Saturday, June 23, 2012

Road Story (2012-06-22)

I was driving to Moose Jaw yesterday morning.  It was a painfully boring trip, driving south on Highway 11.  I didn't even make it all the way to Davidson before the driving had stupefied me.  And I'd even taken the precaution of throwing in a work-out before leaving, on the misguided belief that this would help me maintain my focus and attention.

I stop at Davidson and buy a Coke.  Well, I tried to buy a Coke but just as I was about to pay for my purchase, the clerk forgot how to run the damn register and it took her 10 minutes to figure out how to get into the drawer again.  That completely flummoxed my schedule and as it would turn out later, I ended up late, almost precisely by the amount I wasted buying that Coke.

I am cruising along in the left lane on the highway.  I'm going a healthy 120+ km/h so its easier to just cruise in the left lane, and surf by the slower drivers on the right.  But I'm gaining on an SUV in the right lane, but from behind me I see this white pick-up truck gaining on me strongly.

I have a decision to make.  Do I hit the brakes, fall back in behind the SUV?  Or do I give it some gas, accelerate past the SUV and then pull in, letting my pace fall to the speed maintained by the cruise control?

I chose the second option.

Not surprisingly the truck continues to gain fast, and eventually passes me.  But the really surprising part was, it was festooned with all the badging of an RCMP vehicle.  I sped up well past 140 to pass the SUV, but got passed by the cops.

No ticket was given.

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