Holiday Travel

[Eilan]

If you went out of town for Thanksgiving weekend, how did it go? Did you encounter problems/delays or did everything go smoothly?

We were on the road on Wednesday afternoon. The little bit of snow that we received, combined with the volume of traffic, meant that a trip that generally takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes took 4 1/2 hours.

We decided to come home yesterday in order to avoid the Sunday rush.

 

[TBKahuna123]

We came home today because my wife had to work and boy am I glad we did. There was a winter storm chasing us the whole way.

 

[Eilan]

We came home today because my wife had to work and boy am I glad we did. There was a winter storm chasing us the whole way.

That happened to us four years ago when we drove to Florida over Christmas. On the way back to Ohio, we missed a storm system heading to Atlanta; there was a weather-related fatal crash on an interstate that we'd just been on hours before.

I don't have a lot of patience for sitting in traffic, particularly when there doesn't seem to be any reason for it. That's what was happening on Wednesday.

 

[SweetErika]

It took us 8.5 hours to make a three hour trip because a deer decided to run into my car. Yes, it ran into US, not the other way around, and managed to break the passenger mirror, fender, blinker, bumper, dent the hood and roof, and smash the windshield (thank god for safety glass though).

Because she ran into the side, we avoided any catostrophic, including mechanical, damage. However, the worst part for me is that it wasn't a clean kill, my husband wasn't carrying a gun, we had to leave her to get cell service, and the police came to us (and it took forever) before checking on the animal (even though we assured them we were safe, just needed a report, and begged them to go to the deer first). I'm sure she died quickly, but I can't stand the thought of her suffering at all.

So, yeah, not so smooth, but it made us very thankful to be alive and uninjured.

 

[silverwhisper]

erika, that sucks! my sympathies!

the only traveling i did was a 1.5 hour drive to the in-laws & my parents' houses. it's a 20 minute drive b/n the two.

:>

ed

 

[TBKahuna123]

It took us 8.5 hours to make a three hour trip because a deer decided to run into my car. Yes, it ran into US, not the other way around, and managed to break the passenger mirror, fender, blinker, bumper, dent the hood and roof, and smash the windshield (thank god for safety glass though).

Because she ran into the side, we avoided any catostrophic, including mechanical, damage. However, the worst part for me is that it wasn't a clean kill, my husband wasn't carrying a gun, we had to leave her to get cell service, and the police came to us (and it took forever) before checking on the animal (even though we assured them we were safe, just needed a report, and begged them to go to the deer first). I'm sure she died quickly, but I can't stand the thought of her suffering at all.

So, yeah, not so smooth, but it made us very thankful to be alive and uninjured.

Woah, glad you're ok!

Been there, done that. Growing up in the rockies I saw a lot of deer get hit in my day. My ex hit 3 wiht MY CAR!!! Actually two of these incidents were the deer running into the side of the car, just like you described. It's amazing the amount of damage a deer can do at slow speeds, let alone on the highway.

I also feel for you about the deer suffering. I went through this once as well. This wasn't close to a clean kill, broken back, and I knew the deer was suffering. I've hunted all my life, and I've always believed in a clean non-suffering kill, which is why I don't bow hunt. I won't describe how I put that deer out of it's misery, but it wasn't the easiest thing I've ever done. It was however immediate and humane.

I'm just glad you all got back ok. The car can be fixed, but people can't.

 

[SweetErika]

Woah, glad you're ok!

Been there, done that. Growing up in the rockies I saw a lot of deer get hit in my day. My ex hit 3 wiht MY CAR!!! Actually two of these incidents were the deer running into the side of the car, just like you described. It's amazing the amount of damage a deer can do at slow speeds, let alone on the highway.

I also feel for you about the deer suffering. I went through this once as well. This wasn't close to a clean kill, broken back, and I knew the deer was suffering. I've hunted all my life, and I've always believed in a clean non-suffering kill, which is why I don't bow hunt. I won't describe how I put that deer out of it's misery, but it wasn't the easiest thing I've ever done. It was however immediate and humane.

I'm just glad you all got back ok. The car can be fixed, but people can't.

Thanks guys. It does help to know it's a pretty common occurence that can't be avoided; my father-in-law and several people at Thanksgiving had this experience and knew many who were severely injured and killed. The crazy thing is that apparently we could have been fined severely for putting it out of its misery had we done so. That pisses me off royally; what kind of society makes being humane and doing what's right a crime?

We're trying to focus on the positives though, another of which is that I'm finally being forced to become really proficient at driving hubby's manual transmission truck because I'll need it while my car's being fixed.

 

[pleasteasme]

Thanks guys. It does help to know it's a pretty common occurence that can't be avoided; my father-in-law and several people at Thanksgiving had this experience and knew many who were severely injured and killed. The crazy thing is that apparently we could have been fined severely for putting it out of its misery had we done so. That pisses me off royally; what kind of society makes being humane and doing what's right a crime?

We're trying to focus on the positives though, another of which is that I'm finally being forced to become really proficient at driving hubby's manual transmission truck because I'll need it while my car's being fixed.

I'm glad to hear you are safe Erika

Question on the putting it out of its misery. If you had done that, would you have been poaching? *I don't know, just inquiring.*

 

[KarenDee]

Yow Erika, that did not sound like a fun time at all. Glad you are OK!! I went away too, for Friday, Saturday and just came home early this afternoon. The traffic seemed mostly normal, probably because we got an early start on Friday, and beat the rush home today.

I did bring the laptop with me to keep up on Lit happenings over the weekend!

 

[SweetErika]

I'm glad to hear you are safe Erika

Question on the putting it out of its misery. If you had done that, would you have been poaching? *I don't know, just inquiring.*

Thanks!

