Traffic Tie-ups
I had a meeting in Toronto this afternoon so I had to drive the worst highway to drive at any time during a normal work day – the 401 across Toronto. It’s not that the road itself is bad – in fact, I did notice how the endless summers of construction have actually improved the roadway – it’s just that driving the busiest section of highway in North America can cause apprehension in even the most seasoned driver.
My meeting finished early (before 3:00pm) and I thought I would be able to make it on the 401 and out of Toronto before rush hour. Almost as soon as I got on the highway, I learned that there were two separate accidents and one was in the express lanes and the other was in the collector lanes. So I sat and crept along at 15-20 km/hr in the right lane (the left was supposedly blocked by the accident).
Now this can be normal for any highway. However it is the reaction of the drivers to the sheer volume of traffic that gives the 401 its particular charm. As we came up to an on ramp, several cars started changing into the on ramp from my lane behind me and accelerated to get those 20 or so car lengths ahead before they had to slow traffic again to merge back into the flow. Most of these people were also on their cell phones (another pet peeve of mine – get a hands free set).
Well the trucker directly in front of me had seen enough. He pulled his rig into the merging lane and kept it there going at the same pace as the rest of traffic. I stayed on his back bumper to leave his space available. So what did these people do? Well about a third of them got the hint and just merged back in. And the rest? Well they used the shoulder.
So what is my point here? It’s really nothing more than venting. If people want to act like idiots on the road, there’s not much I can do about it.
(Hey, that gives me an idea for another pet peeve list, but that will have to wait for another time.)
My meeting finished early (before 3:00pm) and I thought I would be able to make it on the 401 and out of Toronto before rush hour. Almost as soon as I got on the highway, I learned that there were two separate accidents and one was in the express lanes and the other was in the collector lanes. So I sat and crept along at 15-20 km/hr in the right lane (the left was supposedly blocked by the accident).
Now this can be normal for any highway. However it is the reaction of the drivers to the sheer volume of traffic that gives the 401 its particular charm. As we came up to an on ramp, several cars started changing into the on ramp from my lane behind me and accelerated to get those 20 or so car lengths ahead before they had to slow traffic again to merge back into the flow. Most of these people were also on their cell phones (another pet peeve of mine – get a hands free set).
Well the trucker directly in front of me had seen enough. He pulled his rig into the merging lane and kept it there going at the same pace as the rest of traffic. I stayed on his back bumper to leave his space available. So what did these people do? Well about a third of them got the hint and just merged back in. And the rest? Well they used the shoulder.
So what is my point here? It’s really nothing more than venting. If people want to act like idiots on the road, there’s not much I can do about it.
(Hey, that gives me an idea for another pet peeve list, but that will have to wait for another time.)
posted by Mike at 10:51 p.m.
2 Comments:
man that totally sounds like Phoenix traffic. I swear everyone would go 90 m/hr there if they could. If there was an accident they'd speed up the shoulder to the closest exit and then just jam up the surface streets as well. I'm so glad I don't live there anymore specifically for that reason. But I guess since I stay at home now I wouldn't have to worry about rush hour traffic anymore...
Ahhh, the 401; that was the beginning of our ill-fated trip to Waterloo-Kitchener to visit my brother. The first and only trip of its kind.
Like ABQ, I am also glad that I only have to face rush hour traffic when I choose.
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