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Aug 16, 2003 There we were, finally on our way to the Jr. Olympics in Dearborn/Detroit Michigan. The car was painted and we accumulated 59 honks from passers by and had the fortunate encounters with a number of other Jr. Olympiads on their way. Of course they had faster cars with air conditioning, but there we were a happy four some. 85-pound basset resting and bouncing on my husbands lap, a teenager in the back. (Thank heaven her feet were out the window and we couldn’t hear her music), No air conditioner, full of luggage, a pipe made into a holder on the roof containing her flag and blessed weather for traveling. This is where our story begins. 12 hours on the road from East Tennessee to Detroit/Dearborn Michigan. Now don’t get me wrong, I love road trips, they are fun and you get to see different things. Such as this beautiful Mosque in the middle of a deep green field, A gigantic tire, yes we have pictures. We stopped at lush picnic rest stops along the way and everyone that encountered our fearless Fartfignugen made nice and cooed to him. We traveled through Kentucky beautiful rolling hills. Ohio, Oodles of corn, and even more corn. But the prettiest thing about Ohio was their ponds. These weren’t just ponds to hold water; they were beautiful mini lakes. And paddle boats on them as well. The lush of the corn and the deep blue of the mini lakes was so inviting. I want a pond like that! Then we come to Michigan. Now this is not a dis for those that live in Michigan, in pot holed and chuck holed Michigan. It is just an observation and I experienced first hand. The people of Michigan are awesome folk. Intelligent and polite and oh so friendly and understanding people. I love the people. You are why I liked it there. I have never met so many people that are articulate and understanding with a quick wit. So, I hope that you will understand that what I am talking about is what I experienced. And its all about your roads and traffic. What I can’t figure out is the traffic and roadways. Here are my observations about Michigan. In Yiddish there is a word for insanity/craziness, its called Mishugena. Do you see a connection (Mish-UH-Gennah) Michigan sounds very similar (mish-eh-gan)? Now for those of you who have not had the fortunate experience of sampling, Michigan, it is flat. Flat as a corn cake on a hoe. Yes it is right there next to Canada. I mean you can see Canada from the shoulder of the road that says “Canada this way”. But there are things to see and feel on the roads to Detroit. These things to feel are called chuckholes, seam splits, road partings. And for those that miss the rolling hills of the mountains there are the rises and falls of small mountains in the middle of the road that takes out the underside of your car, breaks struts and removes your muffler. These are called manhole rises. To be fair, construction was all over the place, and it was maddening. It was downright scary driving there. Now I have driven all over this country, and I have lived in many a state and temperament. But this was one state that I drove in that I will never forget. Whoever the road engineer was evidently didn’t like the underside of his car. Living in Michigan you can get cars cheap (and yes you can the prices are much cheaper). And because eof that observation, you have to ruin your car to buy another one! I say that because there is an unnatural rise in the middle of the road with a heavy manhole cover sticking up. This is not just a gentle rise that you can take with ease and grace, this my readers is small mountain smack in the middle of the lane. With no where to go except over it. Your only choice is to take out the underside of your car, pop the muffler, dent the exhaust system or straddle the lane division where half of your car is in both lanes. You could skim the edge and have the tire get damaged or the hubcap pop off… In any case it is just enough to scratch and dent your underside of the car causing damage. Road signs are another favorite that’ scared me. I was trying for two hours to get in I 75 south, however they never tell you that once you get into downtown Detroit you can’t get out again. I followed road signs, and would up heading north to Canada when I should have been going south, and the interstate ramps are often non marked and look like abandoned roads. Ample time to get over would have been nice. But when there were street signs, they were often within car lengths to get over, and one way streets. NYC has nothing on Detroit on one way streets. Have you ever heard of an alleyway being named a street? Well there they are. And finally before I get in too deep, there is this things called The Michigan Turn Around” It makes sense to someone. In the area where I live and in many other states you have the ability to get into a turn lane with a turn signal. That is at a traffic light you have turn signals allowing traffic to flow to make left turns, right turns safely. Well not there, at least where I was there wasn't any. I encountered a city of no turn signals. I am sure that there are many streets that have them, but as I have said, This was my experience. For those of you that know the area I am speaking of it the area in Dearborn called Telegraph Road at Michigan Avenue and Outer Drive. I was trying to make a left turn onto Michigan Avenue from Outer Drive at the Kroger, to get back to the motel. Why, with all of the advances in technology does Dearborn not have a left arrow traffic light??? In order to make a left turn I had to go around Aunt Jane’s sweet tater patch to get back to the motel. In more than one instance I had to cross diagonally over 4 lanes of traffic to get to the middle island traffic turn around. Why not just put a left turn signal at the light? I avoided accidents either by the hand of god, or they saw that I was from Tennessee and didn’t want to get close. Keeping the flow of traffic going is great, and in someone’s mind that turn in the middle of the road works. But at least make it safe to make turns and allow for some semblance of humanity to those driving from other states. I am sure that once all of the road construction is finished it will be pleasant and better driving conditions, but just to be on the safe side the next time I go anywhere that I am not sure of, I park the car and get a cab!!! ------------ Email Julia Sherman-Talley: jimmysdevoted@bellsouth.net Comment on this column in the forum. Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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