Marylanders Prepare For Thanksgiving Commute & Holiday Shopping
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—At the top of the news this Thanksgiving morning: the commute, which many Marylanders still haven't completed yet. The scene late Wednesday night along I 95 south through Woodbridge, Va. looks bad, but it's nothing compared to the mess further north.
Andrea Fujii reports it was a messy situation as the driver apparently had no idea that his truck was leaking onto the road for miles.
A trucking company from Maryland created a big mess in Pennsylvania by leaking a sticky goo on the turnpike.
"We couldn't control the car," one motorist said. "We pulled over and it's dangerous. And who's going to pay for this?"
Dozens of drivers are still trying to figure out what to do today after the unimaginable happened along the Pennsylvania turnpike.
"You're up there driving and trying to get through it and get to the other side if you can. There's no place to go. It was just terrible," said Mike Niquette, driver.
A tanker truck from Marino Transportation Services in Stevensville, Queen Anne's County leaked roofing asphalt or driveway sealant onto the Pennsylvania turnpike near Warrendale on Tuesday night, causing more than 100 cars to get stuck. Many cars are still getting repaired.
"People need their cars. They got places to go, so it'll be a long day, but we'll get as many done as we possibly can," said Mike Fleming, Fleming Tire.
And one of the places people are traveling Thanksgiving night: retail stores, where Black Friday has turned into Black Thursday. Many stores will open at midnight, including the Best Buy in White Marsh, where shoppers are already camped out.
"Last year, we got computers real cheap. This year, they have 42 inch for like 200 bucks, which a lot of people are going after," said Doug Imhoff, Owings Mills.
"Fifty-five million Americans-- about 29 percent of adults-- tell us they're going to be shopping on Black Friday. That's a big number. That's the first uptick we've seen in a few years," said Tod Marks, consumer reports.
At Towson Town Center, 32 stores will open at midnight, including Macy's.
Among the earliest chain stores to open are Toys R Us, which opens at 9 p.m., and Wal-mart will open at 10 p.m.
If you don't feel like dealing with crowds and standing in lines, don't forget, there's always Cyber Monday," with more deals online.
