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11 JAN 04: GAS HEAT
Michelle Kwan won the women's U.S. Figure Skating Championship in Atlanta Saturday night. But Phillips Arena appeared to have hundreds of empty seats in the upper deck. Did THAT many fans from Columbus get stuck in traffic on Interstate 185?
Part of Interstate 185 was closed for hours Saturday, after a tanker truck full of gasoline overturned and caught fire. We're pleased to report not one person has blamed this interstate incident on a Muscogee County Sheriff's Deputy.
Authorities closed I-185 between J.R. Allen Parkway and Macon Road because of the tanker truck fire. Manchester Expressway was closed between Armour Road and University Avenue. But the closed-off area was so wide, we doubt Peachtree Mall sold any more fire extinguishers or smoke detectors.
An estimated 9,000 gallons of gasoline went up in flames, when the tanker caught fire. So how did Columbus gas stations know this was coming? Their prices went up about seven cents a gallon several days ago.
One report claimed smoke from the burning tanker truck could be seen as far away as Fort Benning. Maybe now the commanders will know what Columbus residents think of their controlled burns.
(In a way, this problem happened in the wrong part of town. Homeless bums on Second Avenue would have appreciated that fire a lot more, on a cold January day.)
True confession: I don't watch television on Saturday mornings, and normally don't even turn on the radio. So I didn't know of any problem on Manchester Expressway until I noticed a backup on the way to church in the afternoon. After all, this is Columbus - and normally no news happens on weekends before 6:00 p.m.
When I reached church, one woman told me she faced three different detours during her trip south on I-185. It almost sounds like the Chamber of Commerce got word of this, and arranged a "scenic route" for mall shoppers.
Our Pastor travels to Columbus from Macon, so he apparently wasn't affected by the blocked expressway. But he was interrupted for a moment while reading an item about a proposed "one world currency" - when a toy car whizzed by him, and hit the wall behind him! Some ministers would have stopped, and given a child-rearing lecture on the spot.
Our Pastor is a grandfather of seven, though, so he handled the interruption with a smile. He declared it a "runaway car," and invited the grandfather of the child who lost the car to come forward and claim it. Of course, the Pastor DID go on to give a sermon on "Embracing True Repentance...." [True!]
I-185 finally reopened around 8:00 p.m. Saturday night - so the blocked roads may have slowed some people heading to the Frankie Valli concert at the RiverCenter. How many of those fans drove home, noticed a taped Valli concert on Georgia Public Broadcasting, and felt like they were taken?
COMING THIS WEEK: The start of marching season.... and a decision on my "moral dilemma" from December....
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