Canadian Welcome

photo credit: dougtone

It started out as a simple ride home. Two short highways and I would arrive in less than an hour.  Then I got to the ramp for the second highway and found the road was closed and under construction. I had no choice but to follow the Detour signs with all the other traffic.

Fast forward twenty minutes and our detour has taken us through a downtown city area and then back around to meet the highway at the other side. Longer than I expected, but still not too bad. Until we got to the little street just before the highway.

Some dear soul with nothing better to do had moved the detour sign. Now, instead of being at the highway ramp, it advised the detour traffic to travel down that little street.

Before I knew it, I was at the end of the street, a transport truck in front of me, and realized this was not the right way. I turned onto the next street and found it was a dead end. Since my car is small, it didn’t take too much effort to turn around in someone’s driveway. The transport truck behind me wasn’t so lucky. Not only was he stuck, but a very angry lady pulled open his driver’s door and yelled at him to stay there (as if he could move anyway) as the police were on the way.

By this point, I was wedged in behind parked cars at the side of the road with the truck beside me. And if that truck hadn’t blocked my means of escape, the one behind it most certainly did. That, and the long line of cars that threaded their way behind the trucks. By now, all of the neighbours were out watching and wondering what was happening on their quiet little road.

After a not-too-short wait, the police arrived and tried to remedy the chaos. An hour later, I was on the highway again, back toward the direction I’d come much earlier that day.

By this time it was starting to get dark and I was tired and frustrated. I saw a sign for a city not far from mine and exited the highway. I usually have a great sense of direction, but at this point could barely tell which way was west and home. A familiar main street appeared, so I took it. Only to find it ended at a campground and I was in the middle of nowhere.

I had my cell phone with me, so quickly called home to find out where I was and how to get out of this mess. No answer. I dialed the other members of my family. No one answered. If my mother hadn’t been in the car with me, I’d have broken down in tears by then. Instead, I told her we would find a motel for the night if I didn’t get on the right road soon.

To make a short story almost as long as my trip, I managed to find an open gas station and was directed to the right street. Totally opposite to the way I was going. At long last we made it the house and I tumbled into bed exhausted, both emotionally and physically.

I now have multiple maps in my glove compartment, am considering getting a GPS like this one
Garmin nuvi 855 Automobile GPS, and will do whatever I can to keep from ever following a Detour Sign again. Yes, it was an adventure, but at my age the only adventure I want is trying out a new restaurant.

Any suggestions how I can keep from getting lost in future? How do you keep on track?

Technorati Tags: detour, GPS, road signs