Stories from the Road

Debi

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MY GRANDSON IS LEARNING TO DRIVE. HE'S ALREADY GOT SOME STORIES OF "OTHER" DRIVERS OUT THERE...LOL. TELL ME YOUR DRIVING STORIES! GOOD DRIVERS, BAD DRIVERS, HELP ON THE ROAD, CRAZY ROAD TRIPS! LET'S HEAR ABOUT YOUR ROAD WARRIOR ADVENTURES!

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I haven't done much driving in the past six months, but I enjoy going for a Sunday drive on the back roads of Virginia and West Virginia. My home is near the border of the two states. There is nothing better than to discover what's just around the bend. Yes, as an experienced driver, I often put the mechanics of driving on auto-pilot, so that I can explore the countryside. I am confident that with today's technology, my cell phone and GPS can direct me back to civilization should I get totally lost. When you do hit a small town, I look for that restaurant called " Food" or "Diner" or "eat" and get the daily special.

Today, I do a similar thing with my bicycle, exploring the dirt paths and bike trails near my house. I have gotten lost a few times or stuck in the mud or hit unpassably wet marshes and had to back track. Its part of exploration.
 
One thing that comes to mind was a very late night I was driving a brand new car on I-95. After years of clunkers while I was in college, it was a real treat. I hadn't realized just how fast I was going, zipping past other drivers and playing Pink Floyd loudly. I knew that the last time I had looked at the speedometer, I was well over 70 mph. I got annoyed at a huge eighteen wheeler blocking me in front. So I tried to zip around it, but there were more on each side of me. Furious, since it was three lanes, I realized that I was temporarily boxed in. Only later on did I realized that these drivers had been guided to slow me down and had possibly prevented an accident.
 
My Peoria son owned a Trans Am for a bit. And he has a lead foot. One day he was visiting and decided to take me on a ride. OMG....over 100 mph. As I'm screaming at him to slow down, he just whipped on down the road like he couldn't hear me. Once we got home, I took my very large purse and walloped him with it. And, two months and several tickets later, his wife made him sell that car!

He's now teaching his own son to drive. I reminded him of this little incident yesterday during our phone call. His response was "My kid ever does that I'll do more than hit him with a rock filled purse." Funny how that change in attitude happens when it's your own kid behind the wheel. :p
 
I love driving! I drive as much as I can. (As a side note; the idea of self driving cars sounds like torture, a living nightmare from which I would never awake. ) When I was 18 I moved out of my parents house in California and drove cross country to start a new life in Tennessee. In Tennessee I joined the Army and was stationed in Arizona and later Texas. During this time I would drive back and forth from whatever State I was in to either California or Tennessee to see family and friends. Even now I live in Colorado and have made those same drives to visit not just my own but also my wife's friends and family. So, yes I have lots of road stories.

In Tennessee I was driving home from work one night along a country highway. I'm not sure what the speed limit was but I keeping with the pace of traffic so I didn't worry about it. As I was coming up to an exit all the other cars slowed down and I assumed they were just all getting off the highway. About a minute later there's flashing lights behind me and all the other cars are passing me as I pulled over. I quickly switched the radio to the country music station and put on my fake Tennessee accent and told the officer "I's really sor'y officer. T'wern't meaning to be driv'n so dern fast. Was just going along with er'yone else and guess'n they sawd you afore I did." The officer replied "You was leadin' the pack boy!" I again apologized and said "I really ain't in no hurry, ain't like no pig been born or nothin'." The officer just laughed, walked back to his squad car and drove off. I took that as my que to leave. Later my local friends told me that there's always a cop hanging out at that exit and everyone knows to slow down there.

