No, I’m not talking about the movie from a couple years back. I’m talking about when the highway becomes a parking lot. I’m talking about the one day I forgot my cell phone and I needed to get home because I had plans that night. I’m talking about people getting out and walking around because there wasn’t even a crawl. I’m talking about last night.
3:55 I walk out of work and start the commute home. Not too much traffic, just another day. The sun is starting to disappear over the horizon, and I have plenty of time to make it home before going back out again.
4:15 Traffic comes to a stop. Bridge traffic due to contstruction, I’m guessing. The bridge has been down to two lanes so come rush hour sometimes it drags. I know - I drive through it everyday.
4:20 Oh wait, I can see the bridge now - and there’s no traffic on it! The bridge is closed. Starting to wonder what’s going on, and noticing the helicopters flying overhead, I turn on the radio. …The MA State please have shut down the Braga Bridge due to a massive 4-car accident next to Somerset on the west side of the bridge. Traffic is backed up for miles… I switch to my CD and blast myself with Shane and Shane to keep my attitude where it should be.
5:45 Still blasting my music, I’ve progressed about half a mile. At this point I had had a nice conversation with a lady from NJ who had flown into New Bedford and was driving home. She was hoping to make it home for 7:30. Not gonna happen, methinks. Part of the conversation: Oh, it’s an accident? Good. Well, not *good* I guess, but I was gonna be really upset if they had shut down the bridge to pave or something! I finally break through the traffic heading for 79 South to bypass the accident and jump onto 79 North to hit the Brightman Street Bridge - the only other bridge for me to get home.
6:10 I’ve survived the traffic on 24, 195, 79, and the bridge. Open roads are ahead, and there’s still hope for my evening plans.
6:15 After speeding the rest of the way home I finally pull up to my house. My regular 30 minute commute had turned into a nightmarish 2 hours and 20 minutes. I run inside, change my clothes, throw some cold mac-n-cheese into a tupperware container, and jump back into the car. We’re off. Venue? Jeremy Camp Concert: More on that later.