Foo - Traffic

Just curious, how do you people that commute in heavy traffic everyday manage to maintain your sanity?

I flew into Atlanta this morning only to be greeted by a 1 1/2 hour, 15 mile, commute from the airport to work. I could have slept in, taken a later flight, and skipped rush hour altogether. Hindsight 20/20 and all that jazz.

The sound that you're hearing is only the sound of the low spark of high heeled boys.

Thanks. Must listen now.

I get to leave for work in the morning before traffic starts in my area, and I head the opposite way anyway. I see the cars going the other way later on and wonder what they are thinking--they aren't moving, they have 12 more miles to go, and they do this every day.

On the way home, I actually take the most congested way--which still isn't much since I leave early enough--simply so that I time to myself. It's the only 25 minutes I get to myself all day.

I have a friend who works in the metro and lives in the metro, but on opposite ends. She commutes 1hr45min on a good day. When it snows? It takes her three hours each way to get to and from work. She does take advantage of her work-from-home option often, though.

One word, "A Fist Full of Xanax".

Couch

One word, "A Fist Full of Xanax".

Couch

Good call. Fortunately I work with drugs.

Just curious, how do you people that commute in heavy traffic everyday manage to maintain your sanity?

I flew into Atlanta this morning only to be greeted by a 1 1/2 hour, 15 mile, commute from the airport to work. I could have slept in, taken a later flight, and skipped rush hour altogether. Hindsight 20/20 and all that jazz.

Helicopter from the airport to your workplace, not to expensive and it will make a huge impression on everyone you work with. :thumb: unless the helicopter explodes in mid air and crashes in a fiery ball of melted metal and human body parts, then you'll just make a huge impression in the ground.

I take side streets and avoid the freeways/highways/tollways like the plaugue, as they are all simply stagnant concrete rivers of stupidity and self absorption.

I flew into Atlanta this morning only to be greeted by a 1 1/2 hour, 15 mile, commute from the airport to work.

In my experience, thats pretty much standard for Hot-Lanta regardless of what time you arrive (not that any major metro area is much better). However in Atlanta (if it works for your final destination) I've found Marta to be pretty efficient.

I live in town and never deal with interstates for commuting purposes. Gives you a lot of outs if there are surface street problems. But now I'm only driving in one day a week anyway, bike 3 days and telecommute one. I've had a terrible commute before and it nearly made me insane. Never doing that again.

I ride a bicycle.

90% of my commute is on streets named Pacific and Harbor Dr. Unless its summer or the surf is big there's not a lot of traffic.

Years ago I used to work in downtown Los Angeles. The commute was 20 miles and it took about 90 minutes. You just get used to it. Find a good radio station and creep your way through traffic.

When I had a heavy commute I took the bus. Let the bus driver deal with heavy traffic.

My commute is pretty short, between 5 and 10 miles. Normally it is not bad at all. Oops forgot school is out, it will be getting worse again.

However from time to time it is really bad going home. for the first 3 miles from work there are only 3 choices (with a couple of trivial modifications). The freeway, the road next to the freeway and going 5 miles out of the way to take Mulholland Highway. When traffic is bad yuo get nailed no matter what. Freeway crawls, the surface street beside it is often OK, for a couple of miles. But for 3 miles there is no choice and it happens the first choice is an unprotected left turn onto the freeway. Waht often happens is fools wait there to turn and only 2 or 3 cars make each light, pretty soon is is backed up a mile! (Fools because a short block farther is a protected left turn, if the firt left turn lane is full you will wait 4 or 5 lights to get through, it will be 2 at most for the protected turn). Then the nasty kicker, the 5 mile bailout has an unprotected left turn too! There is a very very long left turn lane. So if you are fairly early in the mess you can turn right and then make a U turn. But if you are well into the mess it is too late, the left turners are backed up enough that you have a mile of crawling traffic.

Just curious, how do you people that commute in heavy traffic everyday manage to maintain your sanity?

I flew into Atlanta this morning only to be greeted by a 1 1/2 hour, 15 mile, commute from the airport to work. I could have slept in, taken a later flight, and skipped rush hour altogether. Hindsight 20/20 and all that jazz.

You had it good.
Yesterday someone called in a bomb scare on 78 (the highway leading east out of Atlanta).
They closed 8 lanes.
Good times.

However I'm one to talk.
Right now my commute is from this couch to that darkroom about 15 steps over there.
No, this couch. Not that Couch.

Just curious, how do you people that commute in heavy traffic everyday manage to maintain your sanity?

I flew into Atlanta this morning only to be greeted by a 1 1/2 hour, 15 mile, commute from the airport to work. I could have slept in, taken a later flight, and skipped rush hour altogether. Hindsight 20/20 and all that jazz.
Dude....if you are in the ATL..PM me.

