You are right, Big Surians. The fu**ers are trying to kill us … And themselves. I have been reading all the horror stories about the traffic and tourists and crazies, so I kept putting off running down to Cambria. Finally wanted fresh veggies, so I went today. Oh, joy …
On the way home, I went to pass the car in front of me, car #1. Legal passing area. Plenty of room and time to get between him and the car in front of him, car #2, before the SB car, car #3, came to us. Well, there would have been, had car #2 not panicked, or decided he did not want me behind him, or whatever the hell his pea brain was thinking. I got along side car #1 when I watched car#2 slam on his brakes and watched the space between the two cars rapidly dwindle. I had no choice but to “thread the needle” that is squeeze between car # 2 heading north and car #3 heading south, as the car behind me had now moved up closer to car #1. I hope someone recorded that … I certainly didn’t have time to.
Yes, they wanted to kill me and themselves … But … Not today.
I think we saw it was it at about 330ish?
I’m sorry, Kate, they are trying to kill us all, including their own families!! I don’t understand how they remember to blink, let alone drive.
Hwy 1 is being tested to the limits. The pull outs are packed, over packed. U-turns on blind corners are becoming the norm. Cars stop on the highway to take pictures oblivious that they are in the middle of a highway blocking traffic. Visitor vehicles are doing one illegal and unsafe maneuver after another. And the police seem to be absent or more interested in ticketing locals on Palo Colorado Road then addressing the unsafe parking, and driving of tourists. Happy New Year.
Holy crap….not just on the coast today either…idiots up here too…maybe the wind was making them crazy….glad you are safe.
So sorry to read this Kate. A fair percentage that venture onto that road have no business doing so.
Glad you are ok. We came up from SLO yesterday, so I empatjize. All hype aside, it is really quite crazy out there.
Martha Diehl from my smart-alec phone
>
I surrender to the tourists’ slow pace when it’s crazy busy like it’s been. Nothing like a good audio book or music on the car sound system to calm the nerves and accept travel at a snail’s pace. There’s also more time to scan for whales…Just remember to leave a good space buffer in front of you to compensate for the goof balls who insist on riding your rear bumper.
Suzi, you are right, of course, and I do the same, but when a safe opportunity presents itself, I pass … Or I have … Maybe I won’t during these crazy times.
bigsurkate
Carmel has been in “Concourse” style gridlock for nearly a week. Can take half an hour or more to make the normally 5 minute trip from Monterey to Carmel — and don’t even try to get into Carmel from Big Sur in the evening when the tourists are fleeing north.
Keith, from what I am seeing and hearing, it is the worst it has been in my 30 years here … Or am I exaggerating?
I canceled a drs appt saying, a 5 hour RT has become a 7 hour RT. Just can’t do it for a 15 min appt.
Happy New Year, and may we have our home to ourselves for a few months!
bigsurkate
I’ll pile on a bit. Rio Road at Safeway, 4:15 this afternoon. I experienced gridlock as traffic exiting the Crossroads shopping center onto Rio Road didn’t budge for a solid 5 minutes. Traffic backed up on all side streets beyond the post office west. Traffic on the highway was stopped. It was a weird feeling and I have never been claustrophobic in my life but experienced a little bit of it because of being trapped from all sides. Thank goodness this is a civilized community. All hell could have broken out and we were all sitting ducks.
So sorry to hear this chaos has invaded Big Sur. I still remember the days when it was still relatively undiscovered. My most recent visit a couple of years ago was pretty shocking because of the way things have changed. I worry that our lovely area may change in the same way given enough time. It seems to be gradually shifting in that direction.
Wishing you a happy new year and some blessed peace for Big Sur!
Unfortunately, I’ve threaded the needle as well & it is never fun!
Hopefully all the idiots on the roads endangering the rest will go home and tell everyone that Highway 1 should be avoided at all costs and that word will spread and next year no one will show up. When I was very new to Highway 1 about 20 years ago the scary drivers were locals who’d cowboy up and back with the confidence of familiars, one headlight on at midnight if that and in rattly pickups with stuff flying off the back, one dog tied into the back, and the truck’s cow catcher within two inches of my back bumper.
SO glad your well honed driving skills kept you with us, scary ride, Happy New Year.
It’s definitely the worst traffic I’ve ever seen on the coast, Kate. It seems like traffic has been extra heavy all year, with frequent slowdowns around attractions like JPB and whale jams. But this past week it stepped up to a whole new level. The odd thing is that today, an actual holiday, traffic seemed to be much lighter. I haven’t the faintest idea why.
I agree, Keith, the whole year has seen a busier Highway One. We are at or beyond the capacity for our fragile ecosystem (and our exhausted tourist-serving service people) to handle. I suspect traffic was lighter today because people already were where they wanted to be. In many instances for the entire 5 day weekend. It Will probably pick up again tomorrow.
bigsurkate
All the more reason to stay home and grow sprouts instead of taking to the highways.
It’s a rare town trip that I don’t see a drunk or “unable” driver on my way in or out of town. I prefer later at night when most people are off the hwy but then there’s the drunks to contend with. It’s a crack shot!!
Some of the strangest driving behaviors I have ever seen has been on hwy1.