Day 2 Nevada to Millbrae

The final day of our rush to the coast was uneventful with two exceptions. One, just after crossing the state line into California we stopped in Truckee for gas. The small town is in the mountains, it was raining and the smell of the trees was wonderful, however it was the first time the gas was over $3.00 a gallon. The next was the only unpleasant part of a most pleasant trip and that was the Bay Bridge, the bridge that gets you into San Francisco proper. There were 12 lanes into the toll booths and we were in the lines for over an hour. Some of the lines were prepay, called Fasttrak and some were cash. We got into one of the cash lines only to have it change to Fastrack after a few minutes, we crowded into another cash line and it changed and a Fastrak line at the other end changed to cash. People kept changing back and forth with much horn honking and finger waving. Finally I said "to hell with it" and stayed in one line. When we got to the boot it was Fastrak only, and I just stuffed my 4 bucks into an opening and said arrest me! Then the fun began. Twelve lanes goes back into 4 lanes to get onto the the bridge. After you pay the toll you move up about 200 yards and stop at a red light along with the vehicles in the other 11 lanes. Then it is a quick green light, red light all the way down the line and it turns into a virtual drag race, and I am stuck in an underpowered 4 cylinder station wagon with Becky, four dogs and completely frayed nerves. I took off like a bat out of hell and figured that the BMW on one side and the Lexus on the other would let me in because of the relative value of the vehicles should a crash occur. I was wrong. It is California you know, so I got squished and I was the first to blink.

Then all of the lane changing began on the bridge. I don't know why if the sign says Chinatown exit right 1 mile that the cars exiting to Chinatown can't start to merge over immediately, but no they wait until the last 400 yards and then make a mad dash for the exit. After the bridge it was easy cruisin' in a light mist from the 101 to the 280 and down the hill. One more thing and it is the most dangerous and amazing thing I have ever witnessed. It is completely legal for motorcycles to travel between lanes! That means when you are travelling in the next to the fast lane at 1o miles over the speed limit as everyone does and the guy next to you in the fast lane is doing the same, here come a motorcycle going 20 miles over the speed limit right between you. With all of the lane changing and crazy driving it had to be the most deadly thing I have witnessed and it is all legal according to everyone I used it as a conversation starter on.