There's a song I often find myself singing on my commute home;
"well I left my job about five o'clock
it took fifteen minutes to go three blocks
just in time
to stand in line
with the freeway looking like a parking lot
DAMN this traffic jam!"
I love James Taylor.
YESTERDAY it took me about 15 minute to go two blocks. WHY you ask. Stupid people, They don't know how NOT to drive into the intersection of it is apparent they won't clear it before the light turns red for them AND they don't know how to merge. MOST of theses people were driving luxury cars and Living room sized SUV s. One woman pulled all the way to the right and tried to scoot down the turn lane until she swung BACK to the left and forced her way into the line of cars. When I waited at the intersection to let some poor hapless soul who was trying to make a left onto the street, the jerk in the black Ranger Rover behind me leaned on his horn and went ballistic. It wasn't like we were MOVING or anything. Traffic was stopped.
Trying to MERGE is an interesting experience. I was actually TAUGHT to do this in High School Driver's ed. One car, one car. That rule has apparently changed and people make up lanes and play "chicken" with one another. I tried to merge and this moron in a white van tried to edge me out. I realized I was in FRONT of him and if he hit me in the process HE would be at fault. So I kept going. Honestly. The woman who had been BEHIND me played "what's my lane" made her own lane and zoomed in front of three cars. If everyone just behaved themselves it would not be a mess, but no it's a free-for-all out there and it's every car for themselves. The guy in the white van ZOOMED past me as I tried to merge. I moved over in a more orderly fashion and passed him, waving my fingers as I did. He looked pissed.
The bonus of this was it took SO LONG for me to get back to the valley, I missed the rush hour traffic in the construction zone. I had forgotten what a mess the 2/210 connector is right now. I hope they are done with it soon.
Yes, traffic is "interesting" and more so lately. I blame Trump. Well, I blame him for pretty much everything. BUT, I have noticed in my subbing commute (and I am so glad and grateful I don't have to do this every day!) that when school began again around the second week of January, traffic just seemed so much worse. I have just decided, I am an old geezer, not in a hurry, and cannot afford to drive defensively, especially against "drivers' who are using most of their attention for their "devices." Turn signals seem to be a thing of the past. Tailgating is rampant. And yet, leaving two to three parking spaces between cars at a signal is so common now - I wonder why? Whenever I go to a branch to sub, or get home unscathed, I am grateful. Yes, the 2/210.........I keep forgetting until I am trapped in it) and must remember to get off the freeway earlier and go another way that last mile or so. This weekend in Pasadena are TWO sold out U2 concerts at the Rose Bowl, JPL tours, and the Amgen bike tour through the city......that ought to be fun and a half! Tom
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