Parking-lot scenery

Hope I'm not boring you, the way I keep harping on the fall color.

It seems to have hit its stride, finally. A bit subdued this year, though. Or so it seems—that may just be the clouds and fog and drizzle. Maybe when the sun comes out...

It was still lovely today. And last night, I sat in the passenger seat and watched the color fade until the streetlights were all the light there was.

I don't get to do that often.

Usually I pull into a truck stop at the crack of dusk. In the summer there's more light, of course, but I still don't see much. Just acres of asphalt, dozens (or hundreds) of trucks, the pervasive rumble of idling engines, and the faint smell of diesel fuel and stale urine.

The scenery, generally speaking, is thataway. To see it, you would have to park nose-first, and back out in the morning. This is usually a Bad Idea.

I've discussed the perils of backing one of these things, especially backing it in any kind of a curve. Much of the danger involves visibility—seeing where you're going is a real challenge when all you have is a bunch of mirrors at greater than arm's length.

Now imagine doing it when you can't see out your side windows either.

Even in a car it's daunting. Think of backing out of a parking space at a busy mall, with delivery vans parked on both sides. You can't see anything until you clear their bumpers—at which time you're right in the middle of the lane.

Got that?

Now imagine your minivan is 75-80 feet long.

That's why we back into parking spaces. You can see to back in. You can't see to back out.

The only time you can park nose-in with a tractor-trailer is when you'll have an absolutely straight shot backing out. No row of trucks behind you. No cross traffic. Nothing you can hit, nothing that will hit you. A rare and glorious thing.

And it is glorious. Your cab is by your neighbors' back doors, far from passing eyes and rumbling engines. No need to draw the curtains—everybody that might see you is back there.

And if you're lucky, there's a view.

Like last night. I wasn't that lucky this time—I backed in the normal way, and before me is a vista of parked trucks. But what the heck, the drive here was gorgeous.

G'nite.