Thanks Giving

I decided to join the millions of people who decided to travel this past Wednesday. I was not about to pay the outrages air fare prices however, especially when the destination was about 250 miles away; no sir not me! There are certain risks that one assumes when they hit the highways however, and one of them is the potential of getting a speeding ticket. This of course is in direct relation to making good time. I read an amusing article about making good time on road trips at Something Awful

Anyhow my trek there was pretty easy, done in the day time so I could at the very least spot highway patrol a little easier. This was not the case when I decided to leave at ten o'clock to head back home. I wanted to make good time and was going between 75 and 80 miles per hour, which really isn't so bad when the posted speed limit is 70. Anyhow a truck passed me, and had a visible radar detector, great I think - simply follow this guy and I should be ok.

Wrong again! The truck weight station was on the right side, and all of the sudden I see the trucks brake lights light up like Christmas tree lights, so of course I step on mine. I gaze into my rearview mirror only to find a patrol car was planted behind one of the buildings at the weight station to trap people. He flashed his spotlight at me, which I interpreted as a sign to "slow down". I immediately realized the guy I was counting on to keep me out of any sort of tickets was unreliable.

So I accept the responsibility for my actions and continue on making good time when an old Nissan Nx comes passing me. He had been on my tail for a while, but he too had a radar detector. I rolled the dice again and cruised behind him. We were going about 80, and then I see him slow down some - I of course follow suit and sure enough there was a cop ahead with some poor sap pulled over. Yay! This guy actually knows how to use this thing, and it is has good results thus far.

Right about the time I gain a little confidence in it, we slow down again to find an officer on the east bound lanes finishing up a traffic stop. I look in the rearview only to see him pulling his patrol car over the median and onto the west bound side. *Gulp* I immediately think the worse and slow to the posted 65 mph speed (night time). I think I am pinched for sure, until he zooms passed me to catch up with the guy with the radar detector. Next thing I know that guy is being pulled over.

So I decided to take it easy for the rest of the way back to avoid any sort of run in with the law. They were out for fresh meat that night, and I did not want to be their next prey. I can imagine them gathering at the local Exxon to chuckle about how they instilled fear into the hopeful eyes of the driver in violation of the law only because there is a desperate hope they may only receive a warning for their infraction. Ha, not from this crew, but luckily I got away with making good time even after my short bursts when I topped 100 mph.