Page 11 - All Scale Rails Magazine Issue 4 September October 2015

www.AllScaleRails.com

CN 5708 Richfield, WI 03-25-02 by Bill Bedell

Bill’s Alligator Alley Story

One of Bill’s routes while he was driving semi-truck was through Florida’s famed Alligator
Alley. Alligator Alley was a two lane highway that was true to its name as alligators would
climb out of the Everglades on either side of the narrow roadway. One dark night, as Bill’s
truck began sliding, he peered out through the windshield into the blackness and through the
beams of his headlights, the road appeared to be moving! What he was seeing was the migra-
tion of thousands of frogs over the road. Having grown up in the Midwest, Bill knew he had to
treat this as if he were driving on snow and ice. Bill had to keep the truck moving at a steady
pace, knowing that if he let the rig stop, he’d never get enough traction to get it moving again,
but also that if he moved too fast, he could lose control and end up in the Everglades. Once he
got through to the truck stop, he headed straight for the truck wash as his truck and all its
nooks and crannies were coated in squashed frog. As he pulled up, one of the truck wash
workers exclaimed, “Hey, we got another one that came through ‘gator alley!”

Issue # 4 2015 11