I’m on the road and just wanted to make a couple of observations. Nothing political, just notes from the road.
I headed out this morning down towards Big Sky and West Yellowstone with the ultimate initial goal being Phoenix in a couple of days. I was originally going to ride my Harley but a bout of sanity came over me and I am driving my SUV instead. In any case, this morning I was following a semi on the road between Big Sky and West Yellowstone when a deer just appeared from nowhere and jumped right in front of the semi while trying to cross the road. The trucker had no time to react and hit the deer full force and sent it flying. The trucker slowed down and pulled off at a turnout a little ways up the road. I have no idea what kind of damage the truck sustained but I’m pretty certain the deer was killed. The whole thing was pretty ugly.
Had it not been for the semi, maybe I would have hit it – and that would have been really bad. A lot of people don’t realize how fast a deer ( or elk) can just appear and how much damage they can do to a car if they get hit. So, just a word to the wise when you’re traveling through game country, keep the old eyes peeled. It can happen fast – I saw it right in front of me.
Which brings me to my next observation. It appears to me that most people driving cars have flunked or not taken physics class. This, in combination with the fact that most people seem more interested in getting from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible rather than just enjoying the journey between Point A and Point B, increases both the stress of driving and the probability of accidents.
There is a stretch of highway between Big Sky and West Yellowstone that actually cuts through Yellowstone Park. The speed limit on this section is posted ( frequently) at 55 mph. And why is it 55 mph? Because there are also tons of signs warning of the possibility of animals on the road – like the deer that got hit a few miles before! I often drive with my cruise control on and through this stretch I set my cruise control at 58, a nice compromise I thought, and thought I’d check out the scenery to perhaps spot a moose grazing or see a deer before it leapt into the road. You’d have thought, rather than driving through a corner of Yellowstone Park with an opportunity to see wildlife, we were at Le Mans!
People would sit on my ass, and this is where the physics comes in, they would not have had a prayer of avoiding me if I would have had to slam on my brakes for an animal. What the hell? I actually saw a guy up ahead of me pull out, cross a double yellow line, and almost play chicken with a car coming the other way, just to get around a truck which was going the speed limit AND there was a signing notifying of a passing lane in one mile! Lunacy.
The last observation from today – the higher the posted speed limit, the higher the probability someone will tailgate you! I swear, people would actually be closer when doing 80 mph than when the speed limit was 55 or 60.
But, in spite of all that, it was a pretty easy drive. I don’t fight with the crazies. I just get out of the way and try to enjoy the scenery and the music! That said, I’m glad I decided to leave the Harley home for this trip.