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Independence Day Traffic
Jul. 5th, 2006 07:43 pmI've been to concerts before. I've been to town-sponsored fireworks celebrations. I've been to autumn fairs in NH that everyone from a 3-state area attends on the same day. But the traffic last night did not move at all, not in the least. See, I went over my friend's house to celebrate the 4th. She had fabulous baby-back ribs - I ate so many that it resulted in some serious discomfort for awhile afterwards. Then, when it got dark out, we went outside. Her kids, and some of the neighbor kids, were lighting off fireworks - if you can call them that. Basically, anything that involves fire, sparks, or explosions is illegal here in Nevada, so the "fireworks" display consisted mostly of colored smoke that was difficult to see in the dark. The city, however, gets to hire some pyrotechnic professionals to put on a real fireworks display, and The Maid lives very close to one of the many parks where the displays were being set off from. We had a great seat in her driveway and saw everything, without the crowds or having to fight for some lawn space. It was a great show, and we could even hear everyone in the park cheering.
When it was over, The Maid was starting to put the kids to bed, since they all had an early day today. I had to get up for work today, so I wanted to get home too, but with so many people in the park, and parked on every street near the park (including The Maid's), I decided to wait about 1/2 hour or so until the majority of the traffic cleared out. So, around 9:45, the cars from the street were gone and all sounded quiet, so I said goodbye to The Maid and her kids and headed out. Man, was that a mistake. As soon as I rounded the corner, I stopped. I had no choice. Traffic was NOT MOVING. It took me over an hour - OVER AN HOUR - to get out of her neighborhood. It should have taken all of 30 seconds. 45 if I had to wait at the light. But no, it took me a total of 1 1/2 hours to get home, a drive that normally takes 20 minutes. Next year, I'm sleeping over.
Ah, the 4th of July. An excellent reason for Americans to get drunk and cheer at things being blown up, all the while ignoring basic safety rules and trying not to blow themselves up. I'm sure a few Darwin Awards were handed out yesterday!
When it was over, The Maid was starting to put the kids to bed, since they all had an early day today. I had to get up for work today, so I wanted to get home too, but with so many people in the park, and parked on every street near the park (including The Maid's), I decided to wait about 1/2 hour or so until the majority of the traffic cleared out. So, around 9:45, the cars from the street were gone and all sounded quiet, so I said goodbye to The Maid and her kids and headed out. Man, was that a mistake. As soon as I rounded the corner, I stopped. I had no choice. Traffic was NOT MOVING. It took me over an hour - OVER AN HOUR - to get out of her neighborhood. It should have taken all of 30 seconds. 45 if I had to wait at the light. But no, it took me a total of 1 1/2 hours to get home, a drive that normally takes 20 minutes. Next year, I'm sleeping over.
Ah, the 4th of July. An excellent reason for Americans to get drunk and cheer at things being blown up, all the while ignoring basic safety rules and trying not to blow themselves up. I'm sure a few Darwin Awards were handed out yesterday!
