3.19.2004
Where Urgent Urges Merge
Where's the fire? Whose having a baby? What's the freaking rush? People are in such a goddamn hurry these days that they don't even have time to realize there are OTHER PEOPLE around them? What's up with that?
Driving to work is an adventure in "Sin City." Vegas has grown so big, so fast, that the roads aren't adequate to contain all the traffic. So of course, they are doing what has failed in every other big city-widening the roads. It seems like every single route I would take to work is under construction.
Can anyone tell me why people stay in a lane when the big orange signs say: "LANE CLOSED AHEAD: MERGE NOW MORONS." But people figure they can "squeeze" ahead a few more car-lengths and merge at the last minute, which only makes the whole mess thatcongestede conjested and slow. They wait until the cones are starting to angle out and that big sign is flashing ">>>>" or "<<<<<" before they're inspired to merge. I often intentionally lag back a few car-lengths in anticipation of those schmucks who make the "last minute mad merge dash" (had a jerk pull out from directly behind me, pass me on the right, and pull in front of me today, what a freaking idiot! Oh, he advanced an entire car-length. That means he'll get where he's going a second or two ealier).
Of course all sorts of people start bailing out on the side streets. The idea of only moving 10 miles an hour for a few miles is absolutely abhorrant to people. I figure that the time it's going to take me to re-route is about the same time I'll spend hanging right where I am. Why bother? I'm still going to get where I'm going. I may as well relax. What's the use of stressing over it?
This isn't to say that I never stress about getting things done, just that I've discovered there is a way to remove a lot of the urgency from my day: I just add an extra half-hour or so to the time I leave the house. I need to be at work by 6:30, it takes me 25 minutes or so to get to work, I leave by 5:35. Invariably, when I run into construction, I've got the time. I'm relatively certain this isn't a revelation to anyone, but giving yourself a little "cushion" so you don't have to rush isn't such a bad idea, the life you save might be mine, or even your own!
© 2004, J.S. Brown
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Driving to work is an adventure in "Sin City." Vegas has grown so big, so fast, that the roads aren't adequate to contain all the traffic. So of course, they are doing what has failed in every other big city-widening the roads. It seems like every single route I would take to work is under construction.
Can anyone tell me why people stay in a lane when the big orange signs say: "LANE CLOSED AHEAD: MERGE NOW MORONS." But people figure they can "squeeze" ahead a few more car-lengths and merge at the last minute, which only makes the whole mess thatcongestede conjested and slow. They wait until the cones are starting to angle out and that big sign is flashing ">>>>" or "<<<<<" before they're inspired to merge. I often intentionally lag back a few car-lengths in anticipation of those schmucks who make the "last minute mad merge dash" (had a jerk pull out from directly behind me, pass me on the right, and pull in front of me today, what a freaking idiot! Oh, he advanced an entire car-length. That means he'll get where he's going a second or two ealier).
Of course all sorts of people start bailing out on the side streets. The idea of only moving 10 miles an hour for a few miles is absolutely abhorrant to people. I figure that the time it's going to take me to re-route is about the same time I'll spend hanging right where I am. Why bother? I'm still going to get where I'm going. I may as well relax. What's the use of stressing over it?
This isn't to say that I never stress about getting things done, just that I've discovered there is a way to remove a lot of the urgency from my day: I just add an extra half-hour or so to the time I leave the house. I need to be at work by 6:30, it takes me 25 minutes or so to get to work, I leave by 5:35. Invariably, when I run into construction, I've got the time. I'm relatively certain this isn't a revelation to anyone, but giving yourself a little "cushion" so you don't have to rush isn't such a bad idea, the life you save might be mine, or even your own!
TANSTAAFL!
© 2004, J.S. Brown
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