Traffic Jams

Have you ever been in a traffic jam? The last time I was, I almost exploded with impatience. Our lane was crammed with vehicles while the adjacent lane seemed to be moving faster than usual, annoying me with the illusion of going backward.

Traffic Jams can be tremendously time-consuming, with the longest being eight days long, at a virtually standstill at 0.6 kilometers a day in China. The average commuter wastes fifty four hours in traffic a year! In a survey, half of the interviewed people said that the reason they were late to work was due to heavy traffic.

Traffic jams are also expensive. The longer that jam lasts, the more gas is wasted, which contributes to the ever present global warming we are facing. As we sit in our cars moving at a mile an hour, we are slowly releasing more fumes and polluting the environment more. 

What can we do in a traffic jam? Rule #1, calm down. Irritation doesn’t help anything. In fact, it can trigger traffic accidents to some degree. Rule #2, let’s do something to help the situation. Curbing dangerous climate change requires very deep cuts in emissions, as well as the use of alternatives to fossil fuels worldwide. So for everyone in the world, if you are in a standstill mode on a road, preserve some gas and go to park mode when you can. When you plan to buy a car, consider getting a hybrid or electric model. When a bus is a good alternative, take it. If you can walk, do it.

It is ironic that we are saving more time by working from home, and saving our world with less emission during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maybe it is time to rethink our living style on our precious Earth.