My 5 mile commute SUCKS!

I have enjoyed some short commutes in my career, and I have a nice short 5-mile commute now that should be a breeze.  Trouble is, I have to drive through a small town that is basically a crossroads.  The end near my house is the exit for a major North-South highway, and the other end is the exit for a major East-West parkway. The parkway connects Pittsburgh to the Airport.  So there are people coming from all over to this little crossroads, half trying to get onto a highway to get to work, half getting off to get to work. It seems to make people crazy, ignorant, angry, and stupid all at the same time! 

So far, in only a few short months, I have nearly been crashed into about 12 times, and actually hit once. I drive as slowly and cautiously as I possibly can, and I am as courteous as I can be - which is against my nature but I have to because drivers are such morons.  

This morning, I am approaching a green light and a bus decides to make a right turn on red.  OK, he cut it a little close, but he had just enough room so no biggie.  The car behind the bus is rolling up, and I assume he will stop because he has a red light and I am RIGHT THERE behind the bus.  Luckily, I ride motorcycles as well and I am in the habit of watching a drivers head in situations like this.  Yep, not looking up, not looking to the left, just blindly following the bus and come right on out.  The guy runs a red light without ever looking up from his phone!  

So yeah, I have to slam on the brakes and swerve into the oncoming lane to avoid hitting him.  Nice of me eh?  I could have slammed into him and it would have been his fault and he would have paid for it. Good thing I am so attentive and have fast reflexes?  So I give him a little "you're welcome" honk and drove on into the convenience store. 

He pulls in as well and parks close by and is staring at me, like I did something wrong.  So I mention, "you ran a red light without looking, try to pay attention man".    Nice, non-confrontational, just heading to get my tea. Then he decides to yell at me and says "its called a mistake man". WTF?  Not, I'm sorry or I screwed up or Ill be more careful?  Nope, he's not at fault at all.  OK, whatever. 

Then I am trying to pay for my drinks and he is in line behind me, still complaining, and he says, and I quote: "the bus went and I just followed it, I wasn't looking at the lights man".  Wow, that's your justification?  You admit that you don't look at the traffic lights, you just stare at your phone and go if the vehicle in front of you goes?!?!?  

That's what the world has come to, fat morons who sell cable for Xfinity are not to blame for being complete idiots. They can drive around and ignore traffic signals and stare at their phones and it is on everyone else get out of their way. They have nothing to feel bad about or be sorry for because they have an excuse: they are stupid.

I swear I am driving to work in one of these from now on:

I feel you.

4.7 miles for me.

Nobody pays attention, people walk out in front of you right between 2 crosswalks that would give them the legal right of way, people in tiny little crapcans that can't seem to keep them in their own lanes, 3 cars going through the intersection after the light turns red, etc.

All reasons why I DON'T ride a motorcycle anymore!

I don't drive a dozer, (yet)  but a red Ram pickup (See my avatar) isn't exactly invisible or tiny and people don't see it BECAUSE THEY AREN'T WATCHING WHAT THE BERK THEY'RE DOING!

Its the new world order. No one is responsible for anything.  Its always someone else's fault.   That guy is going to get a harsh lesson one day.

I had jobs where I managed a lot of people.  The first time one of them started down the "its not my fault"  or, worst, blaming it on an innocent party line of reasoning, for a mistake I would be more than willing to turn into a teaching moment, they got onto my POO-POO probation list.  

They got a warning about taking responsibility, fixing it, learning from it, and moving on.  A few more times and I started case building for their removal. 

I had the joy of my first D.C. rush hour yesterday evening after avoiding them for 19 years. Wasn't super bad but there was a level of stupid and ass-hattery for sure.  

I was doing rideshare and decided to do one last pick up in SE.  I pick the gal up a few blocks from where I now live.  Even drove by my apt.  After a minute I look down at the timer.  E36 M3 35 mins.  End up taking her past where I used to live by about 5 mins.  Time to home from there?  45 mins.  Ugh.  Picked up another easy fare but the algorithm just brought me closer to home via worse traffic.  43 mins to go by the end of that ride.

I try to be done by 4pm but every goobermint employee seems to get out of work at 2 pm - even had a DHS employee tell me that.

The worst was people trying to get into the far right turn lane when a second turn lane was allowed - google doesn't know that but these commuters should - and they were coming from the third right lane to force into the curb lane.  Dummies.  

