Saturday, August 1, 2009

The Georgia Drive



I spent last week in Atlanta - drove up Sunday & back Friday night. My first sign of trouble was at the rental car counter. I'd reserved a full size vehicle. They gave me a Hyundai Sonata. "Uh... where's the rest of it?" says me. "That's all we've got!" Grudgingly I drove off in the Sonata. Thirty miles later I called the rental company thinking maybe I could dump it for something better once I reached Atlanta.

Me: "I need to swap cars in Atlanta - this one's not working out for me."

Rental dude: "What's the problem?"

Me: Uh... It shimmies between 92 & 94 mph."

Rental dude: "I suggest you slow down then. Have a nice day sir." Click

Okay - So it's me n' the Hyundai. I'd manage for a week.

Crossed into Georgia via I 75 & everything changed. A whole new Interstate kind of world. The first oddity - 3 separate pick-up trucks, all towing large wagons overflowing with watermelons, broken down on the shoulder. Maybe that doesn't sound particularly odd, but these were separate breakdowns - spread a mile or two apart.

Next surprise - Georgia must have a law that no portion of the Interstate can be left without orange barrels, concrete barricades & at least one piece of rusted construction equipment (with weeds growin' through 'em!) for any stretch longer than seven miles. Naturally the speed limit drops to TURTLE RACE. State Troopers are only too happy to double the fine - 'cause it's a construction zone dontchyaknow.

Finally - THE SIGNS. Billboards every thirty yards. Like reading one of those old-time flip comics that made the characters appear to be moving. It was easy enough to read 'em all, I was in a construction zone most of the time for cryin' out loud.


I'll admit, many of the signs, were confusing & Mapquest was no help. I should have anticipated this when Mapquest kept leaving off parts of the directions with purple question marks.

Seriously - would you figure this out in your own?



How 'bout this one?



How's your confidence holdin' up with this one?



Local kids & their families must have it tough....



Here's why they hafta run....



At least they post warnings for outta towners like me....



There's no shortage of informational signs tellin' evryone about places to eat n' sleep - lots of extended stay kinda stuff....



This sign makes my top TEN!!!



Seriously - The people in Georgia couldn't have been friendlier & the Sonata only shimmied in Florida (Hah!). For my friend Ronnie in Georgia (As Larry The Cable Guy would say) RONNIE - I apologize for this post & bless them starvin' lil' fellers in New Guinea. Amen.