My trip to the Panhandle was exactly as I thought it would be, but I blocked from my memory one crucial, grisly detail. Victory gets car sick. Yes, Virginia, we did have the privilege of seeing his sack lunch twice on the trip north. No, there isn't enough Febreeze in Texas to fix that.
As we proceeded north, I uncovered a nasty little bureaucratic plot. Our Texas legislature, before it took to haring off to neighboring states, raised the speed limit to 70 MPH on most interstate and state highways. It appears however, that the Department of Public Safety cannot let the double nickel die. Technically, the signs still read 70 MPH, but about 3 miles at 70 MPH is the limit a Texas driver is allowed before the teeth-gnashing "Road Work Ahead" sign appears. This sign is followed by "Give Us a Brake!", and "Road Work Ahead for the next 500 Miles". I finally decided the road workers were following the legislators to New Mexico one excruciatingly slow mile after the other. At one point near Snyder, TX I was actually ordered completely off the highway. "This Road is Closed, You Must Exit Now"! I was afraid I was going to be trapped for the entire week at Rip Griffin's Truck Stop browsing for vacation momentoes among the bobble-head doll statues, giant pencils and Quaker State products.
And let's not forget the ominous "Fines Doubled In Construction Area" sign. What a huge bonanza for the nanny state. It's not only mandatory to drive 55 MPH on 99.9% of Texas roads due to strategically placed road work, now they can double the price of the speeding ticket and reap the whirlwind profits. A new campaign slogan, the party of "Tax and Pave".
Texas is now the "friendly state" because every five minutes a friendly road paver pops up with smile and a stop sign in his hand. "Give Us a Brake!" Where would you like it?
Check in tomorrow and let me fill you in on the road signs of New Mexico.
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