Deep in the Heart Of Dixie

After the tumultuous travel day of Monday, yesterday was a welcome return to getting something constructive done.  We checked into the hotel after midnight so I opened the curtains of my hotel room to find I have an absolutely stunning view of interstate highway 85.  That was not the only stunning view I was blessed with yesterday – see lunch description below.

Stunning View From Hotel Room

I can’t complain about the hotel though.  The room is awesome and I even got in a swim yesterday when we got back from bus inspections.  It’s been nearly five months since I’ve been in the pool and it showed.  I finished the workout barely able to lift my arms.

Fabulous Hotel Room

We showed up at the bus factory - a very interesting place.  It’s only a couple years old and they’re still figuring out the manufacturing process since it involves some pretty cutting edge technology.  The other bus inspections I’ve been to involved very established methods that ran like clockwork.  This new factory is a lot less predictable and much more measured in approach.

The Production Line

We were given a detailed tour of the manufacturing line and an office to operate out of this week.  The inspections are important because they give the mechanic a chance to see how this new buses are put together.  Since these are completely electric buses it’s fascinating to see the intricate wiring and battery technology.  Everything in the body is composite covered balsa wood so how the whole thing fits together is completely new.

Where Motors Used to Go - All Wires Now

Since we‘re in the South we decided to patronize a Southern institution for lunch.  Hooters didn’t seem to catch on in the more politically correct New England but it still thrives down here in Dixie.  Our waitress had a very deep southern accent along with her other significant attributes.  She had a couple Yankees deeply under her spell inside of 30 seconds.  Like I said, stunning!

More Stunning Views at Our Lunch Destination

We returned to reality after lunch when a very excited chief engineer for the bus wanted to give us a two hour presentation on the new technology.  The absolute worst thing after being plied with several large cheeseburgers at lunch; it was a real struggle to keep my eyes open.  To say it was an abrupt return to reality is an understatement.

After my swim we hit a local steakhouse and ended the day in the hotel bar.  There was a salesman from the bus company talking on his cell phone there.  He was loudly proclaiming his unhappiness with his job and trying to network his way out of the company.  When he ended his conversation he struck up with us and when he learned we were here to inspect buses at his company he immediately began extolling the virtues of his place of employment.  Salesmen!