When is rush hour?

[Smallpotatoes]

Yesterday, I was sitting in traffic, taking about an hour to go 24 miles or so, at about 2:30 p.m. It was mid-afternoon and it was already like somebody put up a brick wall in the middle of the road.
The traffic reports I listen to routinely refer to 2 or 2:30 as "the start of the afternoon rush hour."
I've always thought rush hour was 4, or maybe 3, to 7 or so in the evening, now it starts at 2 or 2:30?
I work nights so I'm not up early enough for the morning rush hour, but if somebody is getting out of work at 2 or 2:30, what time are they arriving at work?
I've always thought that a typical day short was 9 to 5, 8 to 4 or maybe 7 to 3. Are more people working 6 ro 2 or maybe even 5 to 1? Are more people just knocking off work early or are more people working nights and going into work at about 2:30 or 3?

 

[JackReacher]

Where I live, all the time.

 

[Dyno]

@JackReacher - I think there's a 10 minute window from 2:35 a.m.-2:45 a.m. that's not really rush hour.

 

[JackReacher]

I think the dots -- VDOT, DDOT, and MDOT -- have amended that. It's now a 5-minute window. Public meetings were scheduled, but no one could make it on time.

 

[The Big Ragu]

I once gave very serious consideration to abandoning my car on the Beltway.

 

[93Devil]

DC just sucks.

What's worse is the weekends can be worse than the workweek because of all of the holiday travelers to the OBX, FL, VA Beach, and all points south.

When people in Richmond complain about traffic, which is about a 15-minute widow, I just shake my head.

 

[YankeeFan]

I once gave very serious consideration to abandoning my car on the Beltway.

You'll appreciate this...

Back at the time when the Hunts were trying to corner the silver market, and it was volatile as hell, a trader I know abandoned his car in traffic and took the subway to work.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Just be glad you're not in Austin, where a million people use a road network built for 100,000 forty years ago.

 

[Rhody31]

People in RI ***** about traffic which is hilarious because rush-hour traffic costs you maybe 15 minutes on a bad day. Once in a while there's a bad accident that can cost you 30 minutes, but it's never so bad people should complain. Most people in RI have never left the state, so they have no idea how bad traffic can get.

 

[Gutter]

I once gave very serious consideration to abandoning my car on the Beltway.

Is this your license plate?

 

[Ace]

Why is it called rush hour if no one is going anywhere?

 

[Neutral Corner]

Same reason thin people are called skinny even though fat people have more skin.

 

[wicked]

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.

 

[da man]

Just be glad you're not in Austin, where a million people use a road network built for 100,000 forty years ago.

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.

 

[User 11148]

Austin is God-awful ...

 

[swingline]

@JackReacher - I think there's a 10 minute window from 2:35 a.m.-2:45 a.m. that's not really rush hour.

L.A. only division.

 

[swingline]

I once gave very serious consideration to abandoning my car on the Beltway.

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.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

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.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

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.

 

[Vombatus]

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