The freeway system around southern Oklahoma City is a dangerous place to be. Shame on the city DOT for creating such a hazard.

There is a mass of construction on the interchange as I-40 curls its way around the south side of Oklahoma City... four lanes split off in three different directions and left lanes abruptly end (multiple times) as numerous cars merge together with no possible way of knowing which way is up (much less right or left).

That's where I found myself this afternoon -- sandwiched between trucks and cars whose drivers were as confused about the direction of the freeway as a wino is about the direction to the men's room.

I was in what, at that moment, was a center lane, and I was following the signs to stay on I-40. To my left was one lane that was posted as exiting in 1/4 mile (plenty of distance if you're walking, but not nearly enough if you're driving at 50mph). And, to my right were three lanes, two of which split off to carry drivers north on what I presume to be I-35. (The map I've included here is what the freeway system looked like prior to the current construction project.)

As I pass the left lane exit ramp, all of a sudden, from the left lane, comes a large pickup truck towing an incredibly long horse trailer. The driver belatedly realizes he or she is in the wrong lane and suddenly swerves into my lane, missing my front end by mere inches only because I was alert enough to see his mistake and anticipate a stupid reaction from him.

So, now I have a large trailer directly in front of me (which completely obscures my view of the road ahead). Less than a second later, he jams on his brakes as he realizes his new lane (which is also my lane) is about to end. Fortunately for him, there are no cars to his right. Unfortunately for me, there are several cars to my right. As he moves right, I can see ahead once again. But to my horror, I suddenly see that the lane is ending -- not 1/2 a mile up the road, but NOW. My choices are either plow through the safety cones into whatever surprise may be lying on the other side, or smear the cars on my right into the concrete barrier.

Fortunately, the cars to my right realized what was happening, and were able to slow down enough to get out of my way. If they hadn't... well, let's just say that I wouldn't want that on my conscience.

In the mad rush of events that transpired, I wasn't able to get a clear look at the make or model of the truck or its trailer, much less make out a license plate number. And, by the time I made my way back into the disjointed flow of Oklahoma City's interstate traffic, the driver and his (or her) horse trailer had sped off into freeway oblivion.

Fortunately, I made it through the melee unscathed, but, I do have a request...

I know only a few people read these blogs, but people who see me on the road often drop me a line to say hi (the big "Vanishing America" on the side of my bus is hard to miss.) If you happened to be a part of that near disaster, if you happened to see it, or if you happen to be the idiot in the truck that decided the risk of killing several people was better than missing your exit, you need to email me here so we can talk.

Oh, and if any you have to drive through Oklahoma any time soon, avoid Oklahoma City's freeways... at least until their brilliant DOT gets that death trap sorted out.

So, that's what happened to me today, as I sit in another Flying J parking lot (this time without the rain). But, other than that, it was a very uneventful, and even boring, 12 hour drive.