Thursday December 29, 2005

Departure Time: 7:40
Arrival Time: 8:17
Weather as I call it: Overcast and foggy.
Paper Guy: Back on the scene..making a sale to a county sheriff
Shady Gas Price: $2.17
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

Fog coming off the Charles today...I thought I would see some Loch Ness monster type thing poke his head through the mist, but no dice.

Here's hoping we'll see less traffic jams in 2006.

Wednesday December 28, 2005

Departure Time: 7:36
Arrival Time: 8:13
Weather as I call it: Sunny and cold but no wind today
Paper Guy: He wasn't at his post today...this has happened before
Shady Gas Price: $2.17
Yelled at other drivers: Eh.
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

There was this dude who liked to tailgate...he tailgated his way into getting stuck behind a slow car...and I was able to laugh at him as I passed by on the right.

Tuesday December 27, 2005

Arrival Time: 8:05
Weather as I call it: Chilly and partly sunny
Paper Guy: The full winter ensemble...parka, scarf, hat...the hood was up today.
Shady Gas Price: $2.17
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

Relatively easy drive in to work today. If 60 percent of the work force didn't travel by car in the morning on a regular basis, my commute would be spectacular.

One of those cold mornings where the wind was blowing just right so that everyone's exhaust fumes were spiraling upwards like little tornados out of their tailpipes.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Forgot to mention a "Happy Winter Solstice" to everybody yesterday. Better late than never.

No work until Tuesday December 27....but lots of driving to other destinations between now and then.

Soooooooooooowah, stay safe. Stay sane.

Wednesday December 21, 2005

I had a funeral to go to this morning...and although I drove to work later on in the day...there wasn't much to report.

Well, let's just say that even at 12:30 in the afternoon, there are still plenty of people driving around to clog up 93 North around Milton and Quincy.

Tuesday December 20, 2005

Departure Time: 7:32
Arrival Time: 8:19
Weather as I call it: More cold temps. Hey, it's December in Boston.
Paper Guy: Same outfit as yesterday...but I noticed a scarf today.
Shady Gas Price: Holding steady at $2.17
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

Another easy drive. Next week should be even better.

Let's discuss solar glare. Ok, now I wear sunglasses every time I drive to work...except when it's cloudy...cuz doing that would be...unsettling.

When the sun is out in its full glory this time of year, it causes blindness faster than alcohol poisoning. It troubles me that peeps aren't wearing proper eye protection driving to work this time of year.

What did ZZ Top say, "Get yourself some cheap sunglasses?" Oh yeah.

I can't believe I just quoted ZZ Top in my blog.

Monday December 19, 2005

Departure Time: 7:27
Arrival Time: 8:11
Weather as I call it: Sunny but cold...27 degrees
Paper Guy: Globe parka, Black winter hat, and shades!
Shady Gas Price: $2.17
Yelled at other drivers: Nope
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

The holiday season is upon us...look at that arrival time!

Here is the chart I mentioned in my last post.

Friday December 16, 2005

Stats

Thanks for being patient. I had to compile all the data, which took a while...and then I decided to clean it up a bit (sorry, I didn't count my time on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving).

Without further delay:

Average trip time by day
Monday: 50 Minutes
Tuesday: 53 Minutes
Wednesday: 52 Minutes
Thursday: 55 Minutes
Friday: 54 Minutes

Average trip time by month
Half of September: 52 Minutes
October: 53 Minutes
November: 52 Minutes
December (so far):52 Minutes

So not much difference....Later I will post a chart of the shady gas price over time.

Friday December 9, 2005

Departure Time: 7:33
Arrival Time: 8:32
Weather as I call it: Heavy Snow
Paper Guy: Fully bundled up...newspaper in a plastic bag...no shades.
Shady Gas Price: $2.04 !
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

Snow hits Boston! Schools closed everywhere because of one inch on the ground...When I was in school, they never cancelled for this trival amount of snow (they are predicting 3-6 inches). Now I don't care because it lightens the number of cars on the roads.

