Stupid questions - and how I wish I could answer them (language)

[Jester]

doing a U-turn across two lanes of traffic on a bridge is not a sensible idea

No, it's not. But sometimes, far more dangerous and preposterous things happen. One such story is lore in my family.

Geographical background: the George Washington Bridge is one of several ways to drive between New York City and New Jersey. It is also a double decker bridge, with different destinations and access to different roads and thruways, depending on which level you're on.

Family background: my mother is a notoriously nervous driver with a sense of direction somewhat south of a stoned and decapitated chicken.

So one day, Mom was going from New Jersey to NYC. And she realized halfway across the GW Bridge that she was on the wrong level! So she did what any sane, rational, normal driver would do. No, not finish the crossing, turn around, go back across, and then come back in the right level. And no, not get across and the figure out how to get to where you're going from where you're at. No, Mom pulled up to the tollbooth, and explained to the toll taker that she needed to turn around, and could the toll taker please stop traffic so that Mom could do just that?

The toll taker was, as you might expect, stunned by the ridiculousness of the question. But they were apparently so stunned that they actually did just that! That's right, on one of the busiest bridges in the world, which accessed one of the busiest cities in the world, a toll taker stopped several lanes of traffic coming out of the City so that one confused little New Jersey woman could do a U-turn and go back the way she'd come.

I'd like to say this is the best Mom Driving story I know.

Honestly, I'd really, really like to say that.


I'd also really like to say that I'm 6'5" and independently wealthy, and that Karen Gillan is madly in love with me.