I’ve seen a few things today that have opened my eyes!
Actually, I knew that this kind of thing went on, like we all do, but I never expected to see it first-hand.
It started easily enough here at the Ambassador Motel and then I headed off across the border. There was the usual unpleasant scenario at Immigration – something that always drives me mad of course, and then off to find a Home Depot.
Having come off the free-way in Detroit, I did have to say that this is not the area where I would like to brandish a camera about.
And consequently I am not going to show you any photo of the car that’s parked up here on the left that looks like someone has pumped two bullets through the rear window.
Yes, The Lady Who Lives In The Sat-Nav ought to be an option for “salubrious area” and “insalubrious area”. This is not the area that I would have chosen to have driven.
I arrived at the Home Depot for more stuff and stepped straight into a drama.
A car pulled into the car park, closely followed by a couple of cars containing some of Detroit’s finest.
The car stopped and the aforementioned in the vehicles behind leapt out brandishing firearms and the like and what happened is what I would euphemistically describe as a “police interaction”.
I went into the Home Depot and bought some stuff in the Ryobi sale – an alligator saw, a compressor and a flash-light.
I knew where the mail company offices were, because I’d looked for them whem I was here in early October.
I shot back into town and packed up all of my stuff for shipping across the Atlantic.
And how things have changed since the last time that I was in the USA shipping stuff abroad.
Picking myself up off the floor, I headed off for a look around the north end of the city.
From over in Windsor – which is over there – I’d seen a little island in the middle of the river.
That’s on the USA side of the border so I went over there to have a look – and the view of Windsor was quite impressive
The view of Detroit isn’t too bad either, is it?
It looks quite an attractive modern city from here, but that really does belie its true appearance as you know.
That square mile of the city looks quite attractive, but the rest of the place – well, you’ve seen for yourself, haven’t you?
There’s also a good view of the Ambassador Bridge – or, at least, there would have been had the weather been better.
And make the most of the view too, because it won’t always look like this.
Plans are afoot – and have been since 2004 – to replace the bridge and by the time that you read this, the proposals will be well advanced and land is, even as we speak, being bought for its construction.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge may yet become a reality
Fuel was next, and I had the somewhat delightful privilege of seeing a petrol station attendant who was actually barricaded into his hut and his only access to the customers was via a CCTV camera.
Most unpleasant.
I tell you now – I wasn’t sorry to be back across the river in the comfort and safety of Canada. I could feel the stress and I’d only been there for five or six hours.
