I Can’t Believe What I Saw While Driving on Rte 9 in Poughkeepsie

You see some odd things while traveling around the Hudson Valley. I find that I’ve seen some especially strange things while riding on Route 9 here in Poughkeepsie. Just look around you while you’re at a red light. One day I looked over to the car next to me and the driver was playing the violin. Granted, it was stop and go traffic, but playing the violin is not easy in the best of circumstances much less while driving. I didn’t have my window open and neither did he, so I’m not sure if he was a good player or not, but it was impressive. And a bit dangerous.

I always see people in other cars eating, which I guess isn’t that unusual, but one day I saw a woman eating off of a real plate with real silverware. And she was the driver. That’s also pretty dangerous. And even though just about everybody has GPS, I still see people with huge maps spread over their steering wheels trying to figure out where they’re going. I have seen people driving and watching movies, and don’t get me started on the driver/texters. But one of the weirdest things I ever saw on Route 9 was just the other day, and it wasn’t a driver.

A Pirate on Route 9?

This past weekend I was headed north on Route 9 in front of Barnes & Noble when I noticed a guy walking on the median. He may have been dancing more than walking. There have been people on the median before so what made this guy so different? Well, he was dressed like a pirate. Right down to the tights. And it wasn’t even Talk Like a Pirate Day. He was just dancing around on the median in his pirate outfit. I can’t be the only one to have seen this.

Thousands of people drive on Route 9 in the Poughkeepsie area every day. I imagine lots of us have stories. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen on Route 9 or anywhere while driving in the Hudson Valley? We’d love it if you share your story.