Big thanks to the taxi that couldn't pick a lane on Soldier's Field road today. I didn't yell at you...but you were annoying me enough to post it in the blog. I probably could have shaved 3 minutes off my time this morning if you had let me pass you.

***I am off from work all next week...although I won't have a daily capture of my trip, I will post some analysis of the last few months...stay tuned***

Thursday December 8, 2005

Departure Time: 7:44
Arrival Time: 8:24
Weather as I call it: Sunny and cold
Paper Guy: N/A
Shady Gas Price: N/A
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

Late start today but I drove my wife to work...and we take advantage of the HOV lane. The South Station exit ramp has shifted so it is a straighter shot into the intersection.

Wednesday December 7, 2005

Departure Time: 7:33
Arrival Time: 8:21
Weather as I call it: Cold...sunny but cold
Paper Guy: The Boston Globe parka was in full effect...but back with the gray hat today.
Shady Gas Price: $2.09
Yelled at other drivers: Yes
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

Some woman on her cell phone going 30 on Storrow Drive got me fired up.

"Shut up and drive!"

Tuesday December 6, 2005

Departure Time: 7:30
Arrival Time: 8:22
Weather as I call it: Light snow
Paper Guy: Same outfit as yesterday but his hood was on his head.
Shady Gas Price: $2.09....Hey, WHA' Happened?
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

I saw a state trooper pull over a woman who ran the red light after she came off the Gilmore bridge.

Again, I had less trouble today driving in the snow than I do when driving in the rain.

Monday December 5, 2005

Departure Time: 7:33
Arrival Time: 8:24
Weather as I call it: Cloudy and cold
Paper Guy: Boston Globe parka, crimson winter hat (New!), and the shades.
Shady Gas Price: $2.06 (BOO!)
Yelled at other drivers: Nope
Feared for my life: Nope

------------------------------

First significant snow in Boston came this weekend...it was weird to see the old T. Rex outside the Museum of Science with a layer of snow on his head.

Friday December 2, 2005

Day off. Have a good weekend.

Thursday December 1, 2005

Departure Time: 7:40
Arrival Time: 8:31
Weather as I call it: Sunny and 40s
Paper Guy: Same look as yesterday...but the smile just wasn't there today.
Shady Gas Price: $1.95
Yelled at other drivers: Yeah
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

Since we left late today, we had to deal with moms and dads dropping off their kids at school and thinking that normal road rules don't apply to them....

Some woman decided to pull back into traffic without looking...I think I shouted, "What the...?"

Wednesday November 30, 2005

Departure Time: 7:32
Arrival Time: 8:22
Weather as I call it: Some rain and warm
Paper Guy: Tan jacket, winter hat, shades, and a big welcoming smile for all!
Shady Gas Price: $1.99 still...
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

The Leverett Circle construction is almost complete...It's amazing how smooth traffic is moving through it even though it isn't finished yet. It's psychological...I tell you.

We still need a pedestrian footbridge to be built.

Tuesday November 29, 2005

Departure Time: 7:32
Arrival Time: 8:24
Weather as I call it: Cloudy but warmer...maybe topping 50 degrees?
Paper Guy: N/A
Shady Gas Price: N/A
Yelled at other drivers: N/A
Feared for my life: N/A

------------------------------

I haven't been yelling or fearing much lately...wait until winter really kicks in.

I drove my wife to work so I didn't see the regular stuff.

I did see a guy on the Mass Pike heading west with a sign on the back of his mini SUV that stated: "Please don't honk your horn at me. I just got a speeding ticket for $200". He was doing about 55 M.P.H. in the middle lane...I passed him on the left...no honking necessary.

