You guys will like this story...
Yesterday, my sister graduated from high school (valedictorian!), so of course, I drove in from Blacksburg to Bluefield for the ceremony.
For those of you unfamiliar with the geography down here, U.S. Route 460 runs from Blacksburg to Bluefield. And in order to get to my house in Bluefield, VA, I follow 460 through Princeton and Bluefield, WV. It's not rocket science, but a lot of people can't fathom that I cross into West Virginia and back into Virginia.
So my car broke down a mile inside the West Virginia border, about 20 miles before I got to Princeton. I called Mom, she came and picked us up, and then I called my roadside assistance service, which I have through my Progressive insurance.
Apparently their computer system is not configured to recognize that many roads in America are not inside cities.
Guy on Phone: Do you know what road you're on and the nearest major cross-street?
Me: Yes, I'm on U.S. Route 460. But there's no cross-street, I'm in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains.
GOP: So you don't know your nearest major cross-street?
Me: There is no cross-street. I'm 3 miles from Glen Lyn, Virginia, and maybe 20 miles from Princeton, West Virginia. I'm one mile inside the West Virginia state line.
GOP: Um... so what city are you in?
Me: I'm not in a city. There are no cities. But you're going to want to get a towing company out of Princeton, West Virginia.
GOP: I'm sorry, I can't understand the name of the city.
Me: Princeton. Prince, like... the son of a king. Ton. T-O-N. It's one word.
GOP: Okay, Prince George. I've got it.
Me: No, Prince George is not anywhere near me. Princeton, West Virginia, one word.
GOP: So you would consider yourself to be in West Virginia?
Me: Um... yes. I am in West Virginia. And the towing company should come out of Princeton, West Virginia.
GOP: I'm still not able to locate that. Are you certain you don't mean Prince George?
Me: Yes, I'm certain. Prince George is not anywhere near here. Are you looking in Virginia or West Virginia?
GOP: There's no way to abbreviate West Virginia on the computer.
Me: (pause) Yes. Yes there is. That's W-V.
GOP: (pause) Oh. (pause) Yes, I found Princeton, West Virginia. Thanks for educating me... yeah, I had no idea West Virginia was a state. Really? Wow.
Me: Yeah, so about towing my car?
(blah blah blah, I arrange to have it towed to a dealership in Bluefield. Later, I find out that Guy-on-Phone sent the tow truck to Bluefield to pick up the car instead of telling him to tow it there. But it finally did get there. And they think West Virginians are the dumb ones. Moron.)
For those of you unfamiliar with the geography down here, U.S. Route 460 runs from Blacksburg to Bluefield. And in order to get to my house in Bluefield, VA, I follow 460 through Princeton and Bluefield, WV. It's not rocket science, but a lot of people can't fathom that I cross into West Virginia and back into Virginia.
So my car broke down a mile inside the West Virginia border, about 20 miles before I got to Princeton. I called Mom, she came and picked us up, and then I called my roadside assistance service, which I have through my Progressive insurance.
Apparently their computer system is not configured to recognize that many roads in America are not inside cities.
Guy on Phone: Do you know what road you're on and the nearest major cross-street?
Me: Yes, I'm on U.S. Route 460. But there's no cross-street, I'm in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains.
GOP: So you don't know your nearest major cross-street?
Me: There is no cross-street. I'm 3 miles from Glen Lyn, Virginia, and maybe 20 miles from Princeton, West Virginia. I'm one mile inside the West Virginia state line.
GOP: Um... so what city are you in?
Me: I'm not in a city. There are no cities. But you're going to want to get a towing company out of Princeton, West Virginia.
GOP: I'm sorry, I can't understand the name of the city.
Me: Princeton. Prince, like... the son of a king. Ton. T-O-N. It's one word.
GOP: Okay, Prince George. I've got it.
Me: No, Prince George is not anywhere near me. Princeton, West Virginia, one word.
GOP: So you would consider yourself to be in West Virginia?
Me: Um... yes. I am in West Virginia. And the towing company should come out of Princeton, West Virginia.
GOP: I'm still not able to locate that. Are you certain you don't mean Prince George?
Me: Yes, I'm certain. Prince George is not anywhere near here. Are you looking in Virginia or West Virginia?
GOP: There's no way to abbreviate West Virginia on the computer.
Me: (pause) Yes. Yes there is. That's W-V.
GOP: (pause) Oh. (pause) Yes, I found Princeton, West Virginia. Thanks for educating me... yeah, I had no idea West Virginia was a state. Really? Wow.
Me: Yeah, so about towing my car?
(blah blah blah, I arrange to have it towed to a dealership in Bluefield. Later, I find out that Guy-on-Phone sent the tow truck to Bluefield to pick up the car instead of telling him to tow it there. But it finally did get there. And they think West Virginians are the dumb ones. Moron.)