Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Texas

Here’s a news flash – Texas is a very big state. I know that sounds idiotic, but let me explain what I mean. You can look at a map of the US and say, “Gee, Texas is a big state.” But you cannot grasp its enormity until you drive across it.

While I was driving a big truck, I spent a lot of time in the Lone Star State. Much of that time was spent sitting in a drop-yard waiting for my next load, but most of it was spent traversing the Interstates and two-lane highways that slice through the state.

At our allowable speed limit (60 mph) and the maximum number of hours we could drive per shift (10) I could cross most states in eight hours or less.

If I were to drive across Texas, through Beaumont, Houston, San Antonio and El Paso following I-10, I would virtually cut the state in half, north to south. It would also take me fifteen hours to drive that distance.

That’s not saying that there’s a lot in Texas, besides land. Everything is just very spread out. You could probably take everything else in Texas, including the people and put it in an area about the size of South Carolina.

You would not lose anything important.

Later,

obi