Adventures in something other than navigation (the sequel)

Homeward bound, on a nice wide interstate. Ahead is one of those electronic signs. This far from a major city, they usually say things like "TEST" or "DRIVE CAREFULLY." Right now, though, this one says "ACCIDENT AHEAD, MILE MARKER 234, LEFT LANE BLOCKED."

Since I'm in the right lane, I figure I've already done my part for traffic flow. Then I see an exit ahead. And traffic at a standstill right beside it. And the accident is still twelve miles away.

Fortunately there's a truck stop at the exit. I slip off and park, picking a place where I can see the cars go by--or sit there, as the case may be. Might as well wait it out, right?

Forty-five minutes later I start to wonder. Cars and trucks sit still for minutes at a time, then move slowly forward. The end of the line moves almost out of sight, then everything stops and the line reaches my exit once more.

The fourth of fifth time, the stoppage moves way out of sight, and the traffic keeps moving--slowly--for a good five or ten minutes. Guess it's starting to clear up, I say, and start the truck. Out of the truck stop parking lot, down the road to the entrance ramp, and down onto the Interstate--just in time to see everything grind to a halt again.

I cover twelve miles in the next two hours.

Remember that game I told you about some time back? Seeing how far you can get in slow traffic without stopping? It's kept me sane today. That and thinking how it could have been worse. You see, I think I saw that accident site. Several hours earlier, going the other way.

A place where the median widened, and a stand of trees grew in the middle of it. And a tractor trailer had apparently gone straight when the highway curved outward. Plowed into the trees, flipped over, and caught fire, starting a fire in the trees as well.

And sure enough, that's where the tie-up is. Emergency vehicles are still clustered around the spot. The semi has been moved, finally, but the cleanup is still underway. Environmental crews, maybe. There was a diesel fuel spill at the very least.

I remember the truck, on its side, just frame and engine. The cab completely gone.

*****

(Epilogue of sorts)
The tie-up slowed me down just enough to put me into a Major Metropolitan Area right at the beginning of rush hour. Another long slow pull--slow enough that I barely had half an hour left on the "clock" when I pulled into my home terminal. A little slower and I'd have had to find a rest area for the night and come the rest of the way tomorrow.

We're supposed to eat Thanksgiving dinner with friends. At lunchtime. I was that close to missing the holiday.

Hard to complain, though. Not after what I passed. Maybe I should be going over my thank-you-Lord list instead.