The hell that is Thanksgiving Travel

Kitsune · 12-01-2003, 01:15 PM

An RV fire, two cars rolled off the road, nine accidents, countless broken down vehicles, clogged traffic at junctions, waiting in line for gasoline, and fighting for parking spots at the rest areas.

All this was the hell that was Interstate 75 from Atlanta to Tampa, yesterday. 480 miles, a trip that normally takes seven hours, took eleven.

Did anyone have better luck flying? Anyone have a similar experience on the road?

wolf · 12-01-2003, 01:18 PM

I intentionally didn't drive any further than Norristown (abotu 10 miles to work) on the holiday, which was actually a pretty sweet drive at 1530 hrs, much better than usual, better even than typical weekend traffic.

Elspode · 12-01-2003, 09:01 PM

I flew KC to Austin on Sunday. KCI was real crowded, but everything went very, very smoothly. Flights on time, airports crowded but entirely manageable. I really expected worse. The planes were completely full, of course, but I give Southwest Airlines high marks all the way around.

elSicomoro · 12-01-2003, 09:12 PM

I drove up to the grocery store on Thursday--a distance of about 4 blocks. Traffic seemed lighter than normal, which basically means there was no one out.

Skunks · 12-02-2003, 12:36 AM

Yeah, I drove to the store on Thanksgiving, too. It was pretty empty.

Needed...Yeast, CDRs, and some face lotion for my sister. Or something like that.

SteveDallas · 12-02-2003, 08:36 AM

We actually went to the mall on Saturday afternoon. This is something of a tradition, because we've learned that all the power shoppers are shopped out, and by this time we're ready to go somewhere. So we usually go and get the kids' picture taken with Santa for the Christmas cards. Sure enough, we got there and there was no line for Santa. Even the toy store wasn't crowded--we forgot the following day was the deadline for handing in donated toys at church, another reason we HAD to go out on Saturday.

I think all this super-early shopping on Black Friday just started recently. My mom used to moonlight at Sears about 20 years ago, and they opened at 6AM. She said hardly a single person showed up. Maybe people just hadn't been brainwashed yet.

Kitsune · 12-02-2003, 01:03 PM

I refuse, much against the forceful shovings of my family, to go shopping the Friday or weekend that follows Thanksgiving. The malls of Atlanta traditionally become quamires of shoppers seeping into every corner of the stores and they fight (sometimes coming to blows) over parking spaces.

Yet, they supposedly aren't the busiest shopping days of the year.

Madness.

russotto · 12-03-2003, 10:08 AM

I flew out Thursday, back Tuesday. No problems. Well, a long line at the counter on Tuesday, but that was apparently because the number of Problem Passengers exceeded the number of agents.

xoxoxoBruce · 12-03-2003, 07:34 PM

COP- Didn't you see me?
ME- Uh huh, talking to that other cop on the median.
COP- I clocked you at 79 in a 55mph zone, why didn't you slow down?
ME- Uh, I didn't think I was going that fast. (I couldn't very well say,"I did.... A LOT!")
He let me go with a $42 seat belt ticket.

Kitsune · 12-03-2003, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by xoxoxoBruce
ME- Uh, I didn't think I was going that fast. (I couldn't very well say,"I did.... A LOT!")
He let me go with a $42 seat belt ticket.

Damn lucky!

I've not yet been fined for speeding, but the question I've always rolled around in my head when I do pass a speed trap: what do you answer to the standard "do you know how fast you were going" question?

1. "Yes. I was doing 70 in a 55. I'm sorry." Ticket probably happens.

2. "No, I don't." This one is tricky. If you answer 'no', do you have the possibility of getting charged for reckless? If you don't know how fast you were going, clearly you were driving dangerously.

3. "Yes, I was doing 70. What is the speed limit here?" Again, if you don't know the speed limit, this could be a really bad answer.

