Tomorrow I will be thankful for at least one thing: I didn't have to travel, at least not long-distance, today. I still commuted, but at least I didn't have to navigate crowded airports or rail terminals.
For the most part, my commute is pretty stress-free, as much of it takes me through Randalls Island. There are a couple of traffic "hot zones" near the entrance to the RFK-Triborough Bridge and where I cross Bruckner Boulevard, underneath the elevated "express"way. (I use the quotation marks because I will not call a roadway "express" if the traffic is as likely as not to be at a standstill!) Those places were more chaotic than usual and, aside from Randalls Island, I saw more traffic--and more Stupid Driver and Stupid Pedestrian Tricks just about everywhere.
So, I could say that my commute today was more stressful than it usually is. Still, I suppose it's less stressful than being stuck in traffic, and I know it's less stressful than being on a packed subway train. Even so, I'd say that this morning's commute was one of the more stressful ones I've experienced. I probably will say the same about my commute home.
Jon Orcutt, a longtime advocate for cycling and urban mobility in general, tweeted about a stressful ride he took. It didn't take him by the Port Authority Bus Terminal or Penn Station. (When I was a wee thing, I thought the Lord's Prayer pleaded, "And lead us not into Penn Station..") Instead, it led him across Manhattan:
For the most part, my commute is pretty stress-free, as much of it takes me through Randalls Island. There are a couple of traffic "hot zones" near the entrance to the RFK-Triborough Bridge and where I cross Bruckner Boulevard, underneath the elevated "express"way. (I use the quotation marks because I will not call a roadway "express" if the traffic is as likely as not to be at a standstill!) Those places were more chaotic than usual and, aside from Randalls Island, I saw more traffic--and more Stupid Driver and Stupid Pedestrian Tricks just about everywhere.
So, I could say that my commute today was more stressful than it usually is. Still, I suppose it's less stressful than being stuck in traffic, and I know it's less stressful than being on a packed subway train. Even so, I'd say that this morning's commute was one of the more stressful ones I've experienced. I probably will say the same about my commute home.
Jon Orcutt, a longtime advocate for cycling and urban mobility in general, tweeted about a stressful ride he took. It didn't take him by the Port Authority Bus Terminal or Penn Station. (When I was a wee thing, I thought the Lord's Prayer pleaded, "And lead us not into Penn Station..") Instead, it led him across Manhattan:
My first run on the West 13th St protected #BikeNYC lane. All in all a pretty classic NYC bike lane experience pic.twitter.com/aXvpRxAfgm— Jon Orcutt (@jonorcutt) November 20, 2018
and that's just in five blocks, from 133rd to 138th Street. Then, at 138th, I had to turn and make that crossing of Bruckner.
Oh well. I guess I still got to work less stressed-out than most other commuters--and certainly less stressed-out than anyone who's flying, taking long-distance trains or buses, or driving so they can sit tomorrow with their families and stuff themselves with stuffed turkey and a whole bunch of other stuff. Then they'll stress themselves over the weight they've gained--and, possibly, about whether they'll get any great bargains on "Black Friday".
I thought it was a day for families to chat about politics... Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteHave a happy (and safe!) Thanksgiving, Justine!
ReplyDeleteMike--Thank you. I hope you had a happy and safe Thanksgiving, too!
ReplyDeleteColine--Have you ever heard of "flying food"? That's what results from political discussions at some Thanksgiving dinner tables!