Monday November 28, 2005

Departure Time: 7:37
Arrival Time: 8:24
Weather as I call it: Cloudy but warmer...40's?
Paper Guy: Tan coat, winter hat, shades
Shady Gas Price: $1.99
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

I think I am close to having enough data to make some charts and plot out which days really are better than others. Mondays do seem to be the easiest/shortest...

Stay tuned.

Friday November 25, 2005

Oof.

Thursday November 24, 2005

Gobble.

Wednesday November 23, 2005

Departure Time: 7:24
Arrival Time: 8:10
Weather as I call it: Sunny and snowing lightly...no, I am not kidding. Also, pretty cold.
Paper Guy: Tan coat with lots of layers...winter hat...and he introduced a scarf today!
Shady Gas Price: I didn't see it...maybe I should update this post later?
Yelled at other drivers: Nope
Feared for my life: Nope

------------------------------

I am thankful for my easy commute. I will be off tomorrow and Friday. Good luck to all the drivers who still need to work during the holiday.

Tuesday November 22, 2005

Departure Time: 7:27
Arrival Time: 8:18
Weather as I call it: Rainy
Paper Guy: A Boston Globe parka with his winter hat...no shades.
Shady Gas Price: $1.99
Yelled at other drivers: Once
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

I have this theory that Boston drivers are more cautious in the rain than they are in the snow...As you can see, my departure and arrival times do not support this theory today. Many people have split for Turkey Day and the roadways are not as congested...but I probably could've shaved 5-10 minutes on today's travel time if peeps had just powered through some yellow lights.

I yelled at someone who started slowing down before the light turned yellow...I guess they felt the staleness of the green light and ensured themselves a steady, sane stop at the intersection. I believe I shouted something like, "Are you kidding me?"

Monday November 21, 2005

Departure Time: 7:33
Arrival Time: 8:25
Weather as I call it: Sunny and temps in the 40s
Paper Guy: Tan jacket! Winter hat! Shades!
Shady Gas Price: $1.99 WOW...it only took 13 days! A milestone, indeed.
Yelled at other drivers: Nope
Feared for my life: Not today

------------------------------

Paper guy had a folding chair (in the folded position) and a US Postal Service bin in his "area" today...his area being the median strip near the intersection of Route 28 and Broadway in Somerville. He must sit down until the traffic gets going.

Friday November 18, 2005

Departure Time: 7:33
Arrival Time: 8:26
Weather as I call it: Sunny and cool
Paper Guy: N/A
Shady Gas Price: N/A
Yelled at other drivers: Nope
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

I drove my wife to work this morning...so I didn't see the normal stuff BUT:

In Medford, they are selling gas for $1.87 a gallon. Shady gas price has a long way to go.

A state trooper stared into the car to make sure our vehicle was heavily occupied. Yes, we did have 2+ people in the car. No need to pull us over.

See you Monday.

Thursday November 17, 2005

Departure Time: 7:37
Arrival Time: 8:25
Weather as I call it: The sun is back. 44 degrees...or so.
Paper Guy: No hat...black jacket...and the shades.
Shady Gas Price: $2.05 (The station's down the street are at $2.03...hint, hint!)
Yelled at other drivers: Nope
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

I am still fighting this cold a bit...so my right eye kept tearing up during the drive today...If you were on my left side, I saw you--no problems...If you were on my right side--you were underwater.

Paper guy appears as if he is mumbling to himself as he looks through the lines of cars to find customers...I'm not sure if his mumbles are audible since my windows have been rolled up over the last few months.

He may be cursing under his breath...or singing a happy tune. I prefer the latter theory.

Wednesday November 16, 2005

Departure Time: 7:38
Arrival Time: 8:26
Weather as I call it: Foggy and damp
Paper Guy: The hat is back on today...
Shady Gas Price: $2.05
Yelled at other drivers: Nope
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

I don't get this one scene...Every once in a while, I see pedestrians trying to cross Storrow Drive. They have somehow accomplished getting across one direction of traffic...which is a feat in itself...scurrying across two lanes of cars going 55+...pretty good. Now, they are stuck standing anxiously in the divider..wait for that split second where they can hustle across the last two lanes of traffic.

