Lost in Tenneessee--and NC and SC and Georgia and…

Ya' know how Glenn Reynolds is always braggin' about how everyone eventually ends up in Knoxville? Well, geeze! As if they have a choice. Half the Interstates on the east coast funnel through Knoxville--and out the other side just as fast. (It is in Tennessee, remember?)

Now here's proof some people [bugme@not.com/PW: goaway] go waaay out of their way to avoid shoppin' in or even comin' back to Tennessee. Either that or this guy is one of those Omega human males who a) can't read a map and b) refuse to let anyone else read a map and give them directions.

"Three Unicoi County [Tennessee] residents taking a leisurely shopping trip to a department store in Asheville, N.C., Saturday morning became confused and lost and ended up driving from Erwin to Marietta, Ga., before getting help, Unicoi County Sheriff Kent Harris said Tuesday.

"Sixteen hundred miles and nearly 60 hours later, they were safely back in Unicoi County after a supposedly short trip that turned into a frightening nightmare.

"Floyd Edwards, 78, his friend Ruth Stancil, 62…and Edwards’ son, Clifford, left from Edwards’ home…Saturday at 11 a.m. in Edwards’ silver Nissan Maxima to eat lunch and shop at Rose’s, Harris said.

"William “Brushy” Lewis, Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department administrative assistant, said the three “routinely cash their government checks the first of every month and drive over to Asheville, Elizabethton, Weaverville (N.C.) or Mars Hill (N.C.) to shop and eat. Their family became obviously concerned because they hadn’t spoken to them or seen them for some time. It’s just not like them not to call.”…

"Harris said Edwards apparently received wrong directions then became confused and afraid to stop as the miles clicked off…

"Stancil said she was especially scared going through metropolitan Atlanta on Labor Day weekend with its eight-lane highway. “I knew I couldn’t take much more ... the blowing of horns and the cars racing by. Floyd (who was driving) was doing the best he could,” she said."

posted by Harrison at 11:29 PM