In Montgomery County, 202 is one of the least fun roads to travel.
The road passes by everything, so it’s necessary to take it. But it’s four lanes for one mile, two for the next, then four again. The constant merging causes more anxiety for drivers than a radio broadcast of a Brad Lidge pitching appearance.
When visiting the Casey base camp, 202 is how one gets to Wawa. The Double TT Diner. Grandfather Toolan’s place.
And, a few times a year, it’s also the place where one is most likely to hit a Penn State student.
This weekend was one of several THON canning weekends. The campus clears out as students head to every corner of the state and beyond in search of the perfect intersection.
The perfect intersection must be busy. And I mean crazy busy. If drivers see a red light once or twice before passing through, that is not the perfect intersection.
At the perfect intersection — which to many drivers is more frequently thought of as hell in four directions — the canners walk between the lanes of semi-parked cars collecting whatever change is left over from that morning’s latte.
And this weekend, there were three groups within a two-mile stretch of 202.
Before I continue, let me make it clear that THON is a fabulous event, and Four Diamonds is a more-than-worthy cause. Even this curmudgeon takes great joy in the increasingly impressive total raised each year.
But it’s not worth becoming a hood ornament.
Sure, the cars are at a standstill when the students begin walking between the lanes. But not once did I see the canners get to the side of the road before the light turned green again.
And even when they reach the shoulder, the canners are by no means safe. On a rainy day like Saturday, all it takes is for one distracted driver to hit the brakes too hard before 202 hosts a massive accident.
For as long as I have been a driver, I’ve thought that there must be a better way. Then, this weekend, I saw one.
The Irish Student Society was granted permission to set up show at P.J. Whelihan’s in Blue Bell. (Full disclosure: My fellow Penn Stater and sister is the co-founder and co-president.)
The restaurant/sports bar would be showing the Penn State football game on TV, and customers were sure to be bursting with blue and white pride.
The club didn’t just welcome change in the parking lot; its members took advantage of the swelling pride (and the change from that last beer) at the bar. A manager donated complimentary wings to the crowd, and asked that donations be made in return.
I couldn’t tell you how much money was raised, nor could I say how much would have been raised at a nearby intersection. But there were several reasons why this was brilliant:
- The organization was dry on a rainy day.
- Members could watch the football game.
- They were among other Penn State fans.
- The chance of getting hit by a driver is very slim inside a restaurant.
I hope the Irish Student Society does the same thing on its next canning trip. I hope other organizations consider following suit.
And in the spring semester, I hope to see a packed Bryce Jordan Center burst out in applause when this year’s total raised is revealed.
Let’s just make sure every canner can make it to the finish.
