Vent: tried taking the back roads to avoid highway traffic last week and it added 25 minutes to my commute

I figured winding through residential streets would be smoother but every stop sign and school zone made me wish I was just sitting in gridlock instead, has anyone else found a shortcut that actually works?

2 comments

2 Comments

logan23619h ago

Wait, isn't this the exact trap I fell into last month thinking a "clever" route would save me time? I was totally convinced those shortcuts were genius until I hit my third school zone and watched the clock tick past my usual arrival time. Now I just sit in the highway traffic and accept it, because at least there's no unexpected stop signs.

williams.jenny18h ago

Oh man, @logan236, you nailed it with that "unexpected stop signs" part. I had a similar thing happen last week where I thought I was being so smart taking a side street, only to find out the city was repaving half of it. People were honking, I was stuck, and I ended up being later than if I just took my normal road. What gets me is when you see those other cars zipping past in the other lane and you just sit there feeling like a fool. Highway traffic is predictable, boring, but at least you know what you're getting into. I've learned the hard way that "clever" routes usually have some hidden delay waiting to ruin your day.