A Couple of Days In Steynland
I'm scheduled to get back to Florida this week, so it was only natural that my dispatchers would send me to New Hampshire instead. Unwilling to tarnish a perfect record, today they sent me to Maine. My suspicion is that Florida immediately follows the national map in the company's atlas, and someone must have surmised that it would be easier to have me go up to the top of the national map page and then over to the Florida page from there. I guess it's fewer miles than going all the way to the bottom of the national map. If trucking dispatchers had trip-planned the voyage of Christopher Columbus, he would have discovered Antarctica instead.
Arriving in New Hampshire is its own reward, in no small measure because of the ordeal of actually driving through its southern neighbor states. In New York, on I-84, I noticed traffic becoming a bit more aggressive. People were less inclined to move over for traffic merging onto the highway. When I tried to move over as a courtesy, traffic to my left was not at all inclined to let me over. The people trying to merge seemed annoyed that I didn't move over.
In Connecticut, traffic went from aggressive to more belligerent. No one moved over for anyone, but all were decidedly ticked off when no one allowed them to merge. In Danbury, a van with a large peace sign on the back cut in front of me, missing my bumper by inches before darting in front of another vehicle in the next lane. He lurched from one lane to next, veering back and forth across the highway oblivious to the carnage he repeatedly threatened to other travelers. He must have been late for an anti-war rally.
In Massachusetts, traffic went from belligerent to a state of outright war. Lemmings follow one another to destruction, but these drivers were determined to get there before all the others. Not content to ignore merging traffic, they engaged in tactical blocking maneuvers against each other. I moved over for a lady and she flipped me off. It was like a roller derby. There was one noble car that saw my blinker lights, dropped back and flashed the headlights, signalling that it was safe for me to move over. The urge to display courtesy must have swelled mightily in that vehicle. It's a wonder the car didn't explode from it. I'll refrain from describing the make or model of the vehicle, lest its license be revoked.
Crossing the state line into New Hampshire, there are signs reminding drivers to drive with courtesy. That New Hampshire officials feel compelled to erect such signs in the first place speaks volumes. But courtesy isn't just restricted to driving in New Hampshire.
The security guard at the warehouse thanked me for delivering freight on time and helping keep him employed. The restaurant staff at the truck stop near Portsmouth were a cheerful lot. The food was excellent. Today, traffic in New Hampshire and Maine was steady, but courteous. The gentleman that came to help when I had a tire blowout on the interstate was professional and friendly. The people in the small town of Jay, Maine, do seem to smile a lot, and are quick exchange pleasantries.
I can see why Mark Steyn would want to hang his hat in this region. I suppose it takes a tough breed to survive the brutal cold that will be blanketing this region shortly. Here the people have an inner warmth, however, a warmth of character that makes me want to stay a little longer. But the freight keeps me moving, if not always in the right direction. So I press haphazardly south, but with an odd feeling of regret about putting this place in the rear view mirror. I hope to visit the top part of the map again soon.
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Comments :
Jul '10
Re: A Couple of Days In Steynland
Dave, I'm one of those "let the other driver go ahead" types. Maybe I suspect it will count against my abundant sins in the bye-and-bye.
What I've noticed is that when I wave a trucker ahead, they usually don't quite get it, as if this never happens to them. Is that right?
Edited on Oct 25, 2010 at 9:20pmSep '10
Re: A Couple of Days In Steynland
Dave, you wrote: "In Massachusetts, traffic went from belligerent to a state of outright war. Lemmings follow one another to destruction, but these drivers were determined to get there before all the others. Not content to ignore merging traffic, they engaged in tactical blocking maneuvers against each other. I moved over for a lady and she flipped me off. It was like a roller derby."
I flew helicopters in Antarctica in blowing snow, white out conditions, or darned near, high gusty winds, extreme turbulence, 50 below zero temps. If you crashed and survived the impact you'd die of exposure before anyone could get to you. No sweat. But I would never drive a car in Boston. I'm not crazy enough or brave enough.
Oct '10
Re: A Couple of Days In Steynland
This man, ladies and gentlemen, has the soul of a poet!
Re: A Couple of Days In Steynland
Kenneth, you're right, they're likely confused by an abnormal act of kindness, or they fear it's a set up for a fender bender designed to gain maximum benefit from their insurance company. The latter prospect weighs in my mind, particularly if the driver signalling me is still close enough to my trailer to make such a maneuver possible.
Re: A Couple of Days In Steynland
Craig, I prefer a 40 ton vehicle in those conditions, myself. By the way, you say you flew helicopters over Antarctica. We must have the same dispatcher!
May '10
Re: A Couple of Days In Steynland
Dave, is there any state you haven't been to yet?
Aug '10
Re: A Couple of Days In Steynland
When you said Steynland, I thought you meant Soviet Canuckistan, and I started to get excited.
Bummer...
Sep '10
Re: A Couple of Days In Steynland
Have you ever driven in Kansas? They don't look when they merge into traffic and they will ride on your bumper for five miles before realizing that you and he/she are the only two cars on a four lane highway. Give me LA drivers any time.
Re: A Couple of Days In Steynland
I wrote much of my college thesis at a truckstop in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Endless coffee. Heaping portions of hot food at all hours of the night. Grouchy waitresses, with a soft spot for the regulars. And most importantly, no internet. That was the only way I was going to get any real writing done.
Re: A Couple of Days In Steynland
Aaron, the only state I haven't driven through is South Dakota. It's on my To Do List. Standfast, I've been through Kansas several times, and while they can be aggressive, they don't stand a chance in the northeast. Or it could be that I was so distracted upon learning that Kansas is in color. Diane, did they offer the endless coffee in an I.V. bag?
Oct '10
Re: A Couple of Days In Steynland
Hello from a courteous NH driver. Thank you for a great post, Dave! Life is too short to get worked up and drive like a Masshole. When my daughters were younger, before they learned to drive, we would sometimes play the Karma Game, a game played in the Car with Ma. Each game is played for the duration of a car trip. You start out with 0 points - the goal is to finish the trip in the positive rather than negative numbers. The driver gets a point for every courteous thing she does for other drivers, such as making space for someone to come into traffic (without causing the car behind to slam on brakes) etc. Part of the fun is the discussion with passengers about what counts as courteous and helpful to traffic flow and the mood of other drivers (and noticing how it spreads in ripples of courteousness), and how many points that may be worth. Doing something rude like cutting someone off or going through a 4-way stop out of turn deducts points. Game rules dictate that you do not decide another car's score. Each driver is responsible for her own karma points.
Aug '10
Re: A Couple of Days In Steynland
Heh heh heh... "Masshole".
I'll have to remember that one.
Re: A Couple of Days In Steynland
Amy, I love the concept of the game. I'm afraid that your neighbors to the south would run a deficit of points that would dwarf their fiscal deficits, though.
Oct '10
Re: A Couple of Days In Steynland
Mass drivers think they are winning, as they strive to gain some small advantage over another driver, but they are actually losing the game I'm playing. Sometimes I feel a little smug about this.
Re: A Couple of Days In Steynland
Dave Carter: Diane, did they offer the endless coffee in an I.V. bag? · Oct 26 at 5:40pm
Well, no, but the only time I've ever experienced caffeine poisoning (gray skin, blue fingernails, nausea) was at this particular truckstop. I must've had something like 15 cups of coffee throughout the course of one night. My mug was always full, and I lost track.