# Did Christie (or his staff) intentionally cause the Fort Lee traffic jam? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 9, 2014, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351 "2014-01-09T13:34:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/321 "2014-01-17T14:09:20Z")
> [@burunduk34](#): > > Anyway, just to go on a rant here… Truer words were never spoken. Recognizing that this is a desperate attempt at changing the subject and ought to just be ignored on that basis, I’ll still point out the following: 1. The bridge wasn’t blocked for very long. 2. The people who did it were quickly arrested. 3. That was a protest, not an act of politically motivated retribution. 4. Bill di Blasio had nothing to do with the bridge closure; Chris Christie’s administration (and maybe Christie himself) made the GWB closure happen. There are probably about six more major differences, but it’s not worth the time. ---
**Author:** ![Karrius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71c47a/32.png) [@Karrius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karrius)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/322 "2014-01-17T14:44:42Z")
For a second I thought this was the thread where the “How dare you think all republicans are evil” meme was going on, but unfortunately I was wrong. It would have been wonderful irony would it be for a conservative openly bragging about punching people to be in the same thread that someone was whining that it’s not fair to assume republicans want to hurt people when they do hurtful actions. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/323 "2014-01-17T14:49:50Z")
Especially if a Republican were accused of being a bully. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/324 "2014-01-17T15:16:44Z")
I’m just reading reports that Wildstein is offering “information” in exchange for an immunity deal. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/325 "2014-01-17T16:37:54Z")
Is it wrong of me to wish that he’s got a smoking gun up his sleeve? ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/326 "2014-01-17T17:16:50Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m just reading reports that Wildstein is offering “information” in exchange for an immunity deal. His lawyer made that offer at the end of his appearance before the New Jersey legislature committee investigating this. That was last week and Wildstein took the Fifth the entire time but his counsel made it clear he would be much more chatty if he had immunity. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/327 "2014-01-17T17:54:28Z")
> [@burunduk34](#): > > Compare it with the IRS scandal, where, basically, couple of people retired early. Or even compare it to the Bridgegate scandal, where Wildstein and Bill Baroni retired early. Sorry, bad example. > [@](#): > > I was working pretty late and they were still there, when I walked out of the building. The stupid fucks actually moved closer to the entrance as it got darker, and 8 or 9 of them approached me and started yelling something. Yeah, only liberal fucks [would do something like this](http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/15/us-usa-court-abortion-idUSBREA0E08T20140115). > [@](#): > > U.S. Supreme Court justices expressed doubt on Wednesday about a Massachusetts law that mandates a protective buffer zone around abortion clinics to allow patients unimpeded access, indicating they may strike it down as unconstitutional as demanded by anti-abortion protesters. Darn. I guess that’s another bad example. > [@](#): > > Well, I’m not a young man anymore and it took me a second to realize what happened, but then the wave of rage just hit me and I decked the fat imbecile with a left hook to the jaw. Not one of you guys brought up the [cunt punt](http://gawker.com/5994974/the-most-deranged-sorority-girl-email-you-will-ever-read)? I’m ashamed, I really am. I thought you were 🆒. But not one of you is as 🆒 as an elderly white christian straight Republican who punches women and gets the police to back him up on it. Yay, police! ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/328 "2014-01-17T20:12:11Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Truer words were never spoken. Recognizing that this is a desperate attempt at changing the subject and ought to just be ignored on that basis, I’ll still point out the following: > > 1. The bridge wasn’t blocked for very long. > 2. The people who did it were quickly arrested. > 3. That was a protest, not an act of politically motivated retribution. > 4. Bill di Blasio had nothing to do with the bridge closure; Chris Christie’s administration (and maybe Christie himself) made the GWB closure happen. > > There are probably about six more major differences, but it’s not worth the time. The bridge wasn’t blocked. Traffic cones leading to the tollbooths were shifted two lanes to the right which restricted access to the bridge only for the drivers from Ft Lee. Mainline traffic was able to use the two tollbooths. You can see mainline vehicles using the tollbooths in question in one of the photos on - [http://tollroadsnews.com/news/poorly-executed-toll-lane-reallocation-trial-at-geo-washington-bridge-escalates---two-top-execs-of-panynj-are-out-in-political-furore](http://tollroadsnews.com/news/poorly-executed-toll-lane-reallocation-trial-at-geo-washington-bridge-escalates---two-top-execs-of-panynj-are-out-in-political-furore) photo - “The line of cones was moved to choke three lanes of entering traffic to one toll lane” - [http://tollroadsnews.com/images/1312151enterg3.gif](http://tollroadsnews.com/images/1312151enterg3.