For the sake of argument, let’s say you have three roads that will take you home from work, you must choose one and stay on it until you arrive at home (home is up a short access road, 99% of the traveled road is the road you choose
All three roads are heavily patrolled, so you cannot speed.
Road #1 is a highway, direct, flat, and efficient, speed limit is 55 MPH
Road #2 is a primary/main road with a few minor curves and very minor hills, speed limit varies from 35 to 45 MPH
Road #3 is a twisty, hilly country back road through farm country,speed limit is 25 MPH, and you may encounter farm equipment and/or deer on the road during your travels
The highway is the quickest, most efficient way home, the country road is the slowest, but the most fun way home, and the main road is somewhere in between
What road do you take?
I would take road #3, the country road, I enjoy driving, and love a good twisty, turny, hilly road, with the right car, it can be fun even at the speed limit.
Just going home from work, I’d take the highway most of the time. On a particularly nice day or day of boredom, then the back way. If I were traveling or exploring a new area, I’d go with #3.
Come to think of it, my answers would have changed wbith the cars I owned…
First “car”; 1988 ford escort pony, AKA, the “Murphy’s Law mobile”, I would have taken road #2, wouldnt trust it on a highway, and it was too underpowered and asthmatic for road #3.
Second and third cars, 1992 Dodge Shadow America, 1998 Dodge Neon; road #3, these were fun litte cars, handled great, even if they were a bit underpowered .
Fourth and fifth cars, 2002 Dodge Neon, 2007 Saturn Ion; Road #1, these were nothing more than conveyance appliances, no fun to drive, joyless and soulless, the less time spent in them, the better
Current car, 2007 VW Rabbit; since I can’t vote “all of the above”, as my Killer Rabbit is fun on ANY road, I’d choose #3, as the Rabbit would give me the most driving enjoyment on a twisty, hilly, undulating road, it handles so nicely that even traveling the speed limit is fun
If it’s a day where I’ve been at work all day, I’m generally interested in getting home as quickly as possible, even though I typically enjoy driving. Also, I have a tremendous paranoia about hitting deer on the road (they’re out to get me, don’tcha know?), so I’m taking the highway. And probably exceeding the speed limit by a bit.
If it’s home from work, it’s the highway. Weekend or vacation, it’s a mix of #2 and #3 unless it’s a destination oriented trip (IOW, I have a week to drive 400 miles in each direction, but the destination is where I really want to spend time). I like driving US highways, state routes, country roads and sometimes, roads that are little more than cart paths. This may change a bit with my next vehicle, which will likely set lower.
The idea of a road which, during commuting time, allows one to actually drive the speed limit…that’s an interesting idea.
Given the constraints of the OP, then 7/10 I’d chose the highway. 2/10 the primary road and 1/10 the country road.
In reality, I take the highway until the traffic guy starts using numbers that start with a 4 (as in, “48 minutes in from O’Hare”), at which point I get off and use surface streets, which all have stop lights and stop signs on them. I don’t usually get home any faster, but at least it keeps moving more than the highway, and that makes me less crazy.
One of the advantages of my old job was I worked in the afternoon and evening (2-10 pm) so I drove on a major highway but didn’t get caught up in commuter traffic.
I voted “the road less traveled,” because I mix 'em up. I vary them. As Chimera said, “Depends on how I feel that day.” I like driving, and I do very much enjoy twisty, narrow, back-country roads. But who wants to do the same exact thing every time, when there are choices to be made? It’s like asking “Do you eat chocolate ice cream, or vanilla?” Yes!
At 25mph, those have to be some pretty sharp turns and lots of quick ups and downs in succession to be much fun.
I voted the primary road. It will have some interesting things to see, I’m not stuck going slow, and I don’t have to go really slow. The highway means less time to enjoy some music to decompress from the day.
It depends on what’s the quickest but most fun way home.
But it also depends on when did I get out of work, and do i have extra free time? Is it a nice day? Is it raining?
The road that I take is a cross between 2 and 3 with the speed limit and 2 with the roads (not country dirt roads) but they are very up and down with some really steep hills. I have encountered farm animals, people on horseback, 4-wheelers, and wildlife (including a deer which ran alongside me for about a minute).
My other option for getting to school is only about 5 miles farther away and the speed limit is much higher so it’s the shorter trip. But, my vehicle is 23 years old and I prefer to not take it on the highway too often.
Besides, I LIKE country roads.
