Driving with Sissy...Atlanta

Driving through Atlanta is one of the few places that can leave me white-knuckled.  Sister and I have been going to, through and around Atlanta for more than forty years.  In the early days, Mother drove and we were oblivious to traffic and truly happy to read billboards and look at “stuff”.  It wasn’t until I drove to Atlanta on I-85 for the first time all by myself that I realized driving might not be as much fun as I always thought.  "Driving Miss Daisy" was set in the suburbs of wealthy Atlanta and poor Hoke never ventured into the downtown or this movie could have had another title.

You know if Sherman had just left Atlanta alone during the Great War of Northern Aggression, many of these traffic issues might have been avoided.  Atlanta was growing and developing a state-of-the-art highway and transportation system in the late 1850’s.  After Sherman’s disastrous (and may I add brutally savage) raid on this fair city, the people were determined to make Atlanta bigger, better and a shrine to the South.  This was known as the period of “reconstruction” and historians, not from the South, have indicated that this period ended in the late 1800’s.  Anyone who has driven within a 30 mile radius of this city since that time knows that “reconstruction” is alive and well and will never end!

Which brings me back to driving I-85 through Atlanta as I made my way to Birmingham for the Sister Trip.  There is NO WAY to avoid Atlanta if you plan to go to cities south of Atlanta.  Let me repeat, NO WAY. But there are a few things that could make this less stressful.  Note:  if you are a timid driver, practice your skills in high speed traffic before taking on Atlanta.  Be sure you are not driving a clunker because NO ONE will stop to assist you, not even the patrols, who are non-existent on this stretch…they know to avoid it.  Everyone else is going so fast that there is no time to consider stopping.  Yes, there are speed limit signs but these date back to pre-Sherman and I have seen only one car doing less than the posted speed.  That was this trip and the young guy (yep, young) was driving around 35mph, which created issues for those of us cruising at 75mph and above.

My top driving tips for conquering Atlanta and I-85 are:

1.       Empty your bladder about thirty miles before entering the outskirts.  Trust me; this will be the most important tip!

2.      Set your air for FRIGID and this applies for all seasons.  It keeps your hands from slipping from the wheel and your mind crisp.

3.      Have about a half tank of gas in the event you are idling in traffic due to construction (oops, reconstruction) or an accident site.

4.      Take I-85 straight through downtown if you hate competing with big trucks.

5.      I-285 does the perimeter of Atlanta and allows HUGE trucks.  Downtown does not allow trucks.

6.      Have the CD or radio set to a channel that you can endure for an hour.  You will not want to fiddle with tuning.  I prefer LOUD music like the Leningrad Cowboys to make me feel invincible.

7.      Don’t read the bill boards of which thousands exist on this stretch.  Don't take your eyes from the task at hand.

8.      And lastly whatever you do, never, ever, no matter how needed give the “universal sign” (loosely translated:  YOU ARE AN IDIOT!) when driving in, around or near Atlanta.

Enjoy!