Yesterday, I took a day off from church and from blogging to take a walking tour of historic houses in the Garden District in New Orleans. Eventually, I'll post pictures and tell you about the tour. We planned to go on Saturday, but heavy rains and spotty flash flooding, both here and in NO prevented the trip. We headed out nearly on time (the time set by Grandpère) in his truck, because I did not feel like driving, and I don't want him driving my car in New Orleans.
Not long after we left the interstate and were driving on Highway 61, a state trooper pulled out and flashed his lights for GP to pull to the shoulder. If you recall, GP received a citation for speeding a few months ago, which resulted in a large fine. You'd think he would have learned his lesson. He was clocked at 16 miles over the speed limit of 45 mph. When the trooper appeared at the window, I put my hand over my mouth, because I was laughing, and I was not sure how the trooper would react to laughter from the passenger seat. I know how GP reacted to my laughter. He didn't care for it, but he couldn't help joining in just a little.
What does it take for GP to learn a lesson? Even when he pays attention to speed limit signs, the rules of the road seem not to apply to him. He asked the trooper, "What about all those other drivers who were speeding?" How many times do troopers and police hear that question? For a good part of the rest of the drive to Trinity Church in New Orleans, GP bitched and moaned about the ticket, until I said I'd had enough.
I know that some of you will ask me if I'm sure that GP should still be driving. For one thing, it's not my decision to make, and, for another, I must say that outside of New Orleans, I am quite comfortable driving with him. He doesn't usually speed. He doesn't tailgate or take risks in passing other vehicles. However, Hwy. 61 is quite familiar to us, since we travel the road frequently to get to my daughter's house, and he should definitely know better. It's just that GP didn't make the adjustment in speed from the interstate to the road through a rather heavily-traveled industrial district with a 45 mph speed limit in good time. What can I say?
The houses were lovely, with beautiful Christmas decorations. Today, my poor knees ache from walking the many uneven brick sidewalks in the Garden District, but still, I love the bricks. Where I grew up the banquettes, as my grandparents called them, were paved, but there were occasional patches of brick, which made skating interesting, as we suddenly went from smooth concrete to the uneven clack-clack and jolting of skating on bricks.
In spite of the speeding ticket and the hurting knees today, I'm glad that we did the tour. GP says he is NEVER going back to New Orleans. Heh, heh.
I laughed too, Mimi. Maybe GP should let YOU do the driving!
ReplyDeleteI started to confess all my driving faux pas here, but thought better of it. ;-)
Cheers,
Doxy
You can tell GP that I identify and sympathise with him. It constantly amazes me that the car speeds up without my permission.
ReplyDeleteI am lucky that as my dear hubby has aged he has slowed down. The bad thing is I have this zippy little VW and I have now become the speed demon of the family - not a good thing!
ReplyDeleteYeah. Those dang cars take off on their own sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI have absolutely NO sympathy for GP...I just took a wing and a prayer ride (in my Van of all things) to Antigua (a 15 minute trip)...as some of you know I have only ONE EYE at the moment (awaiting healing/scaring to have a new lense inserted in my left eye around April)...the Doctor says just ¨be normal¨...ARE YOU KIDDING? I lunge into stuff (like door frames) my painting often misses the ¨mark¨ (pointillism turned washed out blobs) and I don´t often know who is on my left side (they get edited out and people vanish before my very one eye)...yup, I´ve been slowed down and don´t like it one bit but tell GP that he best be nice or Santa Claus might make matters worse! YIKES!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the Garden Tour, really a nifty thing to do...was there a lovely New Orleans type lunch too?
My husband used to drive like that. The laws didn't apply to him and everybody else couldn't drive. He had this 11 miles over the speed limit was fine rule. It wasn't fast enough to get pulled over. Guess nobody else knew about that -- four tickets later he finally slowed down.
ReplyDeleteI have used guide books twice to wander around different sections of the Garden District. On my last trip to NO my sister and I stayed at the Garden District Hotel Clarion Collection on St Charles St. look forward to your report.
ReplyDeleteNo comments about GP speeding. I also have slowed with age and only drive when no other choice.
Sounds like you had a great time touring N.O.! When I initially started reading your post, I was worried as they recently showed all of the recent flooding new N.O. Glad you went afterwards :>)
ReplyDeleteAs for GP exceeding the posted limit by a coouple of miles, you may have noticed that on the 'freeways' I drive similar to Mealine's husband, but keep it at 10, not 11.
I'm sorry that your knees hurt, Mimi. Uneven pavement is a pain in the knee.
ReplyDeleteAlthough my husband is certain that no one else knows how to drive, he does not speed. He just pokes along at 55 mph on the freeways, but always in the slow lane. He also maintains the safe distance behind the car in front of him. Of course this encourages idiots in other lanes to pull in front of him and ruin his safety cushion, thereby giving him another reason to rant about bad drivers.
5 mph over the speed limit is as much as I allow myself. At that speed, I figure the police will ignore me. Wouldn't a cop look like a weenie, if he repeatedly turned in folks at 5 miles over the limit?
ReplyDeleteI wanted to include a video of Dylan's "Highway 61" with the post, but I couldn't find a version that suited me.
Tee hee. It's really not funny, but I just couldn't help myself. Thanks for the giggle.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you had a good day. And do post your pictures for us!
ReplyDeleteAs for Grandpere, I've had my own share of run-ins with bureaucratic traffic cops. They are so numbers-driven when it comes to speed. Very annoying. I am in sympathy with Grandpere.
I have some sympathy for GP, and I can't imagine what I was laughing at, since I knew that I would have to pay the price of listening to him bitch and moan.
ReplyDeleteDoug, I hope that you read Melanie's comment, although perhaps the police in New York and New Jersey are more forgiving.