I spotted a Silver Prius with very dark tinted windows on RT. 9 in the Poughkeepsie NY area. Tag reads: HY VOLTG. (I honked, I was driving a DAV- Ford Freestyle.) Any one on this site want to own up to it?
I have a silver Prius with dark tinted windows, yet that is not my license plate#, and I do drive up and down Route 9, from Poughkeepsie to Fishkill. Don't honk, unless you are in a Prius as well.
Well! After waiting this long for a response I thought any that were received would be of a pleasant nature. I honked because I liked what the licence plate said, more so than it was on a Prius. Any way, I'll try my best to re frame from honking at Prius Owners, when I'm not actually in my Prius! By the way Route 9 is constantly a mess, filled with knuckle heads who are more in tune on getting to the next strip mall, than driving on 9 itself. Funny how the speed limit is largely ignored in the morning hours, say from about 6:30 till also most 8:00. I've been in the "flow of traffic" doing well over 70 mph (posted between 45-55 mph.) at times! Forget the silly signs in front of Marist Collage! Don't care what the posted flashing speed limit sign says, it's not being done! Seems law enforcement which is often heavy at times, is non existent during rush hours traffic. Could be the cops are changing shifts at these times... Ever count the number gas stations from Fishkill to Poughkeepsie?
I moved up here (from Queens and their traffic jams) late 70's. Route 9 is not the same anymore, there were two malls; Dutchess Mall by I-84 and South Hills Mall in Poughkeepsie, and that was about it! A few traffic lights, few cars, I could make it from Fishkill to City of Poughkeepsie in 15-20 minutes. Now, it takes that much time to make it from one traffic light to the other. I avoid Route 9 as much as possible, trying to use the back roads to get me to the area of Route 9 that I need to go. Once I acquired my Prius, I don't seem to mind the traffic as much...it does wonders for my mpg's!
I originally hail from Flushing, had people in Whitestone, Corona, Jamaica and Jackson Heights. I transplanted to Rockland County in 1969, Moved to Orange County in 1990. I remember the old Dutchess County Mall, I guess the same fate awaits the South Hills Mall. (It's been slowly dying for years.) I do some volunteer driving for the Vets at Castle Point, so I know a lot of those back roads you've mentioned. The Prius does make a trip up 9 a bit more tolerable.
You mentioned the fact that there are a lot of gas stations from Fishkill to Pougkeepsie, I guess there are enough, we have choices, yet...the amount of restaurants is unbelievable. I read somewhere, a few years ago, how high the percentage is of people that go out to eat in Dutchess County, it ranked pretty high in comparison. So between all the Malls, and the strip Malls with super-supermarkets, and the restaurants...its no wonder why there is so much congestion on Route 9. Where we live now has changed as well. Used to be that we would have to travel quite a distance to a supermarket, now there is one 2 miles to the north of me and two miles to the south of me, and hundreds of new homes just around the corner. Its almost time to move again
Have you tried the new Red Robins on 9 yet? They have some pretty good burgers in there! It's the same on the other side of the River, route 300 in Newburgh has be littered with all kinds of stores and fast food joints even a new Super Stop and Shop. Started with Wal Marts, then Home Depot and from there it's been like a plage.. And a new mall is due across from the Newburgh Mall! No such thing as a quick trip down 300 any more.
No, I haven't....I guess its too "new" for me to have noticed. I've noticed over the years a big turnover in that industry, I can't keep up. What's here today might be gone tomorrow. I don't travel over the Newburgh bridge that much these days, used to about 20 years ago, yet I did go last year, to a seminar, and I could not believe how much the area has changed, and how the traffic quadrupled. Even the real estate market grew there, but then...it had room to grow, as oppose to Dutchess County, we have grown out of room.