I did get a verbal warning, once. The area I live in is notorious for speed traps and they even have two signs in some places, the second one being a large, "oversize" speed limit sign with giant print. My answer: I knew how fast I was going, which was 45mph. Luckily I had a good excuse -- I was moving and wasn't familiar with the area, to which the cop responded by explaining that I must have been blind to not have seen the two signs reading '35'. He let me go, somehow. Maybe it was my sweet smile, or maybe I was showing some leg...

xoxoxoBruce · 12-04-2003, 12:35 AM

Quote:

If you don't know how fast you were going, clearly you were driving dangerously.

Absolutely not true. If I put a piece of tape over your speedometer, you can't drive safely? That's preposterous. As a matter of fact I'll go farther than that. You can drive more safely NOT knowing your speed. If you can see the speedometer then you rationalize. Well, I'm doing 40 mph and that should be OK for these conditions. You could very well rationalize yourself into a tree. Whereas if you go by gut feeling the car and your experience will tell you if your driving safely. The car will give you a hundred tactile sensations that you may not even be aware of but your brain processes to assess your situation. The sum total is your gut feeling which is much more trustworthy than your brain rationalizing a number. If it feels right it is right.

But it may not be legal.

12-01-2003, 01:15 PM	#1
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	The hell that is Thanksgiving Travel An RV fire, two cars rolled off the road, nine accidents, countless broken down vehicles, clogged traffic at junctions, waiting in line for gasoline, and fighting for parking spots at the rest areas. All this was the hell that was Interstate 75 from Atlanta to Tampa, yesterday. 480 miles, a trip that normally takes seven hours, took eleven. Did anyone have better luck flying? Anyone have a similar experience on the road?

12-01-2003, 01:18 PM	#2
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I intentionally didn't drive any further than Norristown (abotu 10 miles to work) on the holiday, which was actually a pretty sweet drive at 1530 hrs, much better than usual, better even than typical weekend traffic. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

12-01-2003, 09:01 PM	#3
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	I flew KC to Austin on Sunday. KCI was real crowded, but everything went very, very smoothly. Flights on time, airports crowded but entirely manageable. I really expected worse. The planes were completely full, of course, but I give Southwest Airlines high marks all the way around. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

12-03-2003, 07:34 PM	#9
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	COP- Didn't you see me? ME- Uh huh, talking to that other cop on the median. COP- I clocked you at 79 in a 55mph zone, why didn't you slow down? ME- Uh, I didn't think I was going that fast. (I couldn't very well say,"I did.... A LOT!") He let me go with a $42 seat belt ticket. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

12-01-2003, 09:12 PM	#4
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	I drove up to the grocery store on Thursday--a distance of about 4 blocks. Traffic seemed lighter than normal, which basically means there was no one out.

12-02-2003, 12:36 AM	#5
Skunks I thought I changed this. Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: western nowhere, ny Posts: 412	Yeah, I drove to the store on Thanksgiving, too. It was pretty empty. Needed...Yeast, CDRs, and some face lotion for my sister. Or something like that.

12-02-2003, 08:36 AM	#6
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	We actually went to the mall on Saturday afternoon. This is something of a tradition, because we've learned that all the power shoppers are shopped out, and by this time we're ready to go somewhere. So we usually go and get the kids' picture taken with Santa for the Christmas cards. Sure enough, we got there and there was no line for Santa. Even the toy store wasn't crowded--we forgot the following day was the deadline for handing in donated toys at church, another reason we HAD to go out on Saturday. I think all this super-early shopping on Black Friday just started recently. My mom used to moonlight at Sears about 20 years ago, and they opened at 6AM. She said hardly a single person showed up. Maybe people just hadn't been brainwashed yet.

12-02-2003, 01:03 PM	#7
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	I refuse, much against the forceful shovings of my family, to go shopping the Friday or weekend that follows Thanksgiving. The malls of Atlanta traditionally become quamires of shoppers seeping into every corner of the stores and they fight (sometimes coming to blows) over parking spaces. Yet, they supposedly aren't the busiest shopping days of the year. Madness.

12-03-2003, 10:08 AM	#8
russotto Professor Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,788	I flew out Thursday, back Tuesday. No problems. Well, a long line at the counter on Tuesday, but that was apparently because the number of Problem Passengers exceeded the number of agents.

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