV lanes, left turn lanes that weren’t needed, changing intersections to right angles, etc. while upgrading heavily traveled roads has to wait. Some of these are federal mandates but others are the priorities of MNDOT. In fact it was well into the 70’s before the interstate was completed, maybe 80’s even. Why?
I assumed 45 always ran through West Point. Then they 4 laned it. Similar to what will happen to hwy 15 in New Albany (although 15 isn’t totally 4 lane yet). 45 alternate does seem a little redundant / unnecessary. I’m not familiar with the West Point to Columbus route, other than 45 to 82. I saw a hwy 50 (maybe 51) on the map, but it looked like a similar distance as going the 45 to 82 route. Have never gone that direction. I’ll take your word that there’s some good ol boy tomfoolery going on there. I have no idea.
What good ole boy designed that disaster in Meridian where you get off 59 hwy? 
The interchanges in Meridian appear to have been located and drawn up by some former wives of local politicians. It was easier to get around or into that city 40 years ago. I lived there for a year or so in about 1977 and operated a parcel delivery service warehouse and distribution center. The route from the town of Marion to I-59 south is a great joke for MDOT on all the drivers. It’s like a special route for getting away from robbing a peach orchard and avoiding everyone except lost drivers. That most current exit at the I-20 to I-59 needs someone to drop a trail of red mud to follow just like they had there for 5 years.