Transmat Commuting

It's sad that this paranormal story came from Kansas City. It's pretty lame, especially due to the lack of detail. The author is a "Rudy Martin."

"There is not enough words for me to prove the truth of this story. I can only wish you had been there with me. This occurrence will give an idea of the prodigious way to travel from point A to point B. I drove out to work one day. It was one of those usual clear, sunny mornings and everything was normal except traffic. Within minutes, I ran into a hardly moving, bumper to bumper jam. Losing patience and in attempt to outsmart this queue, I turned left, thinking I could loop back ahead somewhere. A few turns and I knew I was beginning to get lost. The river to my left was the only landmark I had and I was sure it was the North side, so I knew I was headed East. A few more turns and not a thing was familiar anymore. I was completely lost."

I understand how being lost can make you feel like you're on an alien planet, but if you're honest with yourself, you know that there are things that are recognizable, however useless they may be. McDonalds, for example. This author disagrees.

"I drove past a fenced power transformer station and that was the last landmark that had registered in my memory. Tense, looking from side to side, looking just like a lost driver, I continued driving on this straight stretch of road through this entirely unfamiliar place, not knowing which direction I was headed. Houses of modern design, some new, hinted that I had entered a subdivision."

Could we have a street name? A sign indicating which subdivision, please?

"Then, all of a sudden, there was a traffic light at the intersection up ahead about one block. It was here where the inexplicable occurred."

Let me guess. It stayed red for an entire hour and people were honking their horns.

"A brief description is in order at this point to help visualize the map of the area. An old highway runs North-South between two residential areas. It has two lanes on each side, divided at the middle throughout its length by a concrete-curbed grassy island."

I have no idea what you are talking about, and I live in Kansas City. Is it I-35? I-435N?

"Both the West and East sides of this highway are fenced with heavy concrete walls in some parts and rock boulders in others all the way South beginning from the embankments by the river at the North. As far as I can recall there is no link between the two residential areas East and West of the highway except at the intersection I just mentioned above."

I somehow wonder if this place even exists.

"Needless to say, to go from the residential area on one side of the highway to the residential area on the other side one must cross the highway and the only crossing is at that intersection. As I approached the intersection, I realized I was about to cross the highway. I had occasionally passed by this intersection while driving down the highway, so this was a familiar site."

Okay, so if it's familiar, it can be remembered. What was this intersection? Where was it?

"On the other side of the traffic light was the well known hotel."

Ah. The Well Known Hotel. I've been there lots of times. C'mon, Rudy! Tell us the name!

"From this I got a positive bearing: I was on the East side of the highway headed West towards the intersection. But something very bizarre happened. As I slowed down towards the traffic light, I noticed that the North side of the hotel with its great big name was facing East."

And the "great big name" is? Sheraton? Mariott? Comfort Inn?

"It should have been facing North!"

I've had the same experience. I've gone driving down a street, trying to find a building, and I say, "Damn you, you should have been on the right side!" But when I'm being honest with myself, I decide that I just have a lousy sense of direction.

"Then, as I stepped on the brake and just as the car stopped, the hotel switched to
its normal position (turned 90 degrees) in the wink of an eye! that is, its East side facing east, its North side facing North - right in front of my very eyes, just like one would see on television!"

Yeah, when I get angry enough at being lost, I often make that accusation.

"It was while waiting for the go signal at this intersection when things became clear to me: I got lost on the WEST side of the highway, near the river, past a power transformer station, I never crossed the highway ..... what was I doing waiting for the green light here at the intersection EAST of the highway? How did I get here? All hairs began rising at this point, not from fear but probably from the realization of this impossibility!"

Yeah, it seems impossible to me that when I want to find an office for a job interview, and get lost, it ends up being on the other side of town and I miss the appointment. But I own up to it being my fault.

"Whatever it was that occurred, I found my bewildered self on this spot at the exit gate of a private property just before the intersection under the traffic light EAST of the highway. To arrive at this spot from somewhere in the subdivision WEST of the highway where I got lost I had to drive East, ram through those concrete walls, or fly off rock boulders then cross the highway, fight traffic, hover over the concrete-curbed island, fight traffic again if still in one piece; OR cross this intersection in peace and ease; then turn around and face the traffic light."

Yeah, getting lost can be disorienting. It seems impossible that the street layout could be like it is, but then you go there and it's not where you thought it would be. I tried to find the Walgreens in Raytown and I ended up going down this strange road and not seeing what I was looking for. I could have sworn the Walgreens was there. But I'm not going to say it's paranormal.

"I did none of the above and yet as sure as the sun brings light I landed here from the WEST."

I guess I should believe you. After all, you swore by the fact that "the sun brings light."

"Later on I found out that the fenced power transformer station - the last land mark stored in my memory - West of the highway where I got lost was approximately 7 miles Northwest from this exact spot."

Vague.

"May be some human being can explain at least in theory how an occurrence such as this happens. I've heard some of those theories. However, how far those theories are from what this really and actually is ..... in other words the truth behind the occurrence ..... is beyond human knowledge. A fact that we just have to accept."

Oh I don't know. You being frustrated and disoriented by being lost is not hard to accept at all.

"Nonetheless, may be something can be learned. I have only some physics and chemistry to lay down as guesstimates for this occurrence. Nevertheless, I can calculate how much time this occurrence saved me from that traffic queue to reach my office - at least 70 minutes!"

Wow! I need to find that Well Known Hotel road myself! I hate being late for work!