I was driving my daughter to a friends house this afternoon and on the way back spied a photo opportunity that I could not pass up. Sometimes, all that’s needed is the picture and not many words. So I guess I’ll just stop here and say it again….what part of S…T…O…P, did they not understand. Hopefully no one was injured!
Everything else pertaining to this blog and commuting.
Nov
07
What part of STOP did you not understand?
Nov
01
Hauling from A to Bee.
It was one of those dreamy days, the temperature was moderate, sun shining and a slight breeze. I had just gotten off work and was looking forward to a long but leisurely drive home.
Sometimes I don’t mind the drive, if traffic is at least moving and I can listen to some good music on my IPod or a book on tape.
One of the nice things about long commutes is that you see things that you would never see and never even imagine. Things that you just would not wonder about, because you have too many other crazy things on your mind. So here is the question….have you ever wondered how or even why, someone would want to move a semi-tractor trailer full of bee hives across the country? Well, I guess it’s not different from hauling cattle, sheep or chickens, except for one little thing…cattle, sheep and chickens stay put! They stay in the pen, they don’t have wings and so they can’t fly. However, on this fine day, as I came up close to a green cloth covered truck, I could see movement, lots of movement around the truck, on top, to the sides and all around it.
Yes, it was a swarm of bees and every time the truck stopped in traffic, the bees swarmed all around it, and all around the cars that were nearby. I mean, I had nearly 50 to 100 bees flying around my windshield, just as I sat parked next to this thing. I was more amazed than alarmed. However, had I been the driver next to me with my convertible top down, I suppose I would have been plenty alarmed and maybe even down right terrified. I thought quickly….hope that guy doesn’t have a bee allergy and if he does, I hope he has his epi-pen at the ready!
So here you have it, now you know something you may not have known before….yes they move truck-loads of bees. So BEE-careful and BEE-aware.
Aug
25
Driving Through Atlanta, Different than Bypass
Driving through Atlanta
You might think….a commute is a commute is a commute. Not so. Not by a long shot, as I found out the other day when it so happened that I needed to use 85 south rather than my usual route via the 285 bypass.
First of all, there are alot more a**holes driving this route than the other. Yes, there you have it, I blurted it right out…..no pussy-footing around the bush! There are also several more exits that exit not just right, but left off the interstate and at times this can be quite confusing….but let me get back to the a**holes. Using your turn signal means something totally different when driving through Atlanta, in most civilized areas of the commuter world, a driver, upon seeing one’s turn signal, might just slow a bit and allow that driver to safely merge in front of them, but not here….oh no-sir-ee! You put your turn signal on, and that will guarantee that the a**hole behind you “floors the gas pedal,” to speed by you before you can get in front of him/her.
And there is no such thing as defensive driving and an assured clear distance when it comes to driving through the city of Atlanta. Just try to keep two car lengths in between you and the driver in front of you…..just in case he has to slam on his brakes, and you want enough time to not slide into him…..no, the a**hole in the BMW will most certainly weave in that little space and as soon as he can, cut off some other non-suspecting and law-abiding driver.
So good luck out there in the commuter jungle, keep safe and if you have something to add or you are one of those inconsiderate BMW drivers, please comment with your apology.
Aug
17
Teen Drivers…give them some room.
- My teenager driving
I guess it was at the “About Me,” post when I started this blog and promised I would eventually tell some stories about my children and their driving habits.
Well, sitting behind the wheel of Cherry Bomb, the name she gave my cherry red Mustang is Mandy. She is 15 years old and recently got her learner’s permit to drive. Now, many of you out there in bloggersville, might say, what the hell are you doing, letting her drive a muscle-car like that. I guess I just trust her. However it wasn’t that long ago that she was just learning and I let her take the wheel and while I was patiently instructing her to move closer to the middle line in the road, away from the mail-boxes….I evidently used the wrong terminology and she did, in fact, graze a mailbox with the side mirror. Thank goodness….no damage to car nor mailbox.
After that, we had to be clear on what language would be used for instructions. Along with instructing your young driver, I would ask my readers to be aware of other young drivers….it’s really too bad there is not some sort of magnet I can put on the car that says “NEW DRIVER…..STAY BACK.”
She really is a pretty good driver, it’s just the backing up…..direction to turn the wheels that gets her a little flustered and me a little worried when backing out of tight parking spaces. There should be Teen Parking Spaces, like for the Handicapped…but for now, we will just walk a little farther and park in the open spaces.
If you have a new driver in your house…I’d love to hear a comment!
Aug
04
Overturned Truck starts my Day
Truck on side
As I started my commute into the city of Atlanta this morning, I noticed that traffic was much slower than usual. Seeing a semi-tractor trailer on it’s side is always a “show-stopper.” Lots of rubber-neckers slowing down to see what the hell is going on at the side of the road. It certainly didn’t help that there was tons of interior truck debris all over the road as well.
I’m not sure what he was hauling, but they were big blue boxes of “stuff,” piled up all over the side of 285 W. It’s always interesting to speculate on how someone is able to get their 18-wheeler on it’s side. Did he fall asleep? Did he cut someone off? Did someone in a small souped-up Honda Accord cut him off? Was it a motorcycle? Or maybe he was trying to avoid a deer. Who knows, all I know is, it effected my morning commute in a very negative way. That’s why I hate my commute. If you hate yours, please comment! Happy Commuting. Stay safe out there!
