#661 When you drive from a rough road onto a smooth one

Cruising onto a fresh black road when you’ve been scraping on top of a rough one is a mighty fine feeling. Yes, when you get off that chopped-up construction meat or swerve out of Pothole Alley your tires are loving you lots.

And it’s not just that:

Feels like you're wearing headphones

1. Shhhh. When you slip onto fresh road the background noise fades away and everyone realizes they can chat in a normal voice again. It’s a nice, relaxing feeling, and it sort of makes your car feel more expensive, like you tossed down a fistful of hundreds at the dealership for some primo soundproofing upgrades.

2. Gimme a break. When you start cruising smooth it’s like driving becomes a lot easier. You’re no longer swerving past giant dirt potholes on the way out of the cottage or watching you don’t slip off of pebbly gravel edges beside the ditch. Thinking of giving both your arms a rest simultaneously? Now’s a good time.

mechanic

3. Mechanic on duty. I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I’m on a rough stretch of road my tires start make whirring, click-clacking sounds and I convince myself that something’s wrong with my car. I know, I know, I’m a real hypocardriac (hey-ohhhhhh!) But seriously folks, doesn’t it feel good when you drive onto a smooth road, perk your ears up, and realize that nothing’s wrong with your hunk of junk?

Driving from a rough road onto a smooth one is a tiny gift to the road weary. You don’t know when it’s coming, you don’t know long it’ll last, but for a those few fleeting moments you smile and relax in a quiet little meditation on wheels.

AWESOME!

smooth road

Photos from: here, here, and here

29 thoughts to “#661 When you drive from a rough road onto a smooth one”

  1. This is my answer for the James Lipton-question, “What is your favorite sound?” I LOVE IT.

  2. oh man i HATE grooved pavement…they’ve been working on Rt 2 in MA which i have to take to and from school, and i HATED it. it’s like nails on a chalkboard for me, so the relief of getting back onto smooth road is that much greater :-)

      1. I had to urban dictionary the word…then i got the joke and gave the word its 3rd thumb up :o)

  3. I’m a road cyclist so I really appreciate smooth pavement. My undercarriage, my bones and hands all really appreciate it.

    Sometimes when I’m in my car driving along my passenger will catch me looking out the window and ask what I’m doing. I’ll reply…that’s some sweet pavement I can’t wait to ride that…

  4. 1960’s, leaving Apache Junction, taking the Apache Trail, going to Roosevelt Lake, AZ.
    Bumpy, twisting, rocky, dirty, NOISY at Fish Creek Hill.
    Suddenly…silence. You relax and enjoy it. The silence lasts all the way to impact at the bottom of Fish Creek. You missed the turn….Awesome!

  5. my entire neighborhood just got repaved. its so nice that it forced me to buy a longboard. such an amazing feeling.

  6. Wow, you perfectly captured every glorious aspect of transitioning from a bad road to that sweet, smooth black stretch.

    This blog = AWESOME.

  7. Ah, the moment on I80 when you cross from California into Nevada is exactly this. Plus there’s the added bliss of knowing you’re almost home after driving all day.

  8. A similar Awesome Thing:
    When you are driving in the rain and you drive under a bridge or through a tunnel, those few seconds where the windshield is clear and there is silence.
    Oh baby!

  9. It reminds me of when you’re driving through the rain on the highway and you get so used to the noise. Then suddenly you drive under a bridge and there’s that second of absolute quiet. The WHOOSH, back into the rain.

  10. I was visiting relatives on the other side of the world, and we were going to go out to some special restaurant. Why is was special? It served special traditional heritage authentic (etc.) food, and to make it more “traditional” it was set at the base of a mountain. Well, if felt like a mountain with cloaks of fog and whispering trees crowding the road. But the scariest part was the the road suddenly turned, and you were on this thin strip of road circling the mountain (or just a HUGE hunk of earth), and you could see the sheer cliff-like ditch wavering menacingly next to you. Somehow, we didn’t crash or die, and my ninja skills didn’t have to kick in. Pshh, I was an awesome ninja then too, and I wasn’t scared…

  11. I know the difference and appreciate a good road.
    Yes, I heard the story on a bus once from a missionary out of a jungle, that we are very spoiled people.

Comments are closed.