Monday, July 12th. 10:52 am. I had just left for Newport, Rhode Island to watch a tournament at the Tennis Hall of Fame. Shortly after merging onto the highway, I hit a small bump and heard a faint scraping sound underneath my car. I figured that some plastic cladding had come loose, and that it was no big deal.
11:29 am. The scraping sound and engine had gotten progressively louder, and it was time to pull over. I got out of the car and crouched to look at the underbody. Uh oh.
To my surprise, the exhaust system had collapsed. A rusted section in the middle was completely gone as both attached ends dragged along the pavement. I took the nearest off ramp and parked at Cumberland Farms, a convenience store and gas station chain, before calling roadside assistance.
Hours passed as I waited for a tow truck. My phone battery approached 10% and Joe Rogan’s voice droned on the radio. Time seemed to slow down as boredom and worry set in.
Suddenly there was a glimmer of hope! I realized that I had packed my camera for the tennis tournament. Time to get creative.
I wanted to stay with my car since the tow truck could come at any minute, so I decided to take photos from the driver’s seat. Twisting and turning I hunted for reflections in my car’s rear-view, side-view, and vanity mirrors. I caught passing cars, vans, and trucks filled with people moving about their day while I sat with my life on pause, waiting for a savior.
7 hours later I was back at home and although I wasn’t able to watch any live tennis, I was happy the day wasn’t a complete waste.