Whether you’re driving to work, school, or your internship, everyone understands the headache that comes with commuting. Twice a week, I make my trek to class by hitting the highway and bracing myself for the chaos ahead. Roughly 76 percent of Americans commute every day…that’s 115 million cars all over the United States making their way to their morning obligations. That’s a lot of cars! For those fortunate people who do not commute, here’s an insight to why you are so lucky you don’t!
Crazy drivers! Mostly semi trucks…
I cannot name how many times I white-knuckle my steering wheel as a semi truck tries to merge into my lane while my car is parallel to theirs. I drive a Chevy Sonic, so I understand my car is small and maybe not entirely visible BUT you think if I laid on my horn they would get the hint that I’m there…NOPE!
https://unsplash.com/photos/mS2ngGq6VO4
Texters or distracted drivers
The late-for-work texters, weaving in and out of cars, who have no concept of the road stress me out. They usually have a dent somewhere in their bumpers too, and you never wonder why. I can’t completely leave the responsibility of stressful driving to just texters…There’s the distracted drivers too. Do you think your Honda Accord is the best place to eat a four-course meal or an entire 12 inch pizza? That should be an astounding no! But get this: I’ve seen worse. People applying makeup, tying shoes, brushing teeth, and many more things you think people just wouldn’t do in a car. Just don’t do it. Most of the time you later see those cars pulled over on the side of the road in a fender-bender.
New trending pizza, the simpsons, eating, homer simpson, bart simpson, driving via Giphy #f pic.twitter.com/zzX4OrgD1O
— Miguel Romera (@miguel_romera) February 2, 2016
Weather
HEAVEN FORBID IT SHOULD RAIN. OR SNOW. OR LITERALLY ANYTHING!
I swear, people forget how to drive when there’s inclement weather. Either people drive way too slow (c’mon the highway speed limit is 55mph…going 30mph is going to cause an accident), or they drive like an idiot. Ice on the road? Expect to see these drivers in ditches or fishtailing for three or four miles down the highway. These drivers create so much unnecessary traffic that you can kiss goodbye to being on-time to wherever you need to be that morning.
Raeside cartoon: winter driving on the west coast explained http://t.co/aoC9qCneci pic.twitter.com/m1GCICivkG
— Adrian Raeside (@araeside) November 12, 2014
Construction
Welcome to Illinois. The land of infinite construction! Illinois has so much construction going on year-round. I wonder how there are still so many potholes and death-trap bridges throughout our state highway system. Now, if they’re nice and considerate, they’ll post signs stating when construction is supposed to take place, but do you think everyone is that nice? Nooo. Sometimes you get on the highway and its SURPRISE, there’s construction! And then it creates so much traffic. Then if they block off a lane on the highway, oh my, even worse. You might as well just turn around and go back home. My head hurts just thinking about this.
https://unsplash.com/photos/7kwjU9MMbYU
Aggressive drivers
When I say aggressive drivers, I’m referring to the ones that ride your tail-end in the right-hand lane. They usually have the other three lanes wide open with enough room to pass you, but they just don’t. I don’t understand the point. Go around me. Pass me. I’m not going to go any faster. Then when it’s night and they flash their brights right behind you like it’s going to get you to miraculously speed up, that really gets me riled up. Trying to merge onto the highway when driving down the offramp with aggressive drivers is insanely scary too. It’s as almost they match your speed in hopes to run you off the road. Which has happened to me before! People need to realize driving is not a game because that’s what causes unnecessary accidents.
Some thoughts from @KermitTheFrog on driving… pic.twitter.com/6Pd90M7fQv
— Caliber Collision (@CaliberAutoBody) April 26, 2015
So those are just a few stressors when it comes to commuting. There are, however, several more, but I feel that these are the major ones that everyone can relate to from 3pm to 6pm (or as everyone else calls it…rush-hour). Those of you who don’t have to deal with the stress of driving during rush hour to a job, internship, or whatever else you do in the morning, I envy you! I wish teleporting was invented because I would pay big bucks for that so I would never have to drive again. Someone please get on that invention and let me know. Thanks.
Rant over.