Flying Low Into Reno

I mentioned on Monday that we had made the drive to Reno but I forgot to tell you something my wife Vicki came up with on the trip.

I have been accused of sometimes going a little over the speed limit which of course one sometimes has to do when passing six cars at a time on a two lane highway while avoiding oncoming traffic.


We were about 230 miles into our 450 mile trip and we pulled into the rest area just outside of Tonopah.

My son Tyler, myself, and the two dogs were stretching our legs while Vicki got sandwiches and cokes out of the ice chest and put them on the table.

As I reached for a sandwich she said, "Just a minute, that will be $18.50 please." I said, "$18.50, what are you talking about?"

She said, "Well if you insist on flying down the highway, then just like all the airlines, there is now a charge for food and drinks."

I said I didn't think the meal charges applied to pilots but I lost that argument.

We finished up our lunch and made a smooth take off again and I brought the car up to my cruising speed.


Vicki and Tyler were settled in the back seat with a disk in the DVD player. They were putting on their earphones getting ready to watch the movie when I said, "Just a minute, that will be $10.00 each please."

Vicki said, "$10.00 each, what are you talking about?" "Well," I said, "turn about is fair play, the fee for in-flight movies is $10.00 per person."

Did I mention the trip to Reno is a long one especially when no one talks to you?

I had something strange happen this trip that has never happened to me before.

You know how you are driving down the highway one or two miles over the speed limit and you see a highway patrolman with outstretched arm, palm down pumping his arm indicating for you to slow down?

Well, Vicki was engrossed in the movie so I took the opportunity to, as they say, blow a little carbon out of the engine so I kicked it up a notch to a mild 90 MPH.

All of a sudden out of nowhere a Highway patrol car pulls up along side of me and the patrolman was using the arm signal palm up, indicating speed up.

That one had me completely baffled all weekend until a conversation Saturday in Reno with Tyler.

He told me in the strictest confidence that his mom had taken the car into GMC and had the speedometer re-calibrated to show 30 miles an hour faster than it really should be.

Women, you just can't trust them!!