THE

So, I was all lost and shit in California. Trying my hardest not to look like the geeky midwest tourist, I asked the chick at the gas station how to head north out of town. She says, take "the" 86 and then take "the" 5. The. Why don't people in my language world use "The" when talking about roads? Have the roads in Cali been knighted? Are they sired with proper titles? Why does an article of speech make me feel alone, searching for friends?