Opuscula Rush hour And geezers

WHEN I USED TO make a daily trek to an office or client site, I hated the congestion; in particular, congestion made worse by geezers who “had” to be on the road during rush hour(s).

Now I am a confimed “geezer” and I remember my aggravation at people on the road who could wait a until after rush hour to get on the road..

Same goes for vacationers — I’ve been one of those, too.

Photo credit: Dim Schliefman

As a geezer I make it a rule to either (a) be off the road from 6:30 to 9 a.m. and from 4 to 6:30 p.m. or (b) on a highway outside of a metro area where my flivver won’t add to rush hour congestion.

When I cross the state to visit my sons, I usually leave about 10 a.m. At the speed limit, it’s about a 5-hour trip, but I take a “snack” break on the way so I usually arrive about 3:30 in the afternoon — before the boys’ local rush hour. I follow the same process on the return trip and, again, I miss rush hour at both ends.

Bottom line: I practice what I preached — read “railed about” -- when I was someone’s employee or consultant.

I never liked rush hour even when I had to confront it. I still don’t like to be caught in rush hour traffic if I can avoid it.

Tourists looking for a street or address during rush hour should know better. If you want to sight-see — and frankly, I enjoy sight-seeing excursions — either do it between morning and evening rush hours or hop on a sightseeing bus (or boat). Helicopters are good, too, but the “overview” misses something.

Frankly, I’d like to see RVs banned from the streets during rush hour; likewise large trucks that have to be coaxed around tight corners. I know for truckers “time is money,” but even truckers have to eat and sleep.

If geezers and vacationers would practice what I preach, there would be less rush hour traffic and maybe less rush hour aggravation.

I have no problem getting up at 4:30 or 5 a.m. to be on the road by 6. Likewise, I easily can snooze until 8 or 9 and then hit the road at 9:30. (The wake up and get moving time often depends on which route I will be driving and how long the trip will take.)

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