Tourists

[Dave]

So yesterday late afternoon I was coming through the Columbia Gorge on the Washington side of the river. Driving right into the sun. It was hot and I was tired but I had a three and a half hour drive home. Now highway 14 is just a two lane road that is not very straight. Lots of corners with very few places to pass. So of course I get behind a tourist. I know it was a tourist because he had Illinois plates. It is a 60 mph speed limit. The corners aren't sharp, they just limit the line of sight. He is driving 45 mph. We come to the town Stephenson. From my car I am telling him that it is a scenic little town and he should stop and visit but no he keeps on going..... very slowly. Next we come to the Bridge of the Gods. Once again from my car I advise him to stop and read the history of the area. He just rubber necks and keeps on at his slow pace. Then we come to Bonneville Dam. There is water pouring over the spillways. A spectacular sight. He does some real serious rubber necking and slows down even more but doesn't pull off. Finally we get to the passing lane before Cape Horn after 30+ miles of following this guy. I blow his doors off along with a couple of dozen other cars who are behind me by this time. So all of this begs the question, if it is tourist season why can't we shoot them?

 

[sim.-ang.king]

I the sad thing is, we get IL tourist too.

You would think they would want to leave this state, but all they do is get on i55 or i57 and drive south.
:lol:

 

[Rafter S]

So yesterday late afternoon I was coming through the Columbia Gorge on the Washington side of the river. Driving right into the sun. It was hot and I was tired but I had a three and a half hour drive home. Now highway 14 is just a two lane road that is not very straight. Lots of corners with very few places to pass. So of course I get behind a tourist. I know it was a tourist because he had Illinois plates. It is a 60 mph speed limit. The corners aren't sharp, they just limit the line of sight. He is driving 45 mph. We come to the town Stephenson. From my car I am telling him that it is a scenic little town and he should stop and visit but no he keeps on going..... very slowly. Next we come to the Bridge of the Gods. Once again from my car I advise him to stop and read the history of the area. He just rubber necks and keeps on at his slow pace. Then we come to Bonneville Dam. There is water pouring over the spillways. A spectacular sight. He does some real serious rubber necking and slows down even more but doesn't pull off. Finally we get to the passing lane before Cape Horn after 30+ miles of following this guy. I blow his doors off along with a couple of dozen other cars who are behind me by this time. So all of this begs the question, if it is tourist season why can't we shoot them?

...because it would be so easy there's no sport in it?

 

[SJB]

it's a quota tag. you have to get drawn...

 

[fenceman]

Great idea, until the tourist is you. ;-)

 

[3waycross]

Been saying that for years. You should get behind a line of Toasters driving 30mph through the Bighorn canyon for 55 miles. You WILL kill someone sooner or later.

 

[fenceman]

I'd guess Colorado gets a whole different kinda tourist.

 

[Dave]

I'd guess Colorado gets a whole different kinda tourist.

I think we have the same type of tourists. Right along Highway 14 in the town of Bingen there is a big sign advertising "Margie's Pot Shop". Come to think of it I caught up with this tourist just a few miles west of there. Gives a whole new meaning to "High"way 14.

I do realize that this is smack dab in the middle of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. And for someone who has never been there before it is pretty amazing. But there are a bunch of wide spots to pull off. And when there is a dozen cars riding your tail it is time to grab a wide spot.

 

[3waycross]

I'd guess Colorado gets a whole different kinda tourist.

I was talking about the late august sept crowd driving Winnebago's 35 mph. Our new tourist is a narco tourist.

 

[fenceman]

I'd guess Colorado gets a whole different kinda tourist.

I was talking about the late august sept crowd driving Winnebago's 35 mph. Our new tourist is a narco tourist.

Well when you called them toasters, I guess I jumped to conclusions.

 

[greybeard]

Dave, just lobby your state legislature and Guv to pass a 20% tourist tax. If you don't have a Washington ID or riv lic, every good and service is 20% higher than for residents.
Or just ban them altogether, along with their stinkin tourist $$$$.

TOURISTS KEEP OUT OF WASHINGTON STATE!!
We don't want or need you, your pokey azz driving or your danged money so stay the heck out of our state!!

problem solved.