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/329 "2014-01-17T20:17:50Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > The bridge wasn’t blocked. Traffic cones leading to the tollbooths were shifted two lanes to the right which restricted access to the bridge only for the drivers from Ft Lee. Mainline traffic was able to use the two tollbooths. I think my earlier posts should make it obvious I knew that already. But if you like you can imagine that instead of “GWB closure” I wrote “lane closures that resulted in enormous traffic jams near the GWB for four consecutive days.” ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/330 "2014-01-17T20:18:37Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > …Not one of you guys brought up the [cunt punt](http://gawker.com/5994974/the-most-deranged-sorority-girl-email-you-will-ever-read)? I’m ashamed, I really am. I thought you were 🆒. But not one of you is as 🆒 as an elderly white christian straight Republican who punches women and gets the police to back him up on it. Yay, police! According to the story, the woman spit on him and he responded to her physical attack. The police arrive quickly and arrested the person who started the phsical confrontation. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/331 "2014-01-17T20:22:31Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I think my earlier posts should make it obvious I knew that already. But if you like you can imagine that instead of “GWB closure” I wrote “lane closures that resulted in enormous traffic jams near the GWB for four consecutive days.” Of course you knew that. I suspected that your most recent statement, “1) The bridge wasn’t blocked for very long” might confuse anyone who read it and hadn’t read all of your posts. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/332 "2014-01-17T20:35:15Z")
I was talking about the Brooklyn Bridge and the OWS protest. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/333 "2014-01-17T20:44:00Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So you’re praising Chris Christie because he fired a couple of underlings. Wouldn’t truly be taking responsibility involve Christie himself resigning? Know who else fired a bunch of underlings at the beginning of a scandal? Not him. Richard Nixon. Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/334 "2014-01-17T21:04:43Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I was talking about the Brooklyn Bridge and the OWS protest. My mistake. All of these bridge stories are starting to look the same. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/335 "2014-01-17T21:17:49Z")
That’s some good wishful thinking, boss. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/336 "2014-01-18T00:29:54Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > According to the story, the woman spit on him and he responded to her physical attack. The police arrive quickly and arrested the person who started the phsical confrontation. I think this an accurate summary. While I don’t in general approve of hitting people, I would agree the protester put herself in the way of being hit. I’m not sure what her weight has to do with anything, though. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/337 "2014-01-18T00:49:19Z")
> [@burunduk34](#): > > Compare it with the IRS scandal, where, basically, couple of people retired early. The biggest difference is that this is an actual scandal were bad stuff actually happened. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/338 "2014-01-18T02:32:49Z")
> [@j666](#): > > I’m not sure what her weight has to do with anything, though. Since she’s most likely a figment of burunduk’s imagination, she can be as big as he wants her to be. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/339 "2014-01-18T04:30:31Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Since she’s most likely a figment of burunduk’s imagination, she can be as big as he wants her to be. A giant with spit so lethal that phyiscal force was necessary to defend against it. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/340 "2014-01-18T04:39:03Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > In most cases he could not have gotten his way with them _no matter what_. The tactics are irrelevant; they would not have given him what he wanted in response to logic, bargaining, threats, or anything else. > [@davidm](#): > > Anyone else notice the reporting on the results of a recent poll? It’s being reported that most people’s opinion of Christie hasn’t been changed by “bridgegate” and this is being spun as a good thing for Christie. I’m thinking that it may just mean that people dislike him as much as ever. > [@DigitalC](#): > > The biggest difference is that this is an actual scandal were bad stuff actually happened. > **[IRS targeting controversy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_IRS_scandal#FBI_Investigation)** > > In 2013, the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS), under the Obama administration, revealed that it had selected political groups applying for tax-exempt status for intensive scrutiny based on their names or political themes. This led to wide condemnation of the agency and triggered several investigations, including a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) criminal probe ordered by United States Attorney General Eric Holder. Conservatives claimed that they were specifically targeted by t... But like Banghazi, why attribute to incompetence what can easily be spun as malice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351.md?page=18)