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Commuting through Red Dawn
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Repair work on the building that they "blew up" for Red Dawn
Let me tell you about my commute home one day last week. You may know that i work in downtown Detroit and live in the close-in suburb of Royal Oak. I have a pretty typical 10 mile ride down Woodward Ave to get to work. Being a hard core scooterist, I like to get out early to avoid the main glut of traffic at rush hour. The ride down at 7:00 was just the normal early morning thrash. The ride home was markedly different.
The remake of "Red Dawn" is being shot around SE Michigan and they happen to be shooting just down the street from my workplace. So the first thing that happened was that I had to negotiate a small crowd of movie onlookers and slow traffic of cagers gawking at the bright lights. I headed north, passing the silent Comerica Park and the Hockeytown entertainment complex. Just north of town, I passed by an abandoned "Tuffy" muffler repair shop. Wait a second, that wasn't there last week. Yes, it was another set for Red Dawn. After a quick stop for a photo, I kept going. As soon as I passed mid-town, traffic slower dramatically. And then it stopped completely. As I was sitting there, close to the north end, I pondered my choices. I could detour on a side street, on the east side or the west side. Both ways would probably have a bunch of other people who had the same idea. Just as this thought was forming, three police cars zoomed by me in the center lane. No sirens, but lights on two of them and yes, moving very quickly. Since I ride in the "command" position of the outside of the left lane (for visibility of the car in front and for left-turners), the police missed me by inches. They got my attention for sure!
Magically appearing "Tuffy" muffler shop
Soon the traffic began to move and I saw what looked like a crime scene in front of a community center. Cops everywhere and traffic a mess. I picked my way through and headed north again at a good clip. Almost immediately as I entered Highland Park the traffic stopped again. There was a tow truck turning around, a police cruiser with some damage and the car to be towed. Again, I picked my way around the incident only to pass by yet another one of Detroit's finest placing a ticket on a parked car. Of course, everyone had to look...
Wolverines!
I soon reached Ferndale and made my turn to go the back way to my neighborhood just over I-696. In the neighborhood, an impatient fellow decided that the stop sign wasn't for him. He apparently never looked or never "saw" me in my very bright safety vest. Thankfully I saw him and was already on both brakes as he slithered through the intersection. He did give me a friendly little wave!
I got home about 10 minutes late, but what a commute! I was almost part of a movie, two police incidents and and nearly got squashed in a neighborhood!
How was your commute this week?
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