My ride home the past couple of days has been hell. It hasn't been because of the traffic either. That has been pretty light because some of the schools are out for Spring break. No... my ride has been hell because of cattle trucks.Remember... I have a convertible. The weather this week has been GORGEOUS (if you can stand the pollen) and I have been riding home with the top down.
I have to get on I-285 to head home. This highway is a big ol' circle that goes around the perimeter of Atlanta. Trucks are not allowed downtown so 285 is their best route to get to I-20 (the highway I live off of), I-75 or I-85.
So on Tuesday I got on 285 and smelled something really, really bad. I knew it was some sort of animal smell but couldn't see anything around me. Traffic was pretty heavy so I was creeping along. Suddenly I go around a curve and there it is... about 40 or so cars ahead of me... a cattle truck. I'm not talking a little hauler either. This is an 18 wheeler full to the gills with animals. AND IT STUNK! I could smell it and I was at least a half mile or so behind it. Does that tell you how bad it was?
So we are tooling around 285 and this truck stays a pretty good distance away. As we get closer to I-20 though, I get closer to him. I start to worry. What if I get stuck BEHIND him in the line waiting to get on the exit. (There is only one lane to exit onto 20 from 285 and it takes about 10-15 minutes if you wait in line) Tractor trailers take time to get going from a standstill so, if you time it right, you can get a little further along in this line by pulling in front of them as they get rolling.
I was already feeling nauseous from being behind this cattle truck for the past 20 minutes or so. I wanted to get in front of him so I wouldn't be down wind any more. SOOOO... I'm driving down the line waiting for an opening in front of a tractor trailer... suddenly one opens up... behind the truck BEHIND the cattle one. I decide that I don't want to be that close and I see there is an opening in FRONT of the cattle truck. Thinking that is good enough because I will be up wind, I whip in front of him.
BIG mistake.
Imagine this cattle truck is a larger than life version of Pig-Pen from the Charlie Brown cartoons. There is this wall of smell, dirt, and general funk surrounding this truck. And I was caught in front of it with my convertible top down.
It was AWFUL!
Luckily, traffic got moving pretty quickly and I was able to escape before I lost my lunch.
Then yesterday I passed two more! They didn't smell nearly as bad and I could see all the cows... I didn't look in the one from earlier in the week... I'm beginning to think he may have been hauling pigs... the smells were totally different.
I love having my convertible in the Spring and Summer, but it does have its pitfalls, I guess. I know I'd rather be smelling the honeysuckle and car exhaust than those nasty ass farm animals!
10 comments:
That, and everyone starts laying manure down this time of year. Yummmmm!
I have a coworker who was just telling a story the other day about having a cow trailer next to her and having one of the cows pee out of the trailer and onto her car. Now there is a time where it would really be bad to have your convertible top down.
Craig - I am laughing and grossing out at the same time. I NEVER thought of that... I'll be sure to steer clear next time (no pun intended!)
Ahhh cow manure... inhale the country life. =)
I've heard that the pig smell is the worst, but from your description, I wouldn't want to be caught behind cows either!
I think that pig smell is worse, but I wouldn't want to be stuck behind a truck full of cows, either.
Isn't spring time grand?
Put your top up and turn on the air until you pass the truck. Or get off the road, have a beer and wait for the traffic to clear up. Carl can put the kiddies in the closet until you get home.
I don't have that much experience with farm animals, but our yearly trip to the barnyard ALWAYS includes the "What is that *smell*?!?!" question, and that's usually with only one cow and one pig. I can only imagine how disgustingly smelly a whole semi full of them could be.
Sorry you got stuck downwind of whatever it was. Give thanks, like Craig said, and be glad that none of them let fly with the bodily functions while you were close.
when my lad was little he blamed me for the country side smells, we were on a bus at the time and he got up and walked away from me saying "phew mum!"
Ha ha! Reminds me of getting stuck behind a NYC garbage truck on a narrow one-way street. THAT is hell, my friend.
I love Pigpen! Reminds me of Mama Gin.
Post a Comment