Hot Pavement

Weather forecasters had predicted record-breaking temperatures. And the temperatures in Essex County, England, hit almost 98 degrees that day. Perfect weather, it seems, for county council workers to conduct roadside interviews on a main street during morning and afternoon rush hours. Heavy traffic, and people stopping drivers to survey them, helped create traffic jams up to 11 miles long, leaving motorists trapped in their vehicles for up to two hours. The drivers, of course, were more than a little upset when they found out the cause of the jams. But officials say it was all for a good cause.