I had some personal business I needed to conduct in the next state over. It was a good excuse to get out of the house and see how the world beyond my local area was doing. The trip was 300+ miles, round-trip, mostly all interstates and toll routes. Started out early in the morning and didn't get home until after 10PM. The first thing that struck me? The number of 18-wheelers on the rode.
On the drive to my destination there was a definite lack of passenger vehicles -- nowhere near what you'd normally expect to see. I suspect that's because those who can are still working from home and a lot of people are not travelling on vacation. Most of the traffic I encountered was due to trucks. There are trucks EVERYWHERE. I saw multiple Amazon trucks, Aldi food trucks, a truck loaded with crates of apples, trucks transporting gasoline, even a truck loaded down with a shipment of plywood. There was definitely no lack of trucks on the highways.
I must admit to being surprised, as we're being led to believe that there are shortages of goods, truckers who are losing out because they're not jabbed, not enough truckers available to haul, etc., etc.
As surprising as all of this was, I was even more stunned on the drive home. The highways were teeming with trucks. At night, they're about the only thing on the road -- encountered very few passenger cars. When it got late, the rest stops were packed with truckers laying over for the night. Trucks were parked in every possible parking spot and every available space. Even saw truckers pulled off along the sides of the roads for the night.
I don't know what was in all of these trucks, but there's definitely stuff being transported somewhere. So where is it all going and what are they doing with it? In my area, I'm already having problems finding things in the stores and seeing empty shelves. Things are getting curiouser and curiouser, frens.
My wife and I took a road trip week before last, of a similar distance, from east Tennessee to well beyond Nashville. During that time we stopped at gas stations, ate in restaurants, visited the Franklin, TN, civil war battle area, hiked in a state park, and drove back. What struck me was how open everything was... no mask requirements, people going about living their lives, it was quite refreshing. But Tennessee is a red state, so we don't have state-issued mandates, although a few local Kommisars have tasted power and are trying to mandate everything. But most of us aren't buying what they're selling.
Funny you should mention this. I went to three different used bookstores (same company) on my trip yesterday. Two of them I walked in maskless and no problems. Most customers I saw were maskless.
The third store, which was large, had very few customers. It also had a mask Nazi in it and told me their COUNTY had a mask mandate that had been in effect for two freaking months. He insisted I wear a mask. He lost my business, as I immediately walked out empty-handed. I guess that's why this particular store had almost no customers.
Your comment reminds me of the awesome road trip my wife and I took around July 4 this year, traveling from our despised home deep in the heart of the People's Republic of Northern VA, to the refreshing natural beauty, hospitality and FREEDOM of Gatlinburg and Nashville, TN. We'd never been to either city and had SUCH a good time...most especially because we encountered dozens and dozens of happier, more well adjusted folks in TN than we have in 30 years of living in the miserable DC suburbs. We're getting ready to fix that unfortunate situation, for good.
Having lived here all my life, except for a 4-year stint in the USMC, and I consider this God's country.
You are a blessed and lucky man -- and thank you for your service to our country. And TN has earned a spot on our small list of retirement spots. :) We can't wait to get back for a visit!
I thank God every day for such blessings.
I’m your neighbor in North Carolina, sadly a state with a blue governor. I don’t know what our state is, I’ve heard he’s crooked. Hell he could have stolen the election for all we know. We are wide open. The majority of people don’t wear mask. I’m an hour east of Raleigh & traffic is just as bad as it ever was. I was just saying to my husband the other week. I wonder if the masked think we are vaxxed because we don’t mask. He said they probably think we are crazy 😜 All the stores have gone back making their employees wear mask. It’s so stupid! Under the nose🤷🏻♀️
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