The Exeter Gymkhana

When watching auto commercials on TV, you've probably seen cars driven through an obstacle  course that is called a "gymkhana." Auto gymkhana, or autocross, is a form of automobile racing where drivers navigate, one at a time, around and through a defined course featuring obstacles such as cones, tires, and barrels. Anyone who routinely  drives on town roads that have manhole covers engages in a form of gymkhana attempting to maneuver around the sunken covers. Really skilled drivers can also drive around the smaller sunken water shutoff valve covers. Drivers who successfully complete their Exeter gymkhana don't win any prizes. However, drivers who have failed to memorize the location of these obstacles are penalized with cars that vibrate when driving at highway speeds because of dented alloy rims or front end damage. 

Wednesday evening at the Budget Advisory Committee meeting, our DPW Director was asked if the Department might be able to raise these covers when they repave roadways. Unfortunately, I received no response. Perhaps the reasoning for leaving these covers sunken when the roadways are repaved is the belief that the roadway asphalt will be worn down or settle and the covers will become flush with the road surface. That hasn't been our experience.

I guess we should feel honored because drivers in other communities don't have the ability to practice this type of driving skill. Just look at Route 27 in Hampton. The section between the Route 101 entrance and Route 1 was recently repaved, but Hampton failed to prove the sunken manhole covers. Hampton drivers have to drive over covers that are flush to the road.  How boring.

If you are looking to hone your gymkhana driving skills I suggest driving on High Street, Epping Road, Main Street, Washington Street or the newly paved Portsmouth Avenue.  Good luck.