As I've been driving US-127 North and South from Jackson every day, twice a day, for almost two years now, I'm realizing that there are some downright weird things that happen...and I can't be the only person who notices it.

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What I've Seen on 127 Before

Look, I don't know if it's because I am driving so early in the morning that maybe all the weirdness settles down when the sun comes up or what but, man, I've seen some things.

Aside from the usual dead deer and other various roadkill, one time I saw an actual PERSON just sitting down, leaning their back against the guardrail along the side of the highway.

I was driving along, vibing, minding my own business when I saw what I assumed was a red blanket that maybe flew out of someone's truck or something only to get closer and realize IT WAS A PERSON. I was worried about them and tried to call the police but couldn't get ahold of anyone, realized doing it while driving was bad and regretted not stopping but I've heard far too many stories of people less naïve than myself in situations like that and unfortunately didn't want to risk it.

Then, there was (and still is sometimes) this awful smell that permeates the air, just a little south of Mason. I wrote about it before, inquiring what the heck it was and got some suggestions as to what the raw sewage smell could be, now I get the heavy smell of motor oil...not sure what's going on there.

Shoot, there was even one time someone's whole house (or shed) fell off an "oversized load" trailer right on the south-bound 127 just past the Jolly/Dunckel exit before the one to go to I-96 West.

Maitlynn Mossolle
Maitlynn Mossolle
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Most Recent US-127 Oddity

I was coming up behind someone that was going well below the speed limit, normal, but their car was a retired cop car with the same black and white paint scheme and special mirrors. There were even stickers along the bottom bumper that were pretty convincing...until I got closer.

What made me realize this car was, in fact, not an actual cop was the fact that the stickers along the bumper were actually just "Trump/Pence" stickers.

As I got into the left lane to pass and go about my merry way, I noticed the woman driving the car had her phone in one of those dashboard holders and was watching FOX News WHILE DRIVING!

Now, I don't want to get too political but I did have to chuckle at the trifecta that was a person driving a former cop car, adorned with Trump stickers, watching FOX News...but I digress.

IS THAT EVEN LEGAL!?

That is what I shouted as I was driving past. I mean, I listen to my music while driving and definitely listen to my fair share of podcasts, even working in radio, I know people get a lot of their news and entertainment on-the-go.

However, it just makes me wonder where that line is drawn. Is streaming television on your phone while driving legal? You could just have it on to be able to listen to it...but when your phone is set up in prime watching position while driving? Seems a bit sketchy to me.

According to Section 257.708b of the Michigan Vehicle Code:

A person shall not operate a motor vehicle that is to be used upon the highways of this state with a television or other similar electronic device that displays a video image that can be viewed by the operator while the motor vehicle is in motion.

They do clarify this does not include your navigation, heating, air conditioning, etc. that may be displayed on the dash.

So, I guess, what I witnessed this morning was, in fact, illegal and actually carries a civil infraction if you violate it.

What's the craziest or most illegal thing you've seen someone do on U.S.-127 here in Michigan...or any highway for that matter?

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

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