Driving To Connecticut On A Steamroller
When my mind gets in a certain mood, I wonder what it would be like to travel back to Connecticut (200 miles, almost to the inch) on a given piece of construction equipment or farm gear. I’ll see something and imagine what the trip would be like if it were street legal and I had plenty of time. I mean, PLENTY of time.
A steamroller, for instance. Going back to where home used to be, took about three hours and forty five minutes the way I drove (the limit plus five, max). Let’s say your average ‘roller goes one mph tops; figure a 200 mile trip and that’s two hundred hours, or 8.3 days. At that rate, you don’t have to figure in lunch breaks.
At one point in my life, I drove a vehicle that pushed airplanes away from the gate. They went a little faster, but not much and, like the steamrollers, had no springs to protect you from bumps. Hard on the bones. I’d estimate three days for the trip.
I also drove a farm tractor, something not known for speed or comfort. The seat did, however, was spring-loaded – just enough to keep you bouncing all day. When we waved at the city folk passing by, it meant, “Hey, wanna trade places? This is fun!” Travel time back home? Same as the plane pusher, most likely.
Somehow, I don’t think the asphalt spreader would be a particularly good choice. Those things really crawl, perhaps slower than a steamroller, and I’d be surprised if I made it home in less than nine or ten days.
A steamroller, for instance. Going back to where home used to be, took about three hours and forty five minutes the way I drove (the limit plus five, max). Let’s say your average ‘roller goes one mph tops; figure a 200 mile trip and that’s two hundred hours, or 8.3 days. At that rate, you don’t have to figure in lunch breaks.
At one point in my life, I drove a vehicle that pushed airplanes away from the gate. They went a little faster, but not much and, like the steamrollers, had no springs to protect you from bumps. Hard on the bones. I’d estimate three days for the trip.
I also drove a farm tractor, something not known for speed or comfort. The seat did, however, was spring-loaded – just enough to keep you bouncing all day. When we waved at the city folk passing by, it meant, “Hey, wanna trade places? This is fun!” Travel time back home? Same as the plane pusher, most likely.
Somehow, I don’t think the asphalt spreader would be a particularly good choice. Those things really crawl, perhaps slower than a steamroller, and I’d be surprised if I made it home in less than nine or ten days.
posted by Tom Carten at 1:02 AM
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