Jerry
Username: Jerry
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 16, 2007 - 7:35 am: | |
The Stop Lights and a MiniVan.
After a re-energizing day in Yosemite yesterday, the trip home through the canyon was an experience.
After stopping and chatting at the El Portal Market about James Law and his book "Memories Of El Portal", I had the Goldrushcam Crew car headed East back to Mariposa while all these photographic opportunities were swirling around ny head about El Portal and I look forward to a trip back to El Portal to take some photos to share and a story or two.
Suddenly as I and two or three other cars came around a corner there were the only stop lights in Mariposa County, they were red !
The lead car was a Minivan, what kind is unimportant as they seem to follow a pattern.
Eight to ten cars were behind the White Minivan.
Before the light turned green, more cars lined up behind us.
The light turned green and the procession started going over the bridge and then heading down the old train bed to the other bridge and crossing back over the river. The drivers, some who had to be park workers heading home, were bunched up in a long line as we proceded down the canyon at a stately 35MPH with the Minivan hitting the brakes at every corner approach thus causing a chainreaction of red brake lights of the following cars.
This went on and on and on, suddenly a turnout sign popped up and everyone thought the Minivan driver would surely use it. Wrong! Apparently he did not know that sign was for him to pull over and let the others go by.
Later another turnout sign, same reaction by the driver.
As the cars bunched up closer and closer things started happening on that road that made you cringe as passing attempts, some successful some not, were made on the driver of the Minivan.
Could it get any worse after mile and mile went by at 35MPH and slowing on the curves. OH Yes!
As we drove over Bear Creek the Briceburg Grade was ahead of us !
30MPH, 25MPH and yes, finally almost 20MPH was reached as the cars held in a tight formation.
The White Minivan was our leader !
After a little over two miles, the top of the Briceburg Grade is almost at hand and a sign says passing lane one mile, you can feel the anticipation as we only have one more mile to go.
The lane splits up by the Yosemite Bug and all you can see is sand being thrown in the air as the race starts in earnest, the Minivan is in the right lane and most of us make it by the driver before the lane goes back down to one lane.
Is is always Minivans that do this or are there others that stand out ?
We have heard Volvos can also drive like this !
True or not we do not know.
We wonder if how to use turnouts is on the California Driving Test.
|