Peeps, let's get into footbridges...that's what they are there for.

Tuesday November 15, 2005

Departure Time: 7:32
Arrival Time: 8:24
Weather as I call it: Cloudy with some rain along the way
Paper Guy: Black jacket and shades!
Shady Gas Price: $2.05
Yelled at other drivers: Not today
Feared for my life: No sir

------------------------------

I hope you picked the under on the gas price.

Feeling sorta under the weather today. It didn't effect my driving all that much.

Monday November 14, 2005

Departure Time: 7:28
Arrival Time: 8:19
Weather as I call it: 55 degrees and sunny...global warming anybody?
Paper Guy: N/A
Shady Gas Price: N/A
Yelled at other drivers: Nope
Feared for my life: Nope

------------------------------

Drove my wife to work today. The tolls on the Tobin bridge are under construction...still...so traffic was backed up for a good mile on dangerous Route 1.

I am a big fan of the South Station exit in the 93S tunnel. It's pretty sweet to come up the ramp to street level and be met with not only a traffic light but also a traffic cop who will wave you through red lights and make pedestrians stop for you.



Usual stuff tomorrow...what's the over/under on the gas price? $2.10?

Friday November 11, 2005

Departure Time: 7:29
Arrival Time: 8:03
Weather as I call it: Sunny and a "brisk" 40 degrees
Paper Guy: Didn't see him today
Shady Gas Price: Didn't see it today
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

I will tell you one thing....when schools are not in session...when many people have the day off...driving to work is a whole lot different. I took 93S to Storrow Drive today....smooth sailing.

I drove down Storrow and rode in between lanes...because I could.

Remember the veterans today....like Grandpa George.

Thursday November 10, 2005

Departure Time: 7:32
Arrival Time: 8:26
Weather as I call it: Cloudy with temps dropping fast
Paper Guy: Ok. Same black coat, but no hat and nooooo shades...or glasses....whoa.
Shady Gas Price: $2.15 as a guess...
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

---------------------------------------------

No state police today. Maybe enough people got caught over the last two days.

No close sideswiping incidents today.

Once winter gets going, maybe I can audio blog about the long snow-filled commutes. Just the thing to past the time...

Wednesday November 9, 2005

Departure Time: 7:35
Arrival Time: 8:29
Weather as I call it: Thin layer of clouds blocking the sun...a little chilly.
Paper Guy: This week's wardrobe...but the shades were in effect.
Shady Gas Price: $2.15
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: Yeah.

-------------------------------------

Yesterday and today...pretty similar. Another almost sideswipe on the way to work (see Feared for my life response above) and State police pulling people over on Soldier's Field road again. Tip for fellow commuters: do not floor it after the light in front of WBMX turns green...If you are headed westbound, you will be in for a surprise.

Some dude who was stopped at a light opened his driver side door so he could spit on the street...all while talking on his cell phone. Is there some etiquette around spitting while on your cellular telephone?

Wednesday November 9, 2005 (supplemental)

To paraphrase my "Welcome to AudioBlogger" email, I am revolutionizing the revolution!

Tuesday November 8, 2005

Departure Time: 7:32
Arrival Time: 8:25
Weather as I call it: Partly cloudy and warm. I didn't wear my jacket today.
Paper Guy: Same new outfit from yesterday.
Shady Gas Price: $2.18...let's get under two dollars!
Yelled at other drivers: Once
Feared for my life: Once-ish

-----------------------------------------------

This guy decided that he wanted to move his car to be in the exact same place as mine as the light turned green. I yelled at him.

There was a state cop pulling people over on Soldier's Field Road near the Watertown line. I think the speed limit is 35 or 40 miles an hour around there. Be careful.

