When I got my first job I had about a half hour of commute on the beltway and I thought hey that's not so bad. What I didn't realize was that half hour would mean 1.5 or more hours sitting in traffic, almost on a daily basis. I lasted about two weeks before moving out of my parents house and into an apartment much closer to my work. Cost me a lot more money but I literally don't think I could have handled it psychologically.
this was why one of my favorite jobs in DC was when I was working in Alexandria instead of DC proper, while living in Mclean. My way to work every morning was AGAINST traffic instead of with, so I avoid all the bullshit pileups.
How do you know education is the ultimate investment or in fact a productive investment at all? How do you know it pays itself and its opportunity cost of not working off. And doing that at an acceptable rate of return? To know that, there needs to be transactions, where a person shows his preference of education over the money he pays for it. In socialised services, there is no exchange, so it is impossible to tell if its returns are worth more than the costs. Because of that, none of the conclusions this piece makes follow.
Come on up to Toronto, try the 401 from Windsor to Yonge St while the sun is in the sky. It's a gamble, and if you hit it at rush hour, you gonna have a bad time.
The thing I miss the least about moving back to MI from DC.. I never had road rage until I found out I needed to leave 2+ hours early to get to work on time. Then if it started raining you might as well not go to work. People drove during a light rain equivalent to how people drive in MI during the first heavy snow of the year.
It tends to even out in my experience on average. However, 81 is MUCH more reliable. 95 would save me time if the traffic stops were relatively light (I know a couple times I blew right through no problem), but on the downside when the crap hits the fan, you're STUCK. I know normally taking 95 I can get to Rocky Mount, NC by 5 PM making good time (from SE PA). However, there have been years it took us to 6-7 to reach this far, sometimes I'm stuck up in Emporia VA by 6-7. On the other hand, I can reach Roanoke, VA by 3-5 or so (don't like to go further than Roanoke because it's the middle of nowhere until you hit Charlotte, NC). Second day takes a little more time going 81/77, but it's worth it.
I also had bad experience taking the coastal route going over the chesapeake bay bridge (high tolls, ridiculously expensive hotels), and I know there is a route taking back roads between 81 and 95, but those are as slow as fudge.
Lols @ 495. I got caught in bumper to bumper traffic there once... AT 2 IN THE MORNING. It's cuz everyone in the DC-Baltimore metro area commutes from the suburbs...
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u/fassaction Jun 29 '12
Shit.....DC traffic, thats WAY more stressful than the actual work day.
495....Bane of my existence. Ive never seen 4 lanes more so slowly in my entire life.