Tis the season to be jolly
...but last night was a challenge:dunno:
I was on Long Island yesterday and left there to come home last night. Yesterday was an announced "grid lock" day---one that I have met in the past. Last night was the lighting of the Christmas tree in Times Square, which is a big thing. I seem to think I have heard attendance at about 1/2 a million souls.
The number of people headed for that event is astounding when you see it. People walking north on 8th Ave from Penn Station up to Times Square literally overwhelm the street and it becomes impossible to cross 8th Ave or make a left turn off of 8th headed west. The horde of pedestrians do not obey the crossing lights and it is simply a moving river of people.
Having had that experience in the past I picked the "great northern route" using the George Washington Bridge and the Cross Bronx Expresspark. Last night it was crawling along at the usual pace of 10 minutes/mile---until about a mile from the bridge when it slowed even more.
I was soon to find the cause (most of the time I never even know what caused a slow down), A moving van (semi) in the left lane (of 3) had a tour bus trying to mate---and having some success. I would not joke about this but I am fairly sure the bus driver got way with nothing worse than a possible bloody nose and a terribly red face---from embarrassment. Because the van was much lower than a standard dry van trailer the back of the van fully accommodated the face plant of the bus. There were no cops there yet and the people were still on the bus!
Eventually I got far enough into New Jersey to feel "safe"---not so! I got a warning of an accident ahead near the Delaware River that was closing two of three lanes west bound. At that point I was about 40 miles east of the river--and hoped it would be out of the way by the time I arrived.
That didn't work out at all----but not to worry---by that point of my trip I am on familiar turf---I had this one covered. I continued on 78 well past where Waze was telling me to get off. I bailed out one exit before the traffic stopped!
I was unencumbered by others on my familiar route and stopped at my normal pit stop (gas in NJ is much less than my other options of PA and NY). I went under 78 to get to my stop and could see the traffic on 78 was at a dead stop.
Gassed up and drained I started for home---using my alternate route----until about 6 or 7 miles in I came up on a line of traffic that had no business there:frustrated:
Not willing to risk that I did a U-turn and backtracked about 3 miles to alternate route 2---which took a dump after about 3 miles---it is closed for bridge construction!
So--off to route 3---and that met with success---but not quickly.
My normal 4 hour trip was 5 1/4 hours!
Oh---the problem on I 78, which ultimately closed all three lanes, was caused by a semi fire---I have no idea when they reopened the highway. It closed at 5:45.
