Traffic

Does anyone like traffic?

Realistically, I don't think anyone does.

But I have more time to contemplate this than most.  You see, I live in Everett, Washington and I work in Tukwila, Washington. This means that my commute is roughly 40 miles long, and it takes me through Seattle.

Seattle is regularly in the Top Ten lists of "America's Worst Traffic Congestion."

Seriously. Take a look at a few of these.

I drive - during rush hour - through some of the worst traffic congestion in the country.

So, even though my commute is 40 miles, it often takes me an hour and a half (or more) to get to work. On a freeway with a speed limit of 60 miles per hour. In theory, I could get to work in about forty minutes. In practice, my commute sucks. There are mornings where I could almost sit and read my Kindle because traffic just isn't moving.

Can I take an alternate route?  Sure. Numerous alternate routes exist. All of them are as congested as my route. Public transportation? Because of the routes I'd need to take, it'd both take longer and more be expensive than my current route for me to ride a bus or take the local light rail.

And the worst thing is that there is no remedy. Despite years of studies and numerous theories, no-one really knows how to clear up the terrible traffic. No-one knows how to make the congestion go away. We're stuck with it.

I'm stuck with it.

And I really don't like that.