When is rush hour?

The commutes are beginning earlier and earlier nowadays. I look out my window before 6 and the main thoroughfare in town is already filled up. It eases up around 10ish, maybe, then gets busy going outbound around 2 or so -- worse on Thursdays (which have become the new Fridays in terms of weekend getaway days) when folks flee for the Cape or New Hampshire.

 

People never believe me when I tell them the three worst cities to drive in I've ever been to are LA, Boston and Austin, Texas. Yes, Austin is worse than New York or D.C. or Houston.

 

Austin is God-awful ...

 

L.A. only division.

 

I did abandon a car once. The Missouri River bridge near Columbia MO was under construction with only one lane in either direction. The 1980 Horizon I was driving was barely running, as in, push down hard on the gas pedal and it would start to die. It felt like it could completely die at any time, and seeing that long-ass bridge before me, I pulled over, shut it off, took any identifying documents and the license plates and left it there.

 

The key is to keep moving and you'll get there. I don't freak until everything stops cold. Fortunately I go the other way to work and never deal with congestion.

 

My first visit to LA was a breeze. Drove all over the Southland seeing the sights and had no problem at all ... until I experienced the legendary 405 for the first (and last) time.

 

I hate the left lane assholes who go the speed limit and think they own the left lane. Get the fuck over. This may belong in the First World Problems thread.

 

Amen. It creates a serious safety hazard, too. Some ass was going 40 in the right lane on the highway the other day. Um, no. Sadly we don't have a minimum speed limit law here. At least we do have a left lane law, and I think most states do now.

 

zYep . . . I really want to work "normal" hours.

And lose 5-10 hours of my life every week sitting in my car.

Tell the state DOTs to quit building left-lane exit and entrance lanes. Every day on my way to work I'm in the left lane simply because I know it will become my exit lane shortly, and I don't want to have to force my way into that lane at the last second. And when you enter a crowded highway from the left, it usually takes about 3 nanoseconds before someone zooms up from behind, riding your tail, blinking his lights an demanding you get the hell over. When it's fucking safe to do so, I will. And not a moment sooner.

 

This. They think they're keeping everything safer when they are actually endangering the people around them. My grandmother was still driving at 85 (against our wishes), so I do have some sympathy for older folks, but I hate those people who feel like they own the road.

As for rush hour, I would have said 4-7, probably with anything past 3:30 a risky proposition. One of the best things about working nights is not dealing with that crap. Could not even imagine living in DC, Atlanta or any place with traffic like that.

 

You get used to it and you figure out ways around it

I now work 9-5 and I've discovered a few things about traffic.

With no traffic, it takes about 15 minutes to drive from my house to my office. I quickly discovered that in the morning, it doesn't matter if I leave the house at 8:20 or 8:40 -- I'll get to work at the same time because traffic starts to clear up the closer it gets to 9. Leaving early doesn't pay.

Heading home, the expressway right near my office becomes a parking lot going in the direction of my house at a little before 4 p.m. and stays that way until somewhere around 7:30-8 p.m. I take a different route home that's a little longer and has a few more traffic lights but has far less traffic. I can usually get home in the 30-40 minute range.