When I lived in London it took me 45 mins to drive 5 miles to work.
Now I live in the middle of nowhere in Illinois and it takes me 6 mins on my bike.

When I lived in London it took me 45 mins to drive 5 miles to work.
Now I live in the middle of nowhere in Illinois and it takes me 6 mins on my bike.


171836

Do you ride one of these to work?

Couch

You had it good.
Yesterday someone called in a bomb scare on 78 (the highway leading east out of Atlanta).
They closed 8 lanes.
Good times.

However I'm one to talk.
Right now my commute is from this couch to that darkroom about 15 steps over there.
No, this couch. Not that Couch.


There was a day back in '94 or '95 when a truck turned over on I-85 and shut it down. That same day, a truck also turned over on I-75 and shut it down. Now, if you are at all familiar with the ATL, those are THE 2 main N-S corridors and they carry the vast bulk of the traffic through Atlanta. That day took me 4 hours to cover 20 miles. People got the hell out of my way at the office when they saw my face.

I ride a bicycle.

yeah, that

for ATL, take the train from the airport if you can. that traffic sux.

Atlanta traffic is the WORST !
The airport isnt much better :(

Hmmm. I have a 5 mile bike ride on city streets that are uncongested. My greatest hazard are the garbage and recycling cans in the bike lanes on Wednesdays and Thursdays if I take T Street downtown. M Street I just have to worry about getting nailed by high maintenance East Sac soccer mom gentry in their giant SUVs...

Dude....if you are in the ATL..PM me.

Dinner meeting tonight and Detroit tomorrow. Next time?


There was a day back in '94 or '95 when a truck turned over on I-85 and shut it down. That same day, a truck also turned over on I-75 and shut it down. Now, if you are at all familiar with the ATL, those are THE 2 main N-S corridors and they carry the vast bulk of the traffic through Atlanta. That day took me 4 hours to cover 20 miles. People got the hell out of my way at the office when they saw my face.

Last time I was here it took 2 1/2 hours to get from the airport to the hotel in Buckhead. I woke up the next morning with a busted out window and some missing items from my rental car.


Atlanta traffic is the WORST !
The airport isnt much better :(

I find the Atlanta airport to be super efficient to get through security... Taking off and landing, not so much.

back in the day before open container laws in texas my brother had a 12 mile drive in Houston. He used to pick up a couple beers at the stop-n-rob across from work for the drive home. Used to take him about an hour twenty to get home.

Dinner meeting tonight and Detroit tomorrow. Next time?


Last time I was here it took 2 1/2 hours to get from the airport to the hotel in Buckhead. I woke up the next morning with a busted out window and some missing items from my rental car.



I find the Atlanta airport to be super efficient to get through security... Taking off and landing, not so much.

yes.
And if you can, take MARTA. If your hotel is in walking distance of business, MARTA is definitely the best way to go.

Just curious, how do you people that commute in heavy traffic everyday manage to maintain your sanity?


MP3 Player:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFf8l6kZtlU

I just listen to Traffic,like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgyJt-MgaIg

I like being in traffic but I guess traffic in Portland isn't really traffic compared to anywhere else.
But i guess it sucks if you have to pee real bad.

171836

Do you ride one of these to work?

Couch
Yes, the one with the basket.

Yesterday someone called in a bomb scare on 78 (the highway leading east out of Atlanta).
They closed 8 lanes.

"Those who do not learn from history..."

Bomb scare -> pack a lot of people tighter in a predictable location.

Same old tactic; call in a bomb threat on a building, and have a car bomb waiting at the evac gathering point. Easier than sneaking in a bomb big enough to get all those people when they're spread out all over the building with structural walls in between. A bomb scare on the freeway guarantees traffic jams on the alternate routes.

I commute 1 1/2 hours a few days a week.... but then, I'm driving 75 miles.

I commute 1 1/2 hours a few days a week.... but then, I'm driving 75 miles.

You should be able to shave that down to an hour.

The sound that you're hearing is only the sound of the low spark of high heeled boys.

Thanks. Must listen now.

That's one of the things I think of when I think of foo. And I avoid traffic by riding a bike when I can.

You should be able to shave that down to an hour.

It's the 1st 25 miles on a winding 2 lane with school buses, tractors, construction that takes so long! If that part of the trip is clear, 1 hour 10 minutes. The rest is I-79 - posted speed limit 70, which means you can safely go 79 without worrying about a ticket.... wander up to 80, and watch out!!!

Years ago I used to work in downtown Los Angeles. The commute was 20 miles and it took about 90 minutes. You just get used to it. Find a good radio station and creep your way through traffic.

+1. As long as I have NPR, I am happy. No use getting angry or upset, it doesn't make the traffic move any faster. For the days that I don't work at home or at my local office, transit is not an option.