#6: From Louisiana Border to Baton Rouge

Louisiana-Bound! (2008) Part 6 of 40: From the Louisiana Border to Baton Rouge Once we arrived in Louisiana our final destination was near. Around highway 12 our south direction became west when we turned towards Baton Rouge. It was less than 50 miles away. There was concern that we wouldn't make it there. The bus just seemed to have trouble staying on the road. A few of us were alerted to the fact that the driver may have been falling asleep. Many of the signs indicated that. Yet we didn't approach the driver. However I watched him carefully though it would do no good. I thought of trying to get close and talk to the driver, but rejected the idea. Who would grab the wheel if the bus left the road? Maybe it wouldn't matter. It would be too late, I would guess, as we were going about 60 miles an hour! I told Melanie that we had to be close to Baton Rouge. The bus kept going onto the rumble strips which alerts a driver in case he starts to fall asleep at the wheel. Stretching, small exercises, one hand on the wheel, obviously the driver was trying to stay awake. He spent long minutes massaging his neck while driving with one hand. I knew that was not safe. And the swerving bus confirmed it. The weather was calm so I didn't think the wind was a factor. The roads may have been more narrow, but I would be in denial to conclude there was no problem. So I watched and hoped. And then it happened. I don't think it was a scheduled stop, but the bus pulled over. The driver got out and resumed his stretching exercises. It was a time for me to relax. The short break might solve his problem. A few minutes after we stopped, a passenger got off the bus. As far as I could tell, it wasn't a scheduled stop as it wasn't announced and the area was nearly desolate. That meant a driver could lose his job for letting anyone off except at scheduled stops. However, parking was good for the bus passengers. Written by Harvey A. Bond May 4, 2008

 

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