Beware the Ides of May

As I was driving on the condensed, over-populated Orange County freeways this morning during rush hour, I thought to myself, "Why did I choose the freeways as opposed to side streets during rush hour??" I wasn't going to work. I don't even really have a work commute at the moment, but for some reason, it seemed more pleasant to fight the funk.

I did think about it too. I thought about how much I hate 2 laned, sometimes 1, streets expecially when it seems as though the street lights don't seem to be on any type of timer relation to one another. And I thought about how I like to drive with the people who drive on the streets through Fullerton, Garden Grove, and Westminster as much as I like to have my foot shot with a staple gun over and over again. Not so much. But what makes stop and go traffic on the ever-increasingly claustraphobic freeways??

Was it that ever since 6 months ago, I'm able to utilize the carpool lane at all times?? Yeah, that's a plus. But even that is rediculous most times. I've come to the conclusion, freeways are the way 9 to 5ers socialize outside of work. Most people commute a half an hour or more to their 9-12 hour a day time clock, only to commute the same time (and from my experience even more) back to home. So they have time for morning coffee with their spouses, are lucky to smile at their children before they have to hit the road, Jack. Then, they spend their entire week with people they didn't choose to be around, and have just about enough time to take a shower after they bathe little Timmy before they collapse into their unconscious bean bag of drool, waiting patiently for the next day's routine to begin. Therefore, the only time most people find to socialize is on the road.

Whether be it a mad dash to get home, so the driver is unsafely cutting off car after car before flipping off the lady who is actually driving the speed limit, because it's not fast enough for him, or it's the only time the other driver has to clear their mind so they basically take a Sunday joy-ride pace, most of the people on the 405, 91, 60, 210 are all doing the same thing: finding a way to fit some socializing into their ever busy schedules. And I'm probably not the only one who subconsiously chooses to do it. So anyone up for a driveby lunch date?? Sushi, say 5:15pm on the 405???