Monday November 7, 2005

Departure Time: 7:32
Arrival Time: 8:23
Weather as I call it: Mostly cloudy and cool. High around 50 degrees
Paper Guy: Whoa. Black coat. Brown winter hat. New look!
Shady Gas Price: $2.18...I was calling for this price last week...give or take a cent.
Yelled at other drivers: Nope
Feared for my life: A little bit.

----------------------------------

1. Big changes in the normal items: Paper guy's brand new wardrobe. Shady Gas Price is at a new low. Good times.

2. Sneezing while driving is pretty scary...but I think I have mastered the ability to get a snapshot of what is happening on the road right before the sneeze forces me to close my eyes. Then when I reopen my eyes, there is less of a surprise...I usually can recover quickly after a sneeze. I wonder if I could master sneezing with my eyes wide open? Would that be 'freak show' unique or what?

3. There was a nearly avoided sideswiping accident on Soldier's Field Road today. Some pickup truck realized he had to exit at Central Square and almost took out a Volkswagen Passat by merging into the right lane without checking his blind spot. After a few horn blasts, the pick up driver swerved back into his lane. I am amazed this sort of collision doesn't happen more often.

Friday November 4, 2005

I took the day off from work today...but let me take some time to discuss the Leverett Circle debacle.

I am not sure who this Leverett person is or was, but the circle is awful. It's the place where Storrow Drive, Route 28, and the onramps to Route 93 meet...and some other smaller roads like Nashua St.

They have taken down the elevated pedestrian walkways, so now there are big crosswalks for people to use...since there is a Green line stop nearby. Pros: prettier intersection. Cons: more traffic.

The worst part for me is the lack of a right turn arrow for cars coming off Route 28. Right now, if you travel south down 28, you are meet with a standard traffic light. Unfortunately, people don't know they can turn right on red.

Please see this post for more information.

There is still a lot of work to be done on this intersection....and it seems like it hasn't improved in the past 8 months.

I am confident that everything will be finalized soon enough. .

Thursday November 3, 2005

Departure Time: 7:29
Arrival Time: 8:25
Weather as I call it: Partly cloudy. 55 degrees
Paper Guy: Autumn Wardrobe (See yesterday's post)
Shady Gas Price: $2.29
Yelled at other drivers: Not today
Feared for my life: No

----------------------------------------------

I can't believe nobody commented on the post from yesterday. Baboons? That's comedy gold.

I wish I could do something to stop tailgaters. Maybe it should be a rule that they give me a piggyback ride up 4 flights of stairs if they are caught hugging my rear bumper for over 2 miles...not sure how we will implement that one.

Wednesday November 2, 2005

Departure Time: 7:27
Arrival Time: 8:26
Weather as I call it: Sunny and cool
Paper Guy: I think we know what his official uniform is for Autumn
Shady Gas Price: $2.29
Yelled at other drivers: Not particularly.
Feared for my life: Thankfully, not today.

--------------------------------------------

Do you ever look in your rear view mirror and see some guy in the middle of a giant yawn and for a moment do you wonder, "Who is that baboon behind me?"




I do...I do all the time.

Tuesday November 1, 2005

Departure Time: 7:30
Arrival Time: 8:22
Weather as I call it: Sunny and 57 degrees.
Paper Guy: What do you think he was wearing? (Answer: tan jacket/teddy bear ear warmer)
Shady Gas Price: $2.31...Down doobie doo down down.
Yelled at other drivers: Once
Feared for my life: Sorta

-------------------------------------------

• Some minivan jumped the double line, but he wasn't going that fast so I didn't fear for my life although it was a potentially dangerous situation.
• I yelled at some guy with a smirk on his face as he crossed the street in front of me. He was in the crosswalk, so the law states I must stop...but his pace and the expression on his face was unnecessary. The exact exclamation was "C'mon man!"

