Using directory-reserved paths in Drupal

[There is no current general resolution to using directory-reserved paths, but it's surely possible with custom Apache rewrite rules-- apparently everyone concludes (as i am right now) that it's not worth the effort!]

Partial Resolution

To .htaccess, add:

    # Allow the modules path to be used by Drupal for the modules chapter.
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/modules/?$
    RewriteRule ^ index.php [L]

Description of Problem / History of Search for Solution

is there any way around not being able to have a path alias of, say, 'modules' because Apache doesn't want to let anyone look in the /modules/ directory?

[fellow Drupalista on IRC]: mlncn: i ran into that problem with /sites/ the other day, but i didnt bother working on it, just worked around it :\
12:32 mlncn: yeah, i cannot believe i'm not finding anyone even asking about it in my searches. I do know i've relied on this behavior to allow static sites to live within a Drupal directory. They'll take precedence
12:33 mlncn: but... a path named 'sites' or 'themes' not possible? that's just not cool.

12:40 mlncn: stefan-agaric: how much of a headache would it be special-casing an apache rule/redirect to allow /modules on dgd7.org to go to the modules chapter rather than the 403 forbidden directory? Should i just use tamft as the alias instead?

13:03 stefan-agaric: mlncn, what is the redirect you would like to enable?
13:04 mlncn: stefan-agaric: I'd like http://definitivedrupal.org/modules to go to http://definitivedrupal.org/node/58 (but still be aliased...)
13:05 stefan-agaric: ??
13:05 stefan-agaric: modules as path alais for node/58?
13:06 stefan-agaric: no, you want to remove the path alias?
13:06 mlncn: stefan-agaric: go to the first link and tell me what you see :-)
13:07 stefan-agaric: you get a 403 from Apache.
13:08 mlncn: And that is the problem i'm trying to work around. As i'm finding nothing in searches, i don't imagine there's an easy way to get /modules to act like a normal path alias. But i don't see anyone even posing the question!

13:09 stefan-agaric: well, module is in the reg exp of the .htaccess
13:09 stefan-agaric: that's one of the disadvantages of having the code in the docroot.
13:09 mlncn: stefan-agaric: .module is, but not the modules directory?
13:09 mlncn: stefan-agaric: it is indeed
13:10 stefan-agaric: but you are right, it must be unrelated.
13:11 stefan-agaric: I can check on simone
13:12 mlncn: stefan-agaric: ok, let's not spend any time on this until a client insists that something be at path /sites or something. But i'm amazed i'm not finding people writing about running into this.