Autobahn – Austria
Bear and I ventured onto the autobahn today.
It isn’t the first time. We drove on Europe’s maniacal highway system when we were in Germany on our honeymoon. It was more relaxed today than it was 37 years ago.
We were flat broke back then, newly wed and just starting our careers. Bear was working for Wardair, so flights were cheap and we saved even more money with a bargain rental car. I don’t remember what make or model it was, just an underpowered tin can with a stick shift. We were just happy to have wheels.
We pulled the tin can out of the rental garage and I knew we were in trouble before we even made it onto the freeway. The car was slow to accelerate in the autobahn merge lane, so we had traffic racing up behind us flashing their headlights wanting to get by. Once we were on the freeway, even in the right-hand traffic lanes, we still weren’t keeping with the flow no matter how hard I peddled. Audis and Mercedes were flying by us like we were standing still.
I found that if I kept the peddle to the floor on the downhill stretches, I could make it up the next hill without causing too much trouble. On one of those downhill runs, the biggest pig I have ever seen in my life came loping out of the ditch and crossed the road.
I swerved and missed it, but an image like this careened by the driver’s side door.
The car behind us wasn’t so lucky. Our rental car must have been creating a blind spot between the driver of the Mercedes and the pig. He never saw the animal, and never weakened as he went by us.
Germans make solid cars, and solid pigs.
I heard the Mercedes’ tires squeal and an almost simultaneous thud. When I looked back in the mirror, I saw what you would expect if a Panzer tank ran over a lunch box, filled with …
… pork chops.
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