Monday October 31, 2005

Departure Time: 7:26
Arrival Time: 8:17
Weather as I call it: Sunny and 60's -- better than snow
Paper Guy: Teddy bear ear warmer
Shady Gas Price: $2.35 ---should be $2.19
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

-------------------------------------

I thought I would see more drivers in costume today. No such luck....just commuters in the same costumes they wear every workday.

Friday October 28, 2005

Departure Time: 7:33
Arrival Time: 8:26
Weather as I call it: Cloudy and in the 40's
Paper Guy: He loves his beige with teddy bear print ear-warmer-head-thing.
Shady Gas Price: Holding steady at $2.39
Yelled at other drivers: Nope
Feared for my life: Nope

-----------------------------------------------

I don't know if anyone else saw this sign, but there is a bank that I see on my way to work that has one of those electric signs that displays a whole bunch of info: their mortgage rates, the date, the time, and the temperature. When I drove by it today, something was a little off:

Rate: 3.25% (seems right)
Date: Oct. 28th (correct)
Time: 7:48 AM (maybe a few seconds off)
Temp: 264º F (I don't think Paper Guy would be wearing his head gear in that kind of heat.)

Maybe the bank was presenting a reading from the planet Venus. I wonder if the rates are lower there?

Thursday October 27, 2005

Departure Time: 7:30
Arrival Time: 8:25
Weather as I call it: Cold...but at least it wasn't raining.
Paper Guy: Same exact outfit as yesterday...yes, really.
Shady Gas Price: $2.39
Yelled at other drivers: Yes. See below.
Feared for my life: No

--------------------------------------------

Hey Dump Truck Driver!

Thank you for moving over into the right lane as if to formally invite me to pass you. I was surprised when you moved back in front of my car just as I started accelerating. Confused, I did wonder about your driving techniques as the lanes dropped from two to one and I was forced to crawl to a stop behind you. There was a name spray painted on one of your mud flaps. You may have heard me yell out "Thanks, Ray!" as I finally passed you in East Somerville.

Wednesday October 26, 2005

Departure Time: 7:30
Arrival Time: 8:26
Weather as I call it: The sun is back, but colder...40ish
Paper Guy: Back with the teddy bear ear warmer wrap thing
Shady Gas Price: $2.39 I think.
Yelled at other drivers: I saw a co-worker on Soldier's Field Road...so I yelled at him.
Feared for my life: No.
---------------------------------------

Pretty uneventful today. I should rant about the Leverett Circle intersection at some point...but let me build up more rage about it...it's always better with more rage behind the typing.

Tuesday October 25, 2005

Departure Time: 7:32
Arrival Time: 8:30
Weather as I call it: Nor' Eastah...wind driven rain
Paper Guy: Back for the attack. I felt bad for him today. Tan Jacket, No Shades, Black Ear Warmer
Shady Gas Price: $2.41 Wow.
Yelled at other drivers: Once, after I dropped my wife off at the T. This woman almost hit me.
Feared for my life: No.

--------------------------------------------

A branch flew off a tree and hit my windshield. My wipers had fun with it for about 20 minutes. Even though it was raining hard today, my commute wasn't that bad. It could have been much worse and much longer. Looking around work today, it looks like most people are still out on the road right now.

Monday October 24, 2005

Departure Time: 7:31
Arrival Time: 8:24
Weather as I call it: Partly sunny and cool
Paper Guy: He wasn't there?
Shady Gas Price: $2.45
Yelled at other drivers: Yes, One woman decided to jump the double yellow line and drive towards me on Memorial Drive
Feared for my life: Once, see above.

--------------------------------------------

Peeps, Paper Guy wasn't there this morning. Yet, his newspapers were...?

Stay tuned.