I was driving with a buddy of mine in California and needed to stop for gas. He went into the convenience store and I started filling up the gas tank. A homeless looking man in his mid 20's walked up to me and asked if I had a dollar. I told him No and he said "That's okay. Do you know what I was gonna do with that dollar if you had one?" Judging by how he smelled I guessed he was going to buy alcohol. He smiled really big and said "That's right!" before giving me his opinions on the various brands of malt liquor. Then he stopped, looked me straight in the eyes and asked "Do you believe in God?" My first instinct was to adjust my feet and body into a fighting stance in case his next move was to pull a weapon and ask if I was ready to meet God. I then answered "Yes, I believe in God, in fact I'm saying a little prayer to him right now." He didn't try to attack me but instead asked if I knew that Jesus was God's son. I told him that I had read that in a book once. He then said "Lots of people think Jesus is going to come back to Earth someday, but I don't. He can't come back because he's here!" I asked if he meant "here" as at this gas station or just "here" on Earth in general. He got a puzzled look and said "I mean here on Earth, but ... He could be here at this gas station right now." Just to be sure I wasn't dealing with someone who needed psychiatric help I asked if he thought that he was Jesus, he laughed and said No. Then he asked if I was Jesus, I told him No. He asked if I was sure, I told him yes. He asked if I was lying to him and I told him that Jesus wouldn't lie, which he took the wrong way and thought it meant I had just admitted to being Jesus. I calmed him down and told him "Look, if I really was Jesus I wouldn't lie about it. I would let you know." He begrudgingly accepted this explaination. Just then my buddy came walking out and I told the guy "Here comes my friend so I have to go. Take care of yourself." My buddy was not in the least way religious but he did have a quirky sense of humor. He walked up to the homeless man and handed him a dollar saying "Hey man I found this dollar inside and Jesus wants me to give it to you." The man's eyes went wide, his jaw dropped and his hands started trembling as he held the dollar up staring at me. I realized that there was no way to talk myself out this one so I put my hand on his shoulder, smiled and said "I'm sorry but I really do need to go." His face was in awe and he said "I know, you have a lot of really important things to do." I then said "Can you do something for me? Can you try to be better, you know what I'm talking about." He looked down for a moment then got a look of determination and said "Yes. I will do better, I promise!" Told him "All I ask is that you try" and I got back in my truck a drove away. Part of me wonders what happened to that guy and how he's doing now. Part of me worries that when I die and am standing in front of Saint Peter at the pearly gates this incident is going to cost me. "Well let's see, you were good to children and animals. You donated to the poor and volunteered for charity work. This all looks good, except.. wait a minute. Impersonated Jesus!!?!"

The scariest road story happened along I-10 in Texas. I was driving along when suddenly a huge dust storm hit. One second it was a clear sunny day and the next a cloud of brown blew across the road and I couldn't even see the hood of my truck. My mind was racing, I couldn't see the road or the other cars. I wanted to hit the brakes and pull off to the side of the road but I couldn't see what all the other drivers were doing. Would stopping get me rear ended by the cars behind me? Would not stopping make me crash into the cars ahead of me? My mind was racing through all the options and possibilities and I was completely at a loss for what I was supposed to do. I was legitimately terrified. Suddenly the road was clear again and the huge brown dust cloud was making it's way across the desert in my rearview mirror. All the other cars were in the same place as I last saw them, meaning that nobody stopped or pulled over. Everyone did what I did, just kept driving through the dust like nothing had happened.
 
I love driving! I drive as much as I can. (As a side note; the idea of self driving cars sounds like torture, a living nightmare from which I would never awake. ) When I was 18 I moved out of my parents house in California and drove cross country to start a new life in Tennessee. In Tennessee I joined the Army and was stationed in Arizona and later Texas. During this time I would drive back and forth from whatever State I was in to either California or Tennessee to see family and friends. Even now I live in Colorado and have made those same drives to visit not just my own but also my wife's friends and family. So, yes I have lots of road stories.

In Tennessee I was driving home from work one night along a country highway. I'm not sure what the speed limit was but I keeping with the pace of traffic so I didn't worry about it. As I was coming up to an exit all the other cars slowed down and I assumed they were just all getting off the highway. About a minute later there's flashing lights behind me and all the other cars are passing me as I pulled over. I quickly switched the radio to the country music station and put on my fake Tennessee accent and told the officer "I's really sor'y officer. T'wern't meaning to be driv'n so dern fast. Was just going along with er'yone else and guess'n they sawd you afore I did." The officer replied "You was leadin' the pack boy!" I again apologized and said "I really ain't in no hurry, ain't like no pig been born or nothin'." The officer just laughed, walked back to his squad car and drove off. I took that as my que to leave. Later my local friends told me that there's always a cop hanging out at that exit and everyone knows to slow down there.