Can you make the commute longer to avoid the area?

That's what I would do, assuming it didn't take a 5 mile commute to a 20 mile commute or something. 

My last job, I purposefully took a slower way that added about 6 miles each way to my commute to avoid dealing with I-240 and Hwy 169 in Tulsa. 

You're in Pittsburgh - quit complaining. The backroads near the Airport are something I look forward to every time I go, and they make a great excuse to drive 4 1/2 hours just to play Ultimate.

There are reasons why I like commuting in a minivan. It's fairly big with good outward visibility.   If someone does plow into it, there are millions more out there to replace it.  

I will go out of my way to avoid bad intersections at busy times. I figure it's a matter of percentages and I can't get into an altercation if I'm not there.  The older I get, the less I care how quickly I get somewhere. Getting somewhere with the least amount of stress possible is more important.

Get a dash cam, a beater truck, and start hitting people for our enjoyment. 

dculberson said:

Get a dash cam, a beater truck, and start hitting people for our enjoyment. 

I was thinking late 70s Ford LTD. Comfy, massive bumpers, and kind of menacing looking when truly beat. Should keep other drivers at bay nicely.

chaparral said:

You're in Pittsburgh - quit complaining. The backroads near the Airport are something I look forward to every time I go, and they make a great excuse to drive 4 1/2 hours just to play Ultimate.

There is something massively wrong with you, and I suggest you get treatment.

Pinchvalve, paint it primer. The less you look like you care, the more afraid the other vehicles will be

slefain said:

dculberson said:

Get a dash cam, a beater truck, and start hitting people for our enjoyment. 

I was thinking late 70s Ford LTD. Comfy, massive bumpers, and kind of menacing looking when truly beat. Should keep other drivers at bay nicely.

even better considering what an old friend told me.  People just loved hitting him!  Barely a scratch on the ltd destroyed their cars and the ins. co's kept writing it off and selling it back to him. 

I'm curious - where/what is the dangerous section of road?

You mention a park - is that Settlers Cabin? Racoon Creek State Park?

I suggest your new chariot.

I now just wave at people on their phones as I pass.  Open hand with all the fingers together, like a royal salute.  I do try to smile, as they might notice.  The reaction is priceless.

I do like the tractor idea, no blade but with tracks.  Not having fenders, that would make a statement.

Drive something that looks like Mater from Cars.  There is no alternative. 

I used to drive one of these down route 30. Top speed of 17mph, 20 downhill in neutral. People will still cut you off, brake check you, and completely miss the giant berkeleying machine in the lane beside them and try to merge anyway. Might get you moving a little quicker near the tunnel, but it will still be invisible as a miata somehow.

Other option:

Can you get into the office earlier and leave earlier to avoid traffic? I realize everyone doesn't have that freedom.

In reply to z31maniac :

I learned recently when I left the laundromat a little too late that the traffic is already at a not moving pace by 7 am.  Wowzer.  5 min drive took 20 mins. 

Are you talking about Carnegie? I commute up 79 and exit at Carnegie to get to work.  Don’t think it’s that bad but hey, maybe I’m part of the problem. 

nutherjrfan said:

In reply to z31maniac :

I learned recently when I left the laundromat a little too late that the traffic is already at a not moving pace by 7 am.  Wowzer.  5 min drive took 20 mins. 

I also did this other day. I left the house around 7:50 (I'm typically out of the house by 6:30), the last 2.5 miles that is typically 5-6 minutes, became 25.

I'm lucky in that as long as I'm available for meetings, I can show up anytime between 6 and 9:30.

My commute is 13 miles. Most days, travel time is 25 minutes. Best ever us just under 20 minutes. Worst is 150+ minutes.

I would not ride a motorcycle if well paid to do so. That's a great way to die around here. 

My commute is 2.47miles via Google GPS. In the morning, it takes somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 minutes. 10 if I stop at 7-11. At night its anywhere from 15min to an hour depending on how stupid the tourists are that day.  I average almost dying about 4 times a day. I am convinced the only thing for Florida traffic is a 73 imperial on a deuce and a half frame with some giant diesel on it. 

Riding a bike is often slower than taking a car, but at least traffic is no big deal.  My commute takes 15-25 mins by car, occasionally as much as 30.  On my bike that window is like 39-41 minutes.