Thirty-One Tips: 3. Stay Awake While Driving

Pool Players frequently have to burn the midnight oil driving home from match-ups or tournaments.  Please do so safely.

Traveling Tip:  Stay awake when driving after a late night of pool. An old farmer just told me that he had a surefire way to stay awake for an all night drive.  Eat popcorn one kernel at a time.  He keeps a large bag in his car and swears that the activity of munching one piece of that fluffy treat at a time gives him something to do for hours.  I’ve known pool players who eat sunflower seeds, corn nuts and wasabi peas.  These could be too filling, too much work, or I could get sick of them. I enjoy all of these snacks, but believe I’ll give popcorn a try on my next long haul.

This is a more appetizing option than what my dad suggested.  He knew a guy who held a big crescent wrench across the steering wheel while he drove.  “If it drops, you’ll wake up when it hits your knees.”  There are other methods like having the windows down, cranking the tunes, or phoning a friend to stay alert. These could work when you’re driving alone, but when my co-pilot is snoozing, I’ll try chewing some popcorn.