Weekend Drive.... almost the end!
Imagine this, you go an a drive to another city.. almost 350+ miles each way. You start out after a mild snow the previous two days... all is well, weather is beautiful. Two days later, on your way back.... it's a totally different story... your journey takes you through some pretty scenic mountain terrain..... FILLED WITH FOG! Why? The weather is great the last two days, but it's been raining non-stop for the last couple of hours and the visibility is just awesome.... 40 feet tops! Let's make things a little sweet... you are on one of the most heaviliy used truck routes in the country and there are tractor trailers doing 70 miles an hour! Not sweet enough for you???? You are driving with your family in the car - yeah, car.... sedan....not an SUV or a trcuk which might be better visible!! And to top it off, your 5 month old baby is in the car with you!
Hmmm.... You can't see more than 40 feet ahead, your high beam head light is useless & you better not park to a side with your emergency blinkers on...an oncoming trailer might not see it in time to stop or avoid! I got a brilliant idea... Follow one of the tractor trailers... they have a better visibility, sitting at that height and the reflectors behind can guide me! Woohoo, it was one of the craziest things I have ever done. Hey, it was safer than sitting on the side of the road, waiting for the fog to clear, praying that a tractor trailer sees me in time to avoid smashing my car! And to top it off, I read the news the next day that the fog did not clear for almost 5-6 hours.... That would have been a really long prayer!
For the next 80 miles or so, it was a pinball ride, pinging from the rear of one trailer to the next! Every time a trailer moves off the road I was taking, slow down for a trailer to overtake me and start following it! An hour and half of twisting undulating mountain terrain and all that was in my view was my trusty GPS guiding me and the rear of tractor trailers telling me that I am right on track :-p
Check the terrain on this drive!! Click me :)
Would I do that again?? Not if you paid me enough!
Hmmm.... You can't see more than 40 feet ahead, your high beam head light is useless & you better not park to a side with your emergency blinkers on...an oncoming trailer might not see it in time to stop or avoid! I got a brilliant idea... Follow one of the tractor trailers... they have a better visibility, sitting at that height and the reflectors behind can guide me! Woohoo, it was one of the craziest things I have ever done. Hey, it was safer than sitting on the side of the road, waiting for the fog to clear, praying that a tractor trailer sees me in time to avoid smashing my car! And to top it off, I read the news the next day that the fog did not clear for almost 5-6 hours.... That would have been a really long prayer!
For the next 80 miles or so, it was a pinball ride, pinging from the rear of one trailer to the next! Every time a trailer moves off the road I was taking, slow down for a trailer to overtake me and start following it! An hour and half of twisting undulating mountain terrain and all that was in my view was my trusty GPS guiding me and the rear of tractor trailers telling me that I am right on track :-p
Check the terrain on this drive!! Click me :)
Would I do that again?? Not if you paid me enough!
posted by beekay at 7:19 AM
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