Yes, I think it would have been something to the effect of poaching, though a far lesser offense because of the intent. I can't imagine any authority in their right mind actually pursuing it, and I'm sure it could be easily fought and won if challenged in court, but the possibility is certainly bothersome. I'm not a hunter (though hubby is), and it kills me to hurt anything, but if we had the means, I wouldn't have hesitated and would gladly take a ticket over letting it suffer.

 

[Eilan]

I can't imagine any authority in their right mind actually pursuing it, and I'm sure it could be easily fought and won if challenged in court, but the possibility is certainly bothersome.

This seems like a rather loose (and IMO, inappropriate) interpretation of laws that forbid hunting animals out of season. Yeah, the argument could have been made that you were taking a deer out of season (unless it's deer hunting season where you live?); however, the deer was wounded by the car. Like you said, most reasonable law enforcement officers wouldn't issue the citation in the first place, and if they did, most reasonable judges would drop the charges. It's a moot point now, I suppose.

Good luck driving the truck!

 

[TBKahuna123]

Thanks!

Yes, I think it would have been something to the effect of poaching, though a far lesser offense because of the intent. I can't imagine any authority in their right mind actually pursuing it, and I'm sure it could be easily fought and won if challenged in court, but the possibility is certainly bothersome. I'm not a hunter (though hubby is), and it kills me to hurt anything, but if we had the means, I wouldn't have hesitated and would gladly take a ticket over letting it suffer.

Nope, you never would have been convicted of that. Easy ticket to fight, easy. Unless you actually took the carcass home and tried to butcher it or something along those lines, there's no way they could fine you for it. I've seen it fought and overturned a couple of times by overzealous rookie cops in Montana.

 

[Eilan]

Nope, you never would have been convicted of that. Easy ticket to fight, easy. Unless you actually took the carcass home and tried to butcher it or something along those lines, there's no way they could fine you for it.

I suppose the laws vary from state to state, but so what if she did take the carcass home? Around here, there's a list of poor families who are supposed to receive the, um, products of deer-car crashes, so why couldn't the person who hit the deer be allowed to do so as well?

A few years back, my ex and I were on the way to work on the first day of deer season when we hit and killed a deer that had likely been chased out onto the highway by a hunter. Because we had an old car and weren't intending to file an insurance claim for the damages, we got off at the next exit and called my parents so my dad could tow the car home (the radiator was damaged). It took about 20 minutes for my dad to get to us, and he said that the carcass was already gone. I don't know who took it, but they sure didn't waste any time.

I've seen it fought and overturned a couple of times by overzealous rookie cops in Montana.

Some of those rookie cops would do well to get a dose of reality from their supervisors. If they'd been working under my hubby, anyway.

 

[TBKahuna123]

so why couldn't the person who hit the deer be allowed to do so as well?

Probably because they could catch a poacher and he could jsut say I hit it on the way home. That's all I can think of.

Some of those rookie cops would do well to get a dose of reality from their supervisors. If they'd been working under my hubby, anyway.

Yeah, I'm sure it didn't sit well. The judge involved usually has little compassion or patience for stupidity of either party involved. I remember a similar ticket I got out of for not coming to a FULL AND COMPLETE stop at a four way stop on a country road at 4 am. The officer said that his radar gun read 2 MPH and never hit zero. The judge rolled his eyes and threw out the ticket.

 

[Eilan]

I remember a similar ticket I got out of for not coming to a FULL AND COMPLETE stop at a four way stop on a country road at 4 am. The officer said that his radar gun read 2 MPH and never hit zero. The judge rolled his eyes and threw out the ticket.

Cops with authority issues suck.

 

[EndCredits]

No Thanksgiving travel story will EVER beat mine from last year. Let me try to recall the details.

I leave campus around 11am to get to the El. Two hours later, I'm at my gate at Midway. At 2:00 my flight, which departs at 3ish, is bumped to 6:00 and then just plain cancelled. It was snowing that day. So I get in the very long line to reschedule my flight. I book a 11:00 flight... from O'Hare. So I get back on the El and 90 minutes later I'm at O'Hare. The flight gets delayed again, I leave at 1am, the flight only takes 90 minutes but I lose an hour going from CST to EST, and after driving from the airport I get home around 5am. Fun times.

This Thanksgiving went more smoothly, to put it lightly.

 

[Eilan]

I leave campus around 11am to get to the El. Two hours later, I'm at my gate at Midway. At 2:00 my flight, which departs at 3ish, is bumped to 6:00 and then just plain cancelled. It was snowing that day. So I get in the very long line to reschedule my flight. I book a 11:00 flight... from O'Hare. So I get back on the El and 90 minutes later I'm at O'Hare. The flight gets delayed again, I leave at 1am, the flight only takes 90 minutes but I lose an hour going from CST to EST, and after driving from the airport I get home around 5am. Fun times.

Good Lord! And I'm impatient during a car ride.

Glad this year was better.

 

[SweetErika]

I suppose the laws vary from state to state, but so what if she did take the carcass home? Around here, there's a list of poor families who are supposed to receive the, um, products of deer-car crashes, so why couldn't the person who hit the deer be allowed to do so as well?

Hubby heard if they collect the carcass soon enough here, they test for safety and then give it to the prison system to feed to the inmates. I hope this one did get put to some use.

 

[Guest]

 

[SweetErika]

Erika, I glad no one got injured. Good luck with the manual trans. too!

Stayed home for Thanksgiving this year, which ended up working out well since we had about 4" of snow when we got up Thanksgiving morning.

I did make two 300 mile round trips (Monday night and yesterday) to pick up/take back my son to school, but other than a 20 minute backup at a construction zone, we had no problems. No complaints here.

Thanks, Scaly, and I'm glad your trips went so smoothly.