President-In-Town Traffic Blues

Never invite the President to come to speak in your area. He clogs up traffic for hours.

After I picked up the sheet cake yesterday I thought I could avoid the traffic by bypassing all the main roads and take the I-75. After I got on it and it was too late to change my mind I found the traffic was at a standstill. I drove down the emergency lane to the next exit and got off and got into another long line of cars of drivers who had the same idea I did.

Then, after getting on the main road I had no problem getting to my destination. As I passed Dobbins Air Force Base there was just one lone Sheriff’s car sitting there. I delivered the cake to Anna about 15 minutes ahead of schedule and got back on the parkway north. The Cobb Parkway between Anna’s work and Marietta is lined with car dealerships, restaurants, and signs.

Why didn’t I think of that. No one who wanted to drive the President would want to drive him through that eye-sore. They would want to drive him up the I-75 and take the Dobbins Air Force Exit.

When I got up even with Dobbins Air Force Base the traffic was again at a standstill. While sitting there, looking over at the run way I saw more than a handful of people standing by the fence, some was pointing. I followed their fingers and there was what I believe to be Air Force One. It is big blue and white airplane, standing regal-like with a couple of men standing near by, probably guarding it.

I sat there about 15 or 20 minutes and only got to creep up when a car on my side decided to do a U-turn and go the opposite way. Way ahead, where I earlier saw the deputy sheriff’s car was many flickering blue lights. Then I figured the President would be coming in from the I-75 Exit ramp and they had the southbound of the Cobb Parkway blocked off – no traffic was coming down the southbound lanes. So, I made a u-turn and headed south myself.

At the first intersection of a street heading west, I took, and again was free of standing traffic problems. In Smyrna I turned right and was going north again towards Marietta on Atlanta Road. This is in a heavy Hispanic area. I noticed on the sidewalk were many Hispanics of all shapes and sizes walking. In my area when you see people on the main road sidewalk walking they are generally exercising. I don’t think these people were exercising, I think they had to go someplace.

I stopped to eat at the newly opened “Popeye’s”. I am a sucker for any type of Cajun food, and a new restaurant I am a sucker for. The parking lot was full, including one mail delivery truck. I thought I would probably know the mail carrier inside. But I got inside and there were only three customers, and no Postal carrier. Figure that one out – or who cares? I was there to see how well their spicy Cajun was anyway.

Then, back on the road again going up Cobb Parkway, I approached a red light too fast and could not stop and saw it turn to red as I was going under it. It was the same intersection that a camera took a picture of Anna running the red light and sent us a citation in the mail Darn!

However, in my rear-view mirror a yellow or orange pickup truck was right behind me. He ran the red-light too. Maybe he was so close he covered up the camera’s view of my license plate. And even if it did take a good picture, then I am sure it would have taken a good picture of the truck in the same picture frame. The orange or yellow truck will be my alibi – he was too close to my rear-end for me to stop.