Road Trip

Work required that I drive to St. Paul, Minnesota for a meeting. A one hour meeting. Eleven hours in a car for a one hour meeting. That's a lot of windshield time and here are some of the things that I observed;

1) No question that cell phone use by drivers is a hazard. Each time I saw a car swerve or make some other unexpected move the driver was on a cell phone. The amazing thing is that they didn't even seem to notice that they were driving erratically. As I passed them they were motioning with their free hand as an animation to the conversation, completely oblivious to the fact that they were controlling (as it were) a ton and a half chuck of steel traveling at 70 mph (that's a lot of misunderstood kinetic energy). People, please; when you're on a phone the listener cannot see you, no need to make gestures. You're having a tough time keeping the car under control as it is. I've never been one to advocate government regulation of activities but from what I saw these past two days something has got to be done. Why not a simple "hands free" rule whereby drivers must use a hands free set-up if they're going to be on the phone. I know, I know, I've heard the arguments about eating, smoking, reading (I once saw a semi driver reading a paperback book while behind the wheel), yelling at the kids, looking at maps, etc. And you may argue that inattentive driving is inattentive driving but in my observations nothing is as universal as drivers and cell phones. Has your experience been different?

2) The police, state troopers and sheriff's were out in force. I don't think I went ten miles without seeing one hidden in the bushes or already handing out a ticket. What gives? The end of the month my friends. I'm not buying the, "we don't have ticket quotas" crap that we hear from time to time from highway patrol departments. I love cops. Really, I do. They make our world a much safer place and they often lay it on the line for us. But come on! Are they suggesting that drivers speed more at the end of every month? I drove to the Twin Cities in the middle of last month and I don't think I saw a trooper during the entire 700 mile trip. And another thing, I think that they should be 'patrolling', not hiding in the bushes.

3) It was warm and sunny and that brings out the convertibles. Why is it that the convertibles on television and in movies always contain a sweet looking blond but all I saw in them were over-weight, middle-aged, bald guys? And why do over-weight, middle-aged, bald guys buy these cars in the first place? A hot chick can get away with driving a Pontiac Sundance convertible. These guys just looked pathetic. Maybe there's something about having the wind blow over your bald spot that I just don't get.

4) I dislike drivers that are happy to sit 15 feet off your stern if you're speeding along slightly above the posted speed limit but will slow down as soon as you do and will never get in front. I guess their thinking is that if two cars are going 80 mph the guy in the lead car will get the ticket. Has it ever occurred to them that when we blast by the cop hiding in the bushes the guy in the rear is the closest to the trooper as he's trying to catch up? Driving is like cycling, you need to take turns at the front, it's only fair.

5) The monuments in Wisconsin are down right embarrassing. London has Big Ben, Paris has the Eiffel Tower, Seattle has the Space Needle. Look at what I saw here in Wisconsin, and remember, these were the highlights;







I do like the fact that the 'artist' that designed the bull (that's the animal in the last photo for you city slickers) so that he looked very mean. Although I don't get why he's sporting a halter.

6) A joke; four ex-presidents find themselves standing in front of the great and powerful Wizard of Oz. The Wizard grants each of them one wish. Jimmy Carter says, "I wish I had the nerve". Ronald Reagan says, "I wish I had a heart". George Bush says, "I wish I had a brain". Bill Clinton says, "Where's that Dorothy?".