More vacationing, means more drivers on the road, which causes more traffic and congestion. Unfamiliar roads for vacationers and sightseeing (or rubber necking as we call it in Texas) may cause drivers to slow down or drive erratically when distracted. Look out for some road rage from the locals. Because we all know that tourists are a pain in the rear and should always be made fun of. School is out, so there are going to be many more teen (inexperienced) drivers on the road. And, as much as we parents hate to admit it, data shows that teens are more likely to be involved in accidents than other age groups. The heat and friction has also do a number on your tires. Tires are likely to blow out during the hot summer months. So have them checked out and always keep a filled spare. Most parts of the country that experience extreme winter weather only have the summer months as their opportunity to do road construction. Be mindful of construction zones and construction workers (you know…the guys in the orange vests).

So, plan ahead. Make sure you have your entire route mapped out. GPS is awesome, as we all know. But knowing ahead of time what your exact route is will save time, grief and a possible accident (whether that accident may be a fender bender or a kick in the face). Bring along plenty of water and an extra cell phone charger. You don’t want to be stranded in the heat with a dead cell phone. Oh…and don’t forget to pay your cell phone bill. Again, you don’t want to be stranded in the heat with a dead cell phone.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Summer Driving Hazards – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post Summer Driving Hazards appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

Unfortunately, the Morrison family didn’t have satellite radio to be able to listen to. You’ve got to love the variety of unusual stations that don’t lose their signal between cities. That’s certainly a lifesaver! If you plan a road trip with passengers, assign whoever is going to be sitting in the front seat as your “co-pilot.” They can be appointed as your assistant and be expected to do whatever you ask of them (well, nearly everything). Make a game out of it, or more like a competition. Set rules for yourself and other drivers. No cell phone use while driving, PERIOD. No talking, texting or reading messages or emails. Set up your phone in driving mode and maybe even put it in the glove compartment. Have chatting periods, music periods, etc. Put your “co-pilot” in charge of the music and GPS. Map your routes before leaving for your trip. Re-check them every day to familiarize yourself with your routes. Stop and eat all of your meals. Or purchase healthy food items and take time to stop and enjoy a picnic. Get out every few hours and take a brisk walk. Make a little sight-seeing tour out of it and take some pictures.

Road Trip America is a great website with tips, sightseeing tours and loads of great information for your next road trip. As the Lizard King said “Have a real good time…let it roll, baby roll.”

Until next week…
Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Road Trip Tips – Comedy Defensive Driving

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The post 25 Things To Have In Your Car At All Times appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

What a novel idea Walt Disney had when he chose to have every ride at Disney World exit through a gift shop. Walt Disney World is the ultimate tourist trap. And, being located in the state with the highest population of senior citizens, it’s likely the most dangerous driving excursion you’ll ever make. Even when my daughter and I took a trip to Atlantis in the Bahamas, the Dolphin Encounter exit filtered through a gift shop. Inside the souvenir shop, there was also a photo counter where you could purchase pictures of yourself, posed with a large, smiling dolphin. We thought we were going to swim with dolphins, but come to find out, it was just a photo opportunity. Before they allow you to participate in the Dolphin Encounter, they first make you sign a waiver saying that you won’t touch the dolphins around the eyes, the blowhole or the private area. I told the dolphin trainer that “I would try to control myself…but I drink…so I can’t make any promises.”

Talk about trip planning, when I was about nine years old, my sisters and I took a trip from St. Louis to Los Angeles with my great aunt and two other very old women. That trip was just under 2,000 miles, each way. With six arguing females in one car, it’s extraordinary that we even came back alive. I remember we went to Arizona, where there was a roadside attraction to “See A Baby Rattler.” We stopped, paid the admittance fee and saw it…just lying there in a large wooden box, a pink plastic baby rattle. I’m sure we got a picture with it, I can’t remember.  I bought some suede moccasins and an Indian doll that had a beaded costume that smelled like fresh airplane glue and sniffing it seemed to help ease the pain of the trip. We passed through New Mexico, Las Vegas where you had to be 21 to even use the toilets and the highlight of the trip was when we went to the Grand Canyon.  By then, everyone was tempted to push each other into the abyss.

The point of our trip was to drive most of it on Route 66, which crosses America through 8 states giving travelers a chance to see Americana that hasn’t evolved since the 1920’s. Or, as most tourist traps put it “to recapture the past.” It does have the most majestic scenery and the best tourist traps west of the Mississippi, as the road twists and turns at over 2,288 miles.

I found some old postcards we had sent to my parents from that trip. Most of my writing was incoherent, likely due to the airplane glue from the Indian doll. One, telling my parents that the best part of the entire trip was the Barney Rubble house in Valle, Arizona. Yes, it must have been the glue.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist / Glue Sniffer

Trip Planning for Tourist Traps – Comedy Defensive Driving

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