I was driving with a buddy of mine in California and needed to stop for gas. He went into the convenience store and I started filling up the gas tank. A homeless looking man in his mid 20's walked up to me and asked if I had a dollar. I told him No and he said "That's okay. Do you know what I was gonna do with that dollar if you had one?" Judging by how he smelled I guessed he was going to buy alcohol. He smiled really big and said "That's right!" before giving me his opinions on the various brands of malt liquor. Then he stopped, looked me straight in the eyes and asked "Do you believe in God?" My first instinct was to adjust my feet and body into a fighting stance in case his next move was to pull a weapon and ask if I was ready to meet God. I then answered "Yes, I believe in God, in fact I'm saying a little prayer to him right now." He didn't try to attack me but instead asked if I knew that Jesus was God's son. I told him that I had read that in a book once. He then said "Lots of people think Jesus is going to come back to Earth someday, but I don't. He can't come back because he's here!" I asked if he meant "here" as at this gas station or just "here" on Earth in general. He got a puzzled look and said "I mean here on Earth, but ... He could be here at this gas station right now." Just to be sure I wasn't dealing with someone who needed psychiatric help I asked if he thought that he was Jesus, he laughed and said No. Then he asked if I was Jesus, I told him No. He asked if I was sure, I told him yes. He asked if I was lying to him and I told him that Jesus wouldn't lie, which he took the wrong way and thought it meant I had just admitted to being Jesus. I calmed him down and told him "Look, if I really was Jesus I wouldn't lie about it. I would let you know." He begrudgingly accepted this explaination. Just then my buddy came walking out and I told the guy "Here comes my friend so I have to go. Take care of yourself." My buddy was not in the least way religious but he did have a quirky sense of humor. He walked up to the homeless man and handed him a dollar saying "Hey man I found this dollar inside and Jesus wants me to give it to you." The man's eyes went wide, his jaw dropped and his hands started trembling as he held the dollar up staring at me. I realized that there was no way to talk myself out this one so I put my hand on his shoulder, smiled and said "I'm sorry but I really do need to go." His face was in awe and he said "I know, you have a lot of really important things to do." I then said "Can you do something for me? Can you try to be better, you know what I'm talking about." He looked down for a moment then got a look of determination and said "Yes. I will do better, I promise!" Told him "All I ask is that you try" and I got back in my truck a drove away. Part of me wonders what happened to that guy and how he's doing now. Part of me worries that when I die and am standing in front of Saint Peter at the pearly gates this incident is going to cost me. "Well let's see, you were good to children and animals. You donated to the poor and volunteered for charity work. This all looks good, except.. wait a minute. Impersonated Jesus!!?!"

The scariest road story happened along I-10 in Texas. I was driving along when suddenly a huge dust storm hit. One second it was a clear sunny day and the next a cloud of brown blew across the road and I couldn't even see the hood of my truck. My mind was racing, I couldn't see the road or the other cars. I wanted to hit the brakes and pull off to the side of the road but I couldn't see what all the other drivers were doing. Would stopping get me rear ended by the cars behind me? Would not stopping make me crash into the cars ahead of me? My mind was racing through all the options and possibilities and I was completely at a loss for what I was supposed to do. I was legitimately terrified. Suddenly the road was clear again and the huge brown dust cloud was making it's way across the desert in my rearview mirror. All the other cars were in the same place as I last saw them, meaning that nobody stopped or pulled over. Everyone did what I did, just kept driving through the dust like nothing had happened.
These were great! Thanks for an interesting read.
 
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The one that sticks in my mind was about 35 years ago. I was working at a youth facility with neglected children. I had to take a sick 10 year old to the hospital in a snow storm. I of course got stuck in several feet of snow on the return trip. There were no cell phones back then and the hospital wait had been long , so it was now late in a sketchy part of town. So here I am with a very sick kid, stuck in the snow at night in a bad part of town. Just when I was ready to fall apart with despair a stranger walked up and said “NEED A PUSH”? I figured he was either going to help or rob me. The guy just walked up and helped push me out. Then walked off. This still effects me today. We made it back in one piece.
 
I remember a trip up to Coffs Harbour from Sydney when around 23 with two mates.It took us a week for a usual 8 hour drive.We decided to camp in a forest and got lost,the car broke down and we were lost for days,resorting to shooting parrots and a goanna for food.We were rescued by a car load of huge aboriginal guys with dreadlocks,almost certainly tending a crop in the bush there,lol.Scary at the time but luckily can look back and laugh at that crazy road trip.
 
I remember a trip up to Coffs Harbour from Sydney when around 23 with two mates.It took us a week for a usual 8 hour drive.We decided to camp in a forest and got lost,the car broke down and we were lost for days,resorting to shooting parrots and a goanna for food.We were rescued by a car load of huge aboriginal guys with dreadlocks,almost certainly tending a crop in the bush there,lol.Scary at the time but luckily can look back and laugh at that crazy road trip.
That sounded exciting! Great story, Oz!
 
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Well....when I lived in the countryside, I once drove for 3 miles with a flat tyre. I was aware of a continuous and unusual noise, but simply thought an aeroplane was following me... :oops: Oops!