Unlike probably alot of people I look forward to the holidays. Living in a city with no family member within a 50 mile radius has it's advantages; you don't get caught up in the family gossip or drama TOO deeply and you definitely have your independance. I don't think I could live farther than driving distance from them though. That in itself gives me a sense of security.
So tonight I'll be on the New York State thruway dealing with tons of traffic and looking forward to the moment I arrive in Porter Corners, NY. Don't blink, you'll miss it.
I must've logged a million miles on the Thruway. When I was young I remember getting stuck in the show once, but I'm not sure where we were. I was stuffed into the backseat of the car with my sister and brother; probably scared out of my mind. I remember a dog taking off once when we let it out to relieve itself. I remember my fathers NUMEROUS road rage incidents. He was infamous for tailgating people, cutting them off and chasing them when they cut HIM off. (yes, all while his 3 young children were in the backseat) How my mother put up with that I'll never know, I would've punched him right in the mouth. He wouldn't get away with that now,..he'd either be in jail or dead. He's lucky the 70's were a kinder, gentler time. He still has road rage moments. I can think of two in the last 4 years that I was around for and was NOT happy about it. The difference is now I don't hide how I feel about him when he does it.
Back to the Thruway. I think I remember the first time I drove on it and how intimidating it was. Now it's like old hat, I just wish my car came with auto-pilot. Maybe some day. Now that they have GPS maybe it will soon be driving itself using it's own directions. Set your destination and you're off.
The most memorable trip home at holiday time was back in 1999 I believe. It was Christmas Eve day. It wasn't snowing but it was a typically cold December day in New York state. I was about 15 minutes into the last leg of my trip to my sisters. Basically it's an old truck route up towards Saratoga after about 2+ hours on the Thruway; cutting through towns like Fonda, Johnstown and Galway. I had just turned onto route 29 a few miles back and was changing my CD when a car came around to pass me. I looked down at what speed I was doing because this car passed me like I wasn't even moving; maybe I had slowed down a bit while I was putting the CD in. Nope, I was going 57. I remember looking when it passed me and seeing this women in her late 30's with brown curly hair driving a green Volkswagon Jetta. I watched her drive away and then noticed..she was passing EVERbody. Not only that but she was passing while cars were coming in the other direction. I didn't have a cell phone back then. All I could do was drive and watch cars going into ditches to avoid hitting her. This woman had a death wish.
I came around a corner, this was the area where I knew there was a dealership that sold things like yard and small farm equipment. Then I saw the smoke,...and things flying in the air. I came up closer and there were cars pulled all over the road. I had to pull off into one of the businesses because there were cars and parts everywhere. The Jetta was in a gully, crumpled and facing the wrong direction. Then I saw the other car; a silver Ford Escort sedan. It was leaned into a ditch facing the eastbound direction. The front of the car was smashed in. The smell was nothing like I had ever experienced before. There was a guy in the car, he was alive but he was a mess. Men were running over to the Jetta. Someone brought a blanket over and covered it up...I knew what that meant; She had succeded.
A woman who lived a few houses down turned out to be an EMT. She had heard the crash and rushed over to help. She was working on the guy in the Escort but he had gone into shock. I wanted to help her but the car was so demolished that I couldn't get into it to sit behind him and hold his head. That smell again. The police, the fire company and ambulances showed up very quickly. The lady in the Jetta's husband or boyfriend arrived, he was so grief-striken they had to help him walk to the squad car. I stood there talking to the people standing around and watching them use the jaws of life to cut that car open like a tin can.
People who were driving near him said that he was going pretty fast and he didn't have time to react when she pulled out to pass someone. She had hit him head-on at a speed of probably 80+ mph. Her car had flipped and landed in that gully, his had spun a couple times and ended up near that ditch. I still look at that spot when ever I go by, I refuse to pass around there.
I left just when they took him away in the ambulance. It was a long ride home.
I can't remember his name but I do remember reading about him a week later, in the obituaries. He was a young race car driver at Fonda Speedway who had recently opened his own repair shop. He wasn't even 20 years old. He died of internal injuries.
You see alot logging all those miles over the years, I hope to never see anything like that again.
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