Interstate tales

Of all the things that I have done in the past 2 years, road trips have given me more joy than any other thing. Interstate + Music + Good friends form a very potent combination for entertainment and learning on these long trips. Probably the best music & the best conversation that I have had were done while cruising at 85 mph on I-80.

Though I am very passionate about cars and driving, I am not one of those fanatic motor-heads. Driving on interstate always makes me marvel about the convenient transportation system existing in this country. You could get your car out of your driveway and practically drive to any corner of the country - there is asphalt to be followed almost everywhere. You dont even need to be a whiz kid to decipher directions. So long as you can read the following words EAST, WESt, NORTH & SOUTH, you would never get lost. For the talented ones, who still veer of from their path, directions are just one exit away - the nearest gas station.

You find all kinds of drivers on the road. There are the aggressives ones on their Mustangs and Cougars who imagine themself to be driving in some Autobahn in Germany. If you are being tailgated by one of these, its sensible to yeild. There are some big 4x4's who are as agressive. They compensate for lesser power by their size - and on the road "might is right". (Believe me you dont want your 2000 lb Corolla being tailgated by a 10000 lb F-150). Typical speed range from 85 mph - 100 mph.

Then there are the sensible ones who would be driving not more than 10 mph above speed limit. I guess the majority of the population falls into this category. Ever since my ticket I have downgraded myself to this category. Life is much more relaxed at 70 mph.

The next category belongs to all those old ladies driving their Buicks at 55-60 mph. As Seinfield once said, shouldn't these people be hurrying more than anyone else cause they have so much less time to live than others :) God bless you, If you are stuck in a 1 laned highway behind a vehicle in this category.

The Mack trucks belong to the last category. I have always been in awe of these trucks, and I dream of driving one of these one day. They are slow, they are huge, sometimes they block all the lanes ( when one ambitious Mack tries to overtake other Mack), but if not for them there would be no traffic on the Interstate.