Should I Have Been Suspicious of this 18-Wheeler in Nacogdoches?
Saturday afternoon, I was on my to Homer Bryce Stadium in Nacogdoches for the SFA Homecoming game against Houston Baptist. As I was coming into town from Highway 59 South, I noticed something a little out of the ordinary.
A shiny, white 18-wheeler did not take the turn onto the loop that most every other big rig makes, instead he rolled past the loop turn off and continued northbound. Surely, the driver had to know that in just a few blocks South Street would narrow significantly. Travelling through the downtown and SFA sectors of Nacogdoches is pretty tight for any vehicle, much less for a big rig.
Did the driver have a delivery to make to a business somewhere on South or North Street? Maybe...but I thought it strange that the newer model rig had no markings or writings whatsoever on the trailer or the cab.
I was able to catch a quick glimpse of the driver. He looked young, maybe in his mid-20s. He was clean cut and seemed to be well-dressed. I also noticed that there was a huge protection guard across the grill of the 18-wheeler. I'm not sure if I've seen a big rig sporting one of those before.
So, now my mind starts to race with suspicious thoughts:
- A new looking 18-wheeler going through the narrow streets of Nacogdoches
- It's SFA Homecoming and that means a large crowd gathered around Homer Bryce Stadium
- What's the deal with the big protective guard? Surely, it's not there to run things or people over.
As I got deeper into town and came upon the SFA campus on North Street, I decided to video the 18-wheeler as it got close to me at a stop light. That's the video above. I turned towards campus and the tractor trailer continued heading northbound. Thankfully, I never heard any news of some sort of tragic traffic event involving a white 18-wheeler, but I can guarantee you that I kept my eyes peeled for that vehicle in and around the SFA campus.
Did I overreact? Are 18-wheelers rolling through the tight roads of North/South Street a common occurrence? Is a protective guard across the grill common as well?
I always like to err on the side of caution, but I would love your input.