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Posts Tagged ‘commute’

1:40

That’s how long it took to get home tonight. I was frustrated because the traffic lady initially said 295 North, because it until recently was 95 North changing to 295 South. But the powers-that-be “fixed” it. The traffic folks are still getting used to it.

Eventually I heard how the accident had clogged up at least four major roads. There was nothing to do but be patient, and leave enough space between the car in front of me, but not too much (or cars would just keep cutting in). It is stressful driving.

I hate driving to begin with. 18 years ago, for eight years, I mostly telecommuted and I was very happy. For the past ten years I have had to deal with driving. And with a commute that isn’t the longest, but it has several spots that make me stressed (to the point of crying).

And it steals so much of my time.

1:40

That’s a nice dinner with my family. A massage. A movie. A nap. A load of laundry washed, dried, folded, and put away.

1:40

Worrying that someone will rear-end me. That something will go wrong with my car and I’ll back up traffic even more.

So I listen to my 80s music, sing really loud, and try to enjoy that. And not think about how much I need to pee.

1:40

For as much as I was inconvenienced, it was really nothing comparatively speaking.

1:40

I saw one of the cars getting loaded onto the tow truck. I’ve seen that amount of damage before and that time only one person survived to live a very different life. But Bearpaw didn’t walk away. And I wonder if a family is getting the same news I got three years ago.

1:40

People’s lives changed forever tonight.

1:40

I still don’t like driving, events like this shake me up for several days. But I got home. I got to use the bathroom. I am spending time with my family.

I hope everyone was okay, or at least fixable.

1:40

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I cannot stand the NJ Turnpike or Garden State Parkway.  These roads are scary and disastrous.  I was so tense driving on them that my back muscles are now finally relaxing and the pain is incredible.

Where do all of the people on the roads come from?  Where are they going?  How do we fit that many people in this state?  I was never so happy as when I crossed back down into south Jersey, back to my people, to my speed, and with roads with normal widths.

Really, could they make the lanes on the Parkway any narrower?  If you sneeze and the car shifts a bit…you’ll hit someone in the lane next to you.  The scariest part was seeing how many bloody people were texting.  How?  How can you possible think that you can text and drive?  These people are bloody maniacs and will cause “Blood to Flow Red on the Highway” like the classic old driving safety film.

The traffic was basically moving at the actual posted speed.  It still was a terrifying commute.  I can’t stand my regular commute so this was like being in the fourth circle of Hell.  And I wondered, as I gripped my steering wheel with white knuckles, who would do this commute every bloody work day?

I have a new appreciation for my commute, with lanes that are wide enough for actual cars, but I will still complain when there’s traffic.  The roads around my house sometimes have slow traffic-mostly in the summertime.  That’s my kind of traffic jam.

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