After traveling by bus the past two seasons, I really have enjoyed the camaraderie that develops on those trips… but sometimes I miss the distinct characteristics found only in the car pools.
On the bus there will be a couple of sleepers and the occasional cell phone user, but we will typically enjoy one big group discussion. In Illinois that might be something like the brilliant decision of the Chicago Bears to let Alshon Jeffery walk away because his production was slipping. How did that work out for Philadelphia Eagles fans? (From a Bears fan to Philly: congratulations and you’re welcome!)
When carpooling, you must choose and choose wisely, for the choice of which vehicle to ride in may determine what kind of day you are about to have! Each carload will be unique, and you’d better be ready for a three-hour discussion about the Atlanta Braves bullpen, South Jersey politics, or the difference between the ESV and the NASB versions of the Bible!
For example:
Vehicle 1 - The Spiritual Vehicle: This is the car that will break down Calvinism and second-degree separation. Someone will be the Greek translator using Google and will try to figure out what Paul really meant when he talked about his thorn in the flesh. While this is an in depth Sunday School class moving at 70 mph, the riders in this vehicle will despise the riders in vehicle 3.
Vehicle 2 - The Sleeping Vehicle: Everyone in this vehicle is out before we leave the parking lot. These guys will be groggy the whole day except for the driver- he will be all kinds of bitter about having to be awake and not having anyone to talk to. This is the vehicle that is most likely to forget their license or shoes in the car!
Vehicle 3 - The Vehicle Full of 5th Graders: As soon as this car pulls into the prison lot, the riders stagger out laughing and giggling because they have been quoting lines from every Adam Sandler and Chris Farley movie of the late 90s. They have to be reminded between three and 47 times to pipe down as we are going through security. By the middle of the first game, they have an inside joke that they think is hilarious but no one else gets.
Vehicle 4 - Sportstalk Radio Vehicle: This vehicle is a great vehicle to ride in…unless you don’t play fantasy baseball, or you haven’t followed the NBA in years, or you really don’t care who the third-string quarterback is at South Wisconsin County Wesleyan Community Welding College… This vehicle is full of armchair General Managers who will break down exactly where their favorite teams’ seasons went wrong. This vehicle will also erupt into nuclear war when the topic of whether or not Tim Tebow should be in the NFL comes up!
I have sat in all four of the vehicles and have lived to tell about it! While buses are more efficient and are great for camaraderie, the carpools are an unmatched team building exercise on wheels!
