[user removed]

Houston Texas 1983, driving south on I 10 in bumper to bumper traffic, absolutely no place to go but your lane, can't remember but at least 4 lanes, moving along fairly well.
Guy behind me is all over my arse flashing his lights. No place to go, what's your problem buddy?

Finally I moved over just to satisfy the idiot, also gave him the "you're number one salute". He gets by and I pull over behind him. Three grade school students in the back seat all returning my "number 1 salute".

They teach them young in Houston!

Same road, moving along at 65 MPG, I look in my rear view mirror, and notice a Corvette closing at at least 100 MPH. The Corvette passes me sliding sideways and comes to a stop with it's nose pointing towards the oncoming traffic in the narrow strip of pavement between the jersey wall and the fast lane.

A co worker was hit in the rear end in her full sized Chevy pickup, on the same stretch of I 10 by a Corvette. The Vette hit her so hard his front bumper was touching the back of her front wheel.

I wonder if it was the same clown. He told the cops it was no big deal, his daddy would just buy him a new car.

Same stretch of road, opposite direction, my brother is driving this time. I am half asleep.
Bro yells wake up, LOOK! I watch a big rig jackknifing in front of me. Trailer swings out to the right, covering all lanes, then it flies left, finally with the left rear trailer wheels jumping the jersey wall before it comae to a stop. This time it was at night, but still, every one of these incidents was withing a 5 miles stretch of I 10, just south of the Houston beltway.

Almost 30 years ago, but I can still see those incidents clearly in my mind. Saw the cap fly off an oxygen bottle on a truck and smash 7 windshields before it finally rolled to the edge of the road. How would you like to have that nail you on a bike, in some of the worst traffic in the country.

Also remember two clowns got into a fight over some traffic incident on the beltway. One of them grabbed his 7 iron out of the trunk and beat the other to death.

Pop taught me well, combining his situational awareness from his experience as a pilot, with his driving skills. He has not had a ticket since 1955. He told me I was the only person who made him feel comfortable enough to fall asleep when riding in a car with me driving. One time he flew out of Andrews AFB (Wash DC) on a courier flight to the Florida Keys. He was so nervous, the pilot invited him to come up into the cockpit and actually let him fly the plane, after Pop told him about flying a B17 in WW2. That is what it took for him to relax a little in a plane.

regards
Mech