The Porn Super Highway - Tuna Tales

I'm not sure how many people realize this, but Highway 22 east of Pittsburgh (towards Altoona... a.k.a. The Big Tuna) is THE porn super highway. I first noticed the abundance of "Gentleman's Clubs" when I started my consulting 'gig' out here, but every trip I make back and forth seems to be a discovery of even more of these 'fine' establishments. Here is what I have noticed about them in general:

• They are all made of shoddy sheet metal
  
• All of them have at LEAST one half-ton truck in the parking lot
  
• All of them are 'World Famous'
  
• All of them (despite the remote locations) claim to have the 'hottest' ALL NUDE dancers
  

One of these (the WORLD FAMOUS Climax club) also offers a drive through, so you can get porn from the comfort of your vehicle.

What I found the most disturbing about these establishments was not anything on a moral level, but the fact that I have to drive 90 miles to get home from the Big Tuna, and the (believe it or not) traffic jams that they cause can really put a dent in my travel. I swear that a 1980's style Camaro caused a 10 minute delay (it had to cross oncoming traffic to get a porn fix... only one lane each way, no shoulder), and a further delay was caused by a half-ton truck with a gun rack in the window.

Route 22, mind you, is also the Speed Trap Super Highway. I think the minimum number of people on any one trip (I have made 7 now) that have been pulled over is 3, one trip I saw 6. Fortunately, I have not been speeding. The speed limit ranges from 40 - 65 mph, and makes jumps in speed (up or down) at random intervals, in places where the police can conveniently hide.

What to do in Tuna

So, what is there to do in Altoona? Basically, work. There is a lack of amenities here, such as:

• NO Starbucks
  
• NO Qdoba
  
• NO Barnes and Noble Booksellers
  
• NO decent food of ANY kind (aside from Sheetz of course)
  
• NO bookstores of any kind (that I can tell)
  
• etc.
  

I did manage to go to a state park for a run... unfortunately, it is 15 miles (a.k.a 30 minutes each way on single lane road) to the park, so I drove for as long as I ran. I was going to bring my bike with me this week, but as usual, the weather looks crappy (rain, rain, snow, rain).

Anyway, I'm sure I will have some more Tuna Tales to Tell...

Later. VG