 

[ga.prime]

Lotta crappy advice here. Greybeard, you hittin the bottle?

 

[cow pollinater]

I get a lot of tourists in between home and the ranch as it is the "gateway to the sequoias" . It used to drive me nuts but now I'm kinda proud of it and give directions when I can and drive slow the rest of the time. I've come to enjoy out of state plates because I can get along with most of them and they can't find anybody else here that will give them the time of day.

 

[Alan]

So yesterday late afternoon I was coming through the Columbia Gorge on the Washington side of the river. Driving right into the sun. It was hot and I was tired but I had a three and a half hour drive home. Now highway 14 is just a two lane road that is not very straight. Lots of corners with very few places to pass. So of course I get behind a tourist. I know it was a tourist because he had Illinois plates. It is a 60 mph speed limit. The corners aren't sharp, they just limit the line of sight. He is driving 45 mph. We come to the town Stephenson. From my car I am telling him that it is a scenic little town and he should stop and visit but no he keeps on going..... very slowly. Next we come to the Bridge of the Gods. Once again from my car I advise him to stop and read the history of the area. He just rubber necks and keeps on at his slow pace. Then we come to Bonneville Dam. There is water pouring over the spillways. A spectacular sight. He does some real serious rubber necking and slows down even more but doesn't pull off. Finally we get to the passing lane before Cape Horn after 30+ miles of following this guy. I blow his doors off along with a couple of dozen other cars who are behind me by this time. So all of this begs the question, if it is tourist season why can't we shoot them?

Hang in there Dave! In the second week of July we get 10,000 to 14,0000 jerks on bikes coming through....... STP, Seattle to Portland annual weekend from he!!.

 

[greybeard]

Lotta crappy advice here. Greybeard, you hittin the bottle?

No--hardly ever touch the stuff. Holidays maybe, and today isn't a holiday--not in Texas anyway.
Just offering Dave a way to permanently avoid the problem with tourists. Just get rid of them--ban them and all their sorry attributes altogether.

 

[Nesikep]

Around here it's the Albertans.. they've never seen a bend in a road, so any little curve in the road automatically means they have to go 35mph.. and they have the same kind of attitude.. rubberneck and gawk at everything, essentially stop in the middle of the road, but don't darned well pull over at the numerous pullouts.

There's a reason I'm going for 450HP in my truck..make good use of the few passing lanes we do have!

 

[3waycross]

So yesterday late afternoon I was coming through the Columbia Gorge on the Washington side of the river. Driving right into the sun. It was hot and I was tired but I had a three and a half hour drive home. Now highway 14 is just a two lane road that is not very straight. Lots of corners with very few places to pass. So of course I get behind a tourist. I know it was a tourist because he had Illinois plates. It is a 60 mph speed limit. The corners aren't sharp, they just limit the line of sight. He is driving 45 mph. We come to the town Stephenson. From my car I am telling him that it is a scenic little town and he should stop and visit but no he keeps on going..... very slowly. Next we come to the Bridge of the Gods. Once again from my car I advise him to stop and read the history of the area. He just rubber necks and keeps on at his slow pace. Then we come to Bonneville Dam. There is water pouring over the spillways. A spectacular sight. He does some real serious rubber necking and slows down even more but doesn't pull off. Finally we get to the passing lane before Cape Horn after 30+ miles of following this guy. I blow his doors off along with a couple of dozen other cars who are behind me by this time. So all of this begs the question, if it is tourist season why can't we shoot them?

Hang in there Dave! In the second week of July we get 10,000 to 14,0000 jerks on bikes coming through....... STP, Seattle to Portland annual weekend from he!!.

I'll trade you. The local idiots have put together a rock concert with someone called Gentlemen of the road. For the weekend of Aug 22nd. We are a town of 5500 and they are projecting as many as 20,000 people in town that weekend

 

[greybeard]

I'll trade both of you-----my mother-in-law is coming to visit in July.

 

[wbvs58]

Tourists are very welcome in my neck of the woods. They contribute significantly to the local economy.
Ken

 

[john250]

Those aren't the Illinois drivers we see on I-65 in Indiana headed to Fla, after Thanksiving. Those folks drive like they stole it.