How do you tell the inner loop from the outer loop?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The (very good) reason why you can't say "There is an accident, Northbound on 495" is because there are two different areas that are "Northbound" and they are on opposite sides of the beltway from each other. The Outerloop is "Northbound" over in P.G. County. The Inner loop is Northbound on the west side of town... over by Tysons' Corner.

There is a reason the east side of the road is/was labeled as I-95 ad the west side is I-495.

[Anonymous]

To the Silver Spring poster, yes you are turning right to get on either the inner or outer loop, but to access the outer loop, you are on a cloverleaf, so are really accessing the outer loop.

I really fear for the future of our country reading this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really fear for the future of our country reading this thread.

Oh for God's sake, lighten up. Just because someone is directionally-challenged doesn't mean they're an idiot. I know plenty of people who have no problem with the inner loop/outer loop thing but frankly, I wouldn't want any of them handling the red phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH can always tell whether we are on the inner or outer loop. I can't tell unless I see a sign. Is there some trick to this?

Inner loop is 495 and outer loop is 95

[Anonymous]

12:53 - Exactly why East and West don't work well either!

A "you are here" is what is needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DH can always tell whether we are on the inner or outer loop. I can't tell unless I see a sign. Is there some trick to this?

Inner loop is 495 and outer loop is 95

Not quite: 495 is the western side (to the west of DC) Tysons side of the beltway. 95 is the eastern side (College Park side) of the beltway. The I-95 designation follows the beltway on the eastern side from I-95 south of the DC area down in Virginia to I-95 north of the DC area towards Baltimore.

For instance, both the inner and outer loop in the Tysons area are 495... and both the inner and outer loop on the College Park side of things are I-95.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DH can always tell whether we are on the inner or outer loop. I can't tell unless I see a sign. Is there some trick to this?

Inner loop is 495 and outer loop is 95

Not quite: 495 is the western side (to the west of DC) Tysons side of the beltway. 95 is the eastern side (College Park side) of the beltway. The I-95 designation follows the beltway on the eastern side from I-95 south of the DC area down in Virginia to I-95 north of the DC area towards Baltimore.

For instance, both the inner and outer loop in the Tysons area are 495... and both the inner and outer loop on the College Park side of things are I-95.

I live in VA and never go to MD so my way works fine for me. There is another way, however, OP, GET A MAP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the Silver Spring poster, yes you are turning right to get on either the inner or outer loop, but to access the outer loop, you are on a cloverleaf, so are really accessing the outer loop.

I really fear for the future of our country reading this thread.

I notice, Ms. I-Weep-For-Humanity, that you didn't even try to label the photo of the Beltway I posted.

[Anonymous]

This is so hilarious, and so hard to understand when you Get It. I believe it's really hard for some people, it's just hard to imagine it being that hard. I guess you get it or you don't...

PP who posted the photo -- please read the other PP who referenced aliens dropping you on the Beltway (which summed it up perfectly and made me laugh). If aliens dropped me on the Beltway, or if a stranger posted a random photo of the Beltway, then no, I couldn't magically tell which was inner and which was outer, necessarily. The point is that people aren't dropped on the Beltway by aliens. They drive to the Beltway, get on it in one direction or the other, with some sense of where they're going, hopefully -- and that's how you know if it's Inner or Outer. I guess you have to have a vague sense of the geography (like where is DC? where is MD? where is VA? where did I start? where am I going?).

[Anonymous]

There are some pretty bright people who I happen to know don't get it. Which is fine.

The funny part is, a lot of it relies on whether the Virginians are willing (not able, willing) to cross the MD line (the horrors!) and vice versa. That is why it is easy to so many here.

Try leaving your zip code.