June 27th, 2005
Innies vs. Outies
Like many big or mid-size cities, Raleigh has a part of a major expressway that branches off and loops around it, allowing people to get around the city in a faster, more convenient way (except on weekdays between 8 and 9 am and between 5 and 6 pm, when everyone wants to get around the city in a faster, more convenient way, and it turns the loop into a parking lot). In Raleigh, this loop is called 440 or the “Beltline.”
Currently, the lanes of 440 closer to the city, that run clockwise, are called the “Inner Beltline.” The outer lanes, that run counter-clockwise, are called the “Outer Beltline.”
There is a bunch of politics mixed up in location relative to the beltline. Speaking in broad stereotypes (which is always fun): People whose families have been here for a long time or “Old Raleigh,” live in “historic areas” inside the beltline. Outside the beltline it’s all transplanted northerners who came down because IBM forced them to, or because they got tired of living in igloos and ice-fishing for food. Outside-the-beltliners hate inside-the-beltliners because they’re still yankees at heart and don’t want anything to do with genteel southern culture. Inside-the-beltliners dislike outside-the-beltliners because they’re still bitter about losing the Civil War.
So, as you can imagine, some Raleigh-ites take a great deal of interest and pride in exactly where things are located, relative to the Beltline. So much so, that many of them have taken to abbreviation. When something is “ITB” it means “Inside the Beltline.” OTB means “Outside the Beltline.” JITB means “Just Inside the Beltline.” JOTB means “Just Outside the Beltline.” Seriously.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. What happens when 540 is done? (Actually, Smitty, I have to give you credit for raising this question originally). 540, a second “beltline,” is in construction around Raleigh, on the outside of 440. It will be done in just a few years. (Supposedly.)
So, what then? We decided the logical next step is to start calling all of 440 the “Inner Beltline” and all of 540 the “Outer Beltline.”
Taking this ridiculousness a step further: The city-side, clock-wise lane of 440 becomes the “Inner-Inner Beltline,” the counter-clockwise lane of 440 becomes the “Outer-Inner Beltline.” The clock-wise “inner lane” of 540 will be the “Inner-Outer Beltline.” The counter-clockwise lane of 540 will be the “Outer-Outer Beltline.”
Oh, and the abbreviations:
- ITIB=Inside the Inner Beltline
- JITIB=Just Inside the Inner Beltline
- JOTIB=Just Outside the Inner Beltline
- ITOB (aka OTIB)=Inside the Outer Beltline (aka Outside the Inner Beltline)
- JITOB=Just Inside the Outer Beltline
- JOTOB=Just Outside the Outer Beltline
- OTOB (aka IL)=Outside the Outer Beltline (aka In Louisburg)
Yes, these are the types of things I spend my free time thinking about.
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