Traffic (and I don't mean the band)

Okay, let's talk traffic.  I think I've mentioned before that there were 2 things that people would say when I told them I was moving to Chicago; the first was always "do you know how cold it is there???" and the second was "oh, my....the TRAFFIC!!!".  Even now, people here will ask me "so, how are you adjusting to the traffic??".  What is the big deal about traffic?

Honey, I've driven in Atlanta, which is much, much worse than here.  At least to my memory, but maybe I was just less tolerant in my younger days.  And I will admit that I'm generally going the direction of the lesser traffic.  I can see that it's heavier coming into the city in the morning, and heading to the 'burbs in the evening.  But even on Sunday morning the traffic on the interstate is pretty thick.  And at 3 a.m. the traffic in town is surprisingly heavy.  But there's just so many people here with things to do and places to be, and in spite of a good transit system, we like the freedom that having your own car brings.  Frankly, I'm not so sure that driving to Wrigleyville on a game day would be any worse that cramming into the train with a bunch of sweaty fans.  :)

But the traffic....yes it's heavy, and yes, there are crazy drivers just like anywhere, and there are people who's signals don't seem to work (I always want to stop that guy in the $80k car and say "you know, for that price it looks like they'd include turn signals, doesn't it?"), and there are people who are just rude or not paying attention, like anywhere.  But for the most part, people seem to just accept that it's going to be like this, and there's nothing you can do about it, and you may as well just go with the flow.  I've only rarely encountered someone that would not let me into a lane, or that insisted on riding my bumper even though I was closer than I liked to the car in front of me.  And rarely have I seen the idiot that flies in and out of lanes like their trunk in on fire and they're trying to out run it.  Hard to do when all lanes are packed and everyone is going 40. 

One thing that contributes is that half the lanes on most of the interstates are closed for "summer repaving".  It's something they do here because the "winter salting" causes so much damage to the road.  I guess if I want clear roads in the winter, I have to deal with fewer lanes in the summer.  And while I'm thinking of it, the interstates here are not interstates.  At home we say I-65 or I-24 or even just 565 or 75 or 20, without the I in front.  Here, they're "Expressways".  Sounds fancy, and fast, even though they're neither.  It's the "Eisenhower Expressway", or the Dan Ryan (who??) or the Kennedy.   And exits are labeled things like "To The Western Suburbs", as though "I-290 West" wouldn't be good enough.

Traffic is not just heavy on the "Expressways"; it's pretty clogged in town, too.  Again, why anyone would drive into town, and deal with which way is this one-way, and hunt for, then pay $10 for 2 hours for, a parking spot...well, I guess that explains why probably 1/2 the cars in town at any given time are cabs.  And there are cabs.  Constantly and in good supply.  Unless you need one.  If you're walking down the sidewalk, cabs will actually blow their horns like "hey! I'm available! need a ride?".  They're cab prostitutes....hey baby, you lonely tonight?  Only $10 for a quickie.  I have soft leather seats.  I'll take you anywhere you want to go - for a price.

I don't mind the traffic at all, really.  It is what it is.  The only thing to do about it is look for a way around it.  I'm good at finding the side street that gets you around the main drag when it's jammed, even here.  Hey - they don't call me map-bitch at home for nothin'.