Friday October 21, 2005

Departure Time: 7:32
Arrival Time: 8:26
Weather as I call it: Sunny and clear
Paper Guy: I need more space to describe his ensemble.
Shady Gas Price: $2.49
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: Nope

---------------------------------------------------

1. I saw a mattress on the side of the road today.
2. Paper guy was wearing his tan jacket and shades and on top of his head, he has a strange ear-warmer-type-thing. These are the things I know: It was tan, it didn't cover the top of his head, it covered his ears, it had a teddy bear print.
3. One year ago was the best drive to work ever. You could feel the electricity charging through the city. Finally, the Red Sox had beat the Yankees.

Driving west on Storrow Drive and seeing that someone had updated the sign and made the verb past tense made it all real.

Thursday October 20, 2005

Departure Time: 7:31
Arrival Time: 8:32 (Ugh)
Weather as I call it: Clear skies and sunny...These are the good autumn days
Paper Guy: Tan jacket and shades...no need for the winter hat today.
Shady Gas Price: $2.49 --this price should be lower by now.
Yelled at other drivers: Nope
Feared for my life: Nope

----------------------------------------------------

I am not sure what the heck happened today. My theory is: Oprah Winfrey went to Medford, MA and started performing her magic.

YOU GET A CAR!

AND YOU GET A CAR!

AND YOU GET A CAR!

AND YOU GET A CAR!

and all the recipients of these free cars decided to drive through the intersection depicted below at 7:55 this morning.

It was brutal....

Wednesday October 19, 2005

Departure Time: 7:31
Arrival Time: 8:21
Weather as I call it: 51 degrees. Sunny.
Paper Guy: Tan Jacket. Winter hat. The Shades. He was yearning for a sale today.
Shady Gas Price: $2.49
Yelled at other drivers: I did say, "hey" at someone pulling into my lane
Feared for my life: Not today.

----------------------------------------------

Two bumper stickers. Same car.

What does this say about the driver?

(I am an ex-hippie who used to get beaten up on the playground)

Maybe they should make that phrase into a bumper sticker.

Just joking, fellow commuter.

Tuesday October 18, 2005

Departure Time: 7:28
Arrival Time: 8:24
Weather as I call it: Mostly cloudy...some rain...around 50 degrees.
Paper Guy: Same outfit as yesterday. Same exact outfit as yesterday.
Shady Gas Price: $2.53
Yelled at other drivers: I did smirk at one lady who was trying to pull in front of me from a parallel parked position
Feared for my life: Not today.

------------------------------------------------------

Please forgive me, ma'am. Yes, I did cut you off as the lanes merged from two to one. Yes, I did look in my side view mirror a little too late to see you there. Yes, I did deserve the little 'toot' from your little Toyota's horn. I do apologize. I hope you noticed my head hang in shame as I put up my left hand to communicate my acknowledgement of the mistake I made.

Monday October 17, 2005

Departure Time: 7:28
Arrival Time: 8:14
Weather as I call it: Partly Sunny 53 degrees
Paper Guy: Tan Jacket and winter hat (I guess I didn't get him in trouble...but it is way too early for the winter hat.
Shady Gas Price: I didn't see it today. I was too busy running a red light.
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No





I don't think everybody works on Monday. Without looking at the data, I would have to say that my Monday commute tends to be easier than other days. Now that I think of it, maybe most people get "late starts" on Monday...and I take advantage of it by leaving two minutes under half past seven.

Friday October 14, 2005

Departure Time: 7:39
Arrival Time: 8:38
Weather as I call it: I am officially depressed. Increasing more consistent rain the closer I got to work.
Paper Guy: Tan jacket...wild glasses...see details below.
Shady Gas Price: $2.57
Yelled at other drivers: I called some woman in a Jeep Liberty an 'idiot'.
Feared for my life: I hydroplaned a little on Soldier's Field Rd. and it got my heart rate up a bit.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Interesting report on Paper Guy today. So, as I approached his intersection...I could see someone in a Black Taurus was waving at him to call him over. Paper Guy seems to instantly recognize this person and starts hustling over to the car. There was a quick exchange of pleasantries....and then something odd happened. It looked to me that person in Taurus was trying to pay for his paper, but Paper Guy waved off his payment. Then, some awkward touching begins. I think Paper Guy wanted to hug this person, but physically couldn't get through the half-opened window to make a proper embrace. Paper Guy gave the person some hearty shoulder pats...and then the light turned green.

