Conditions for crossing the Mackinac Bridge today were… not ideal. No rain, but… hot, 28mph winds, and the outside lane is under minor construction (as I’d seen a few days before, going the other way). I asked at the tollbooth to confirm that last point, which was the last straw. Wind plus metal grate was more than I wanted to deal with. The attendant called for a truck.
While I was waiting, Smokey arrived. He was stern about the fact that I didn’t belong on I75, period. I assured him that I’d just gotten there for the tollbooth, and that I had a ride coming. He checked my driver’s license, of course, but left after the Mackinac Bridge Authority truck arrived and confirmed that they were taking me the rest of the way.
The two young men in the pickup didn’t have tie-downs or much understanding of how to secure a scooter, just a rope and unpracticed knot-tying skills. But they were friendly and we went looking for the gear I said was necessary (after securing Flash enough for a trip to another part of the bridge compound). In the end we borrowed a coworker’s personal tie down strap, plus another knew how to tie proper knots with the rope. Meanwhile I talked with them about my scooter and my travels. They seemed suitably impressed… with my insanity. One was amazed that I drove a scooter around Grand Rapids, as if it were some freeway-choked metropolis like L.A.
As it turns out, most of the right lane was open, and I wouldn’t have had to ride on the grate. So the hour that all of this took… probably didn’t need to happen. But I’m not upset; more important that I got across safely then having the satisfaction of doing it myself.
I think the truck was a good choice. Glad you could convince the trooper that you did not break the law (much).
What your mom said.