Date: Sat, 23 Mar 1996 00:14:01 -0500

From: ALICE FABER faber[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]HASKINS.YALE.EDU

Subject: gapers' block



| In Chicago, a traffic slowdown caused by drivers slowing to look at an

| accident in the opposite lane, or some other sight (currently a portrait of

| Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls, changing hair color as Rodman does) - is

| called a "gapers' block."



Back a few years ago when the LSA met in LA, the woman driving my shuttle in

from the airport to the hotel informed us, a propos of one of said delays,

that this was a case of PCT, which she expanded as "persons causing traffic."

I told her that in New York it would be called rubber-necking. She had never

heard the term.



On the subject of continental drift (as it were), when I was last in Israel

(mid 70's), Israel still controlled Sinai. Reservists who were assigned

to Sinai referred to this as being stationed in Africa. So, wherever Israel

is, it's *not* in Africa, I guess.



Alice Faber