General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRe: the stories about the "Checkpoints" in Florida? Here's the one on I-95 this morning (6 min vid)
First of all, please don't bother with the "You were holding your phone while driving?!? HOW DARE YOU!!" Yeah. I was HOLDING the phone, not texting on it. I don't own a GoPro and I didn't think to bring a tripod with me when I left for this trip at 2 AM. I've been doing this shit for over 30 years now, and have over 2 million miles without a scratch, so while I understand any concerns in this regard, trust me, I wasn't being unsafe.
I also apologize for the framing, as I was indeed watching the road and glancing at the screen, so I tended to drop the phone a bit.
Anyway....
This is just to show what the Coronavirus checkpoint looks like, how it is set up and how they were directing traffic on Interstate 95, just south of the Georgia line, about 30 miles north of Downtown Jacksonville.
The first segment begins as I approached the state line, heading southbound in Georgia, crossing the St. Mary's River and into Florida. I have to enter an Agricultural Station (Florida and California are the only two states to have such inspection stations) almost immediately south of the state line, but this is a simple "What are you hauling" question that the answer "US Mail" results in a wave on through. Usually the officer recognizes our company or trailers as mail carriers and doesn't even open the window, just waves at us.
This second segment of this vid begins just after I pulled away from the Ag Station window and shows the 2 mile ride down the highway to the Truck Weigh Station, where the checkpoint is set up;
vimeo.com/404655764
The highway warning/message signs show as flickering because of the frame rate of the iPhone camera (I said "Shutter rate, but you get the drift) but were in fact clear as could be.
Here is a Google Maps link to the location if you want to see exactly where it is;
https://goo.gl/maps/oDbXZ2QMRdxLHFyeA
It obviously wasn't backed up and it didn't appear as if there was any real delay for passenger vehicles, but of course, it was early on a Monday and traffic is way down generally speaking.
greenjar_01
(6,477 posts)A HERETIC I AM
(24,380 posts)That whole bit where Jerry's parents get the place down here was genius!
Thanks for the chuckle!
OriginalGeek
(12,132 posts)EVERY time I drive by it I holler DEL BOCA VISTA!
marble falls
(57,347 posts)A HERETIC I AM
(24,380 posts)Please elaborate.
Or don't.
Response to marble falls (Reply #3)
NutmegYankee This message was self-deleted by its author.
underpants
(182,942 posts)Nice video.
A HERETIC I AM
(24,380 posts)underpants
(182,942 posts)A HERETIC I AM
(24,380 posts)Not a damned thing wrong with that, either!
underpants
(182,942 posts)It was very informative. In Virginia we'd have slap up some tolls in those suckers.
A HERETIC I AM
(24,380 posts)If you were running all the way to New York, getting to Petersburg was like ..."OK, Here we go" and the damned toll booths seemed to be every fucking 20 minutes all the way to the GW Bridge!
underpants
(182,942 posts)But we still have us a lot of tolls.
SharonClark
(10,014 posts)As soon as this is over I'm going on a road trip!
uponit7771
(90,367 posts)UpInArms
(51,285 posts)Very interesting and informative
Safe travels, friend
A HERETIC I AM
(24,380 posts)Glad you liked it.
Deep State Gnostic
(64 posts)ms liberty
(8,607 posts)My dad lived in Folkston Ga for the last 30 or so years of his life. I traveled that stretch of 95 two years ago when I went home (Tampa) on vacation. Were they making all passenger vehicles pull off and go through the checkpoint? And it looks like they had exits and the rest area at the welcome center blocked off?
A HERETIC I AM
(24,380 posts)The sign said "Trucks" stay left, but didn't otherwise specify, so if you were in a UHaul, who knows? They might have chased you down. No idea. If you remember, the signs before the Ag station DO SPECIFY that "Rental Trucks" are to enter, and over the years I have seen scores of Uhauls and Penske Rentals pulled over by the Ag Cops south of the Agricultural Inspection Station.
Whether or not they were doing that with this set up is something I do not know.
The only exit closed was Exit 380, the one for US 17, which is the only exit between the state line and the Weigh Station, the Scale being about 2 1/2 miles inside the state.
And yes, the Rest Area/Welcome Center was also closed off.
And howdy, fellow First Coaster!!
ornotna
(10,807 posts)Have you considered a magnetic phone mount? I use one for my phone and it works quite well.
A HERETIC I AM
(24,380 posts)I've considered a bunch of stuff, but I make this sort of video so infrequently, it just hasn't seemed to be anything I need to spend money on.
I am in a different truck almost every trip, so moving a whole lot of crap, mounts, accessories, etc. in and out of a different tractor every day becomes a PITA, so I try and keep that stuff to a minimum.
ornotna
(10,807 posts)I'm always in the same vehicle and I use my phone for navigation as well so it really helps. Easy on easy off and it's never fallen off no matter how bumpy the ride.
nolabear
(41,992 posts)Youre forgiven for holding the phone. Thanks for the ride.
A HERETIC I AM
(24,380 posts)Between YouTube and now TikTok, there is a shit ton of truckers making videos about how much of a humongous, bad ass Billy Big Rigger they are!
Funny that most of them were still shitting yellow the first time I pushed a clutch in on a ten speed, but there you go!!
USALiberal
(10,877 posts)Ilsa
(61,700 posts)to bypass the east bound I-10, getting off the interstate at Mobile AL, travelling a few miles northeast on another highway, then exiting to head south to Pensacola.
A HERETIC I AM
(24,380 posts)is 360 miles away (west) from the location of this video.
Ilsa
(61,700 posts)There's bound to be a way around on I95 South.
A HERETIC I AM
(24,380 posts)you will see there are only 5 road routes across the St. Mary's River, and all of them have an Ag Check Station.
https://goo.gl/maps/ZKS9ki76Nqu4tU8F8
North and Northwest of Jacksonville, you can cross into the state on I-95, US 301, US 17, on GA 223/FL 121 near Macclenny, FL or on County Road 2, just east of St. George, GA, but all of those do have an Ag Station. Now, whether or not those stations are acting as Coronavirus checkpoints is something I can not attest to, but the facilities are there.
So without driving way the hell out of your way, it seems to me the answer is maybe!
Again, it depends on the various Ag Stations and whether or not they are checking passenger cars.
dameatball
(7,400 posts)the past. Been through there a zillion times. Kind of neat seeing it now, although under unfortunate circumstances.
MoonlitKnight
(1,584 posts)And continuing to keep things moving so others can stay home.
A HERETIC I AM
(24,380 posts)I appreciate the sentiment.