driving in the dark...

I left the suburban area someplace between Greenville and Columbia,  near I-395 as it was getting too dark to see on Wednesday night. Put Decatur into the GPS and hoped my doubts would be restored to good faith, following the directions the disembodied voice gave me to feel my way back to I-85. She did a good job, though I did not intend to get on that toll road where they charged me at both ends: I had to pay to get on, and pay again to get off: is that a racket or what? I wish I had thought to ask for receipts: can't you take this sort of thing, like parking fees, off your taxes?

So here I go, tooling along in the dark, trusting the voice from outer space to direct me back onto the familiar path of I-85, through the Up-country of SC and on across the state line into GA. Once I got back on the interstate, I knew the way, but did not turn the GPS off, though I was just humming along for a hundred miles, well within my comfort zone. I figured she had done such a good job of helping me find my way out of the darkness and back onto the four lane.  I could not be so unkind as to turn her off, which would be like putting her out alongside the highway, after she had showed me such kindness when I was fumbling around in the dark, having completely lost my way.

As I got back into the metro area, she tried to get me to get off at several exits to go cross country, though I had no desire whatsoever to tour Lawrenceville after dark. It was my intention to drive on in and pick up I-285 east, go around to the south side on the perimeter highway. So I just ignored her suggestions, and she would quickly gather her wits and offer alternative plans, that I continued to disregard. I'm on I-285, east side, headed south, planning to get on I-20, going west. But I was so industriously ignoring the voice from the GPS, that I discovered myself headed towards Augusta! going west on I-20, instead of east.... things happen so quickly up there, when you are trying to go the same speed as every one else to keep from getting run over.

I've decided that I know why everyone up there drives at least 80 MPH on the interstate. It's not so much they are fearful of turning into a greasy spot on the twelve lane highway, but they hate being out there in all that high-speed traffic and want to get it over as soon as possible  .Therefore: they drive too fast, just like everyone else out there, who wants to get it over as quickly as possible...