Traffic can &*&^ %$% ))(*#!!!!

[Ming]

So I work in New York, but I live in Connecticut. So there's a bit of a commute for me to get to work. It's about 45 minutes with no traffic or light traffic, which is very reasonable. But there is usually traffic, so I would say it should take me about an hour, which is fairly standard around here with regards to commuting. But today there was an accident on one of the two major highways that we have that I can take. A BAD accident involving 2 trucks and a car that was apparently "shredded" between them. So they go and CLOSE DOWN the one highway. Me, being smart, catch this early and go to the OTHER highway, figuring it would be better. Boy was I wrong. EVERYONE was there, and it took me TWO AND A HALF HOURS to get to friggen work!!! And what's more, there was a special "welcoming" breakfast for the interns (I'm an intern) this morning, which I missed most of because of the stupid friggen traffic, which bugs me the most. Out of all days, ya know? Anyway, my point is....


I HATE TRAFFIC!!!

And I know that everyone does, but it just seems like it follows ME around wherever I go. I can't keep doing this. I need to go somewhere where I can work and not have to deal with all this nonsense...

[RivaOni]

on a side note, must be a pain in the ass to commute through london now, theyve put a congestion charge on some of the busier roads to try and reduce cars going through central london, you have ot pay something like £10 at a toll booth (so thats about $20) i think before you can drive on these roads

[Ming]

Holy crap. That's a lot of money just to use a road. The only thing that even comes close to that here are the tolls for some of the bridges in New York City, which can get up to like $7. BUT, you only pay it going over the bridge in one direction, meaning it really only costs $3.50 each way.

[underpants]

Acutally ming. When you go over the Verazano or the Triboro it's both ways. I think I'm forgetting some other bridges too, but yeah it sucks.
Relating to the topic I think that when traffic comes, while it is annoying and inconvient, you just have to sit back and realize that you can't really do anything about it and just sit there and either call me or think about something wonderful you would rather be doing, like seeing me...hehe. jk. Don't sweat traffic, Sh*t happens and you really have no control over it, which I think could be the problem for you and especially me.
Love ya

[RivaOni]

we got stuck in some traffic on the bus today with a woman who just rambled about everything to the person sat next to her (the worse thing was, no one was sat next to her so you didnt know if it was aimed at you or wether she was talking to herself)

[Tobias]

Yea...traffic is something that is not very fun. Taking dad home from Manhattan was a major arse-kickin, just beacuse of the fact that it was like, 2 and a half hours between the FDR and 95/the merrit. Its just too much.

But to say, Mary, your advice is the thing that i do...i just sit back, crank up the music, and pop open the windows, and hope that it'll break up sooner rather than later.

And might i say Riva, that toll thing is pretty harsh...that'll certainly erk people who try to drive in london. I might add that now, they increased the toll amount for the connecticut turnpike to $1.25 rather than its original $1...which causes traffic in itself because:

A) It takes more time at a toll booth to pull out that dollar and the extra quarter from your pocket.
B) The people that take your money are even more annoyed at life because the fare went up and they maybe make an extra 10 cents
C) The people don't exactly have a degree in anything, therefore, their math skills suck, and they don't know how to count...which is incredibly sad.

Yea, the moral of this moment with Tobs: Whole dollar amounts are the best thing, rather than fractioned amounts *explodes* !

[Shino]

Traffic sucks everywhere!

hours /year /person

2002
1. Los Angeles, Calif. 136
2. San Francisco-Oakland, Calif. 92
3. Washington, DC-Md.-Va. 84
4. Seattle-Everett, Wash. 82
5. Houston, Tex. 75
6. San Jose, Calif. 74
6. Dallas-Fort Worth, Tex. 74
8. New York, N.Y.-Northeastern N.J. 73
9. Atlanta, Ga. 70
10. Miami-Hialeah, Fla. 69

This is an interesting one...
EXTRA hours / year / person based on a 25 minute commute (reasonable for Atlanta)

Los Angeles 90
San Francisco-Oakland 68
Denver 64
Miami-Hialeah, Fla. 63
Chicago-Northwestern Ind. 61
Phoenix 61
San Jose, Calif. 60
Boston 58
Portland, Ore.-Vancouver, B.C. 58
Washington, D.C.-Md.-Va. 58
Ft. Lauderdale.-Hollywood-Pompano Beach, Fla. 57
Seattle-Everett, Wash. 56
Atlanta 55
Houston 55
San Bernardino-Riverside, Calif. 55
Detroit 54
Minneapolis-St. Paul 53
Dallas-Ft. Worth, Tex. 51
Las Vegas 51
San Diego 51
Orlando, Fla. 49
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla. 49
Austin, Tex. 48
Sacramento, Calif. 48
Baltimore, Md. 47
Philadelphia-N.J. 44
Charlotte, N.C. 43
Indianapolis 43
New York, N.Y.-Northeastern N.J. 43

So you see... considering I went to school downtown for 5 years and commuted, and worked down town for almost 2 years and commuted... I know EXACTLY how you feel!

[RivaOni]

u got worldwide on that shino (just to include some UK city's)

[Shino]

no this is just US.

if you do a search for UK you should find something similar somewhere

[silverorb]

there's a toll on the ct turnpike? where? i never noticed it...or maybe i'm just crazy

in related news, on the merritt today, it took me 40 minutes to go 12 miles. that's insane. we really have to start teleporting soon