.. but there's an airport in the way!

Does anybody know how big O'Hare International Airport is?  Some people say 7610 acres, others say 7700, so it's very likely somewhere around 12 square miles. That's pretty big.  And when something that size stands between you and your job every day, it becomes an adversary you want to conquer.  Other things can be gone over, but no roads can go over an airport.  The only option is to go around.

When you live where I and a bunch of other people behind the blue line live in relation to my job - you have a choice.

Which way do I want to go around the airport?  But one thing is clear, there are no straight lines here.

My favorite quote about trying to get to work has been - 'you can't get there from here'.

Lately, my usual choice of routes has involved construction at a particularly funnel like intersection that includes a set of railroad tracks, a viaduct, and is heavily traveled by 18 wheelers.  Aint we got fun?  So I decided to go onto Mapquest and see what it recommended for alternate routes.  The message I got - proved my point.

I really CAN'T get there from here!

I thought I was gonna die!

The snow was coming down!  It was blizzard conditions and cars were moving slowly as the snow worsened.  A commute that normally takes 30 minutes took 3 times that long!  Visions of being trapped in my car for days ran through my head.  Running out of gas from idling too long, having to melt snow for something to drink before help could arrive .. slowly starving ...

Wait!

Heh.

There's always a bag of trail mix in my car.  :)  Yes there IS something in there besides chips!

Anyway, here is a tiny slice of my commute tonight when I was on one 5 mile stretch of road for a good 45 minutes.  And don't start with me about using my phone while driving.  When I was moving I was going about TWO MPH.  I don't call that driving!  Oh, and somebody needs to tell me that when I shoot video with my phone I really oughta turn the dang thing sideways.  Sheesh!

Lady B - you sure you'd like more snow in London?  

Alternatives

This is part of my daily commute.  Coming home I make a right turn onto this road and pass a long line of cars and trucks going the other direction, all in line to turn left onto the street I just traveled.  In the morning, I avoid doing what these cars and trucks are doing by finding a different route.  Why don't they?

Yikes!  Wouldn't you?

.

Praise my diagrams, please!

Most people take the same route to and from work every day. I am no different. The road I drive most of the way is 6 lanes across at the start with lots of stop lights and traffic. At one point the far right lane ends, there are signs from way back that show it merges into the middle lane. It has been that way since I have been driving that road. So you would think other people who drive the same road every day would prepare and merge early so traffic doesn't get bunched up and slowed down. But there is always a bozo or 2 who has to gun the engine and and rush up the lane so they can merge in front of all the cars in the middle lane. What.Ever.




But recently signs went up saying road construction was coming, prepare for delays. The signs said construction would begin on June 16th. June 16th came and went and no construction, I'm sure they put the signs up early so some of the drivers would find alternate routes in the meantime. Regardless, construction came. Probably a week or 10 days after it was supposed to, but it did. Coming home from work not far from the merge from the right into the middle lane - I could see a big lighted and blinking arrow up ahead motioning to the right. Then a sign saying "left lane ends ahead, merge right." Okay, so when you start seeing those signs what do you do? Merge right - now all of us will be in the center lane and hopefully we will play nice.





For the 1st week of construction I was nice. I would get in the center lane from the get-go so I wouldn't have to merge since I knew what was coming ahead. I gave everyone else the benefit of the doubt and did not assume they were aware of the changes ahead. I let people merge.

But come the week after that and there are still morons driving up that left lane because they are too impatient to wait like the rest of us well-behaved kids in the middle lane, and then they expect to merge AHEAD of all of us nice kids when they hit the last possible moment to merge. Um. I DON'T THINK SO. You may even have to hit my car to prove your desire.

See me in this last diagram? It's hard to tell but I am singing and smiling and moving right past that person who can't fool me now and isn't going to get in front of me. I play nice and by all the rules until someone wants to take advantage of me. And then - well - I WON'T LET YOU IN A$$WIPE!!!

Just sayin', and smiling sweetly.

**TODAY on the way home the guy behind me who is probably a real jerk in every other aspect of his life became a hero to me. Although I didn't give him a thumbs up or applause like I wanted to for fear of encouraging behavior that could bring on a serious road rage incident, he was wonderful! He was driving the car directly behind me and I realized he was off to one side. It took me a second to see what he was actually doing - but he was driving right down the middle of the left and center lanes making it basically impossible for anyone to pass him. None of those people who race up to merge at the very last second because somehow they are entitled to be first - could get in front of him. Okay I know it was a move that probably could have garnered him several hand gestures and verbal assaults, but - it made me smile for that half a mile or whatever the distance was. I knew I wasn't alone in resenting those "me first" people who have been making me nuts!