Later on, I passed this Taurus and noticed it was a guy behind the wheel. Surely, he's a fan of the blog and they were 'playing it up' for the report.

P.S. I hope I didn't get Paper Guy in trouble.

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Departure Time: 7:38
Arrival Time: 8:25
Weather as I call it: Will the sun ever shine again? Light intermittent rain
Paper Guy: N/A
Shady Gas Price: N/A
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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I drove my wife into work today so I didn't see the regular stuff. Witnessed a senseless act of kindness today. While sitting at a red light in front of the new convention center in Southie, a taxi actually moved out of my way to allow me to make a right turn on red. Now, he stuck himself dangerously into the intersection...and he cut off the person stopped in the left lane at the light...but he let li'l old me go through.

He must have read my post from yesterday and knew I mean business...and when you have the cabbies on your side, you are one step closer to ruling the road.

Wednesday October 12, 2005

Departure Time: 7:28
Arrival Time: 8:26
Weather as I call it: Gloomy. The Hancock tower appears to be swallowed by the sky.
Paper Guy: Wearing the winter hat! Shades! Also made a sale as I drove by. Good job!
Shady Gas Price: Holding steady at $2.65
Yelled at other drivers: Well, I beeped once
Feared for my life: Ish

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Ok.

1. Backhoes cause for big problems. They aren't made for speed...and that makes for cars that ride behind them to make hasty decisions in order to get around them (see "Feared for my life" section above).

2. Right on red is allowed unless posted. Let me explain. You can take a right turn at a red light after coming to a complete stop and make sure it is safe to proceed unless there is a sign posted that states "No Turn On Red". Let's get into it, peeps. (See "Yelled at other drivers" section above...I actually beeped a few times.)

3. Storrow Drive/Soldier's Field road is for "pleasure vehicles only"... but 18 wheelers still get on the road somehow. It happened today...and I was glad I was travelling westbound...and not stuck in the mess on the other side of the divider.

Tuesday October 11, 2005

Departure Time: 7:33 (Damn you, Columbus)
Arrival Time: 8:32
Weather as I call it: Dreary. I don't think I have seen the sun in four days
Paper Guy: Tan Jacket...no shades
Shady Gas Price: $2.65
Yelled at other drivers: Zero
Feared for my life: Nope

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Long weekend so no post on Monday. I did see someone almost drive into oncoming traffic on Route 28. That was a surprise. Thankfully, they figured it out before it got...unsightly.

Friday October 7, 2005

Departure Time: 7:27
Arrival Time: 8:20
Weather as I call it: Partly Sunny and Humid...I thought it was October.
Paper Guy: Button-up shirt...no need for the jacket today.
Shady Gas Price: $2.67
Yelled at other drivers: Nope
Feared for my life: Not today

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A pretty uneventful commute...but some thoughts:

I am now 93.6% sure that if I come up behind an SUV that is going slow and weaving back and forth between lanes, there is a cell phone involved.

Maybe I should chart out departure times and arrival times after a few months of recording them...maybe there are some trends?

Enjoy the weekend, fellow drivers. See you out on the roads.

Thursday October 6, 2005

Departure Time: 7:34 (I am seeing a pattern here)
Arrival Time: 8:26
Weather as I call it: Foggy again...When did we move to San Fran?
Paper Guy: Blue sweater and the shades
Shady Gas Price: $2.71
Yelled at other drivers: Once
Feared for my life: Once

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If you are driving on the road with me--traveling in the opposite direction--and you cross the double yellow lines to pass another car...and it seems as if we are going to be in some sort of head on collision...Two things will happen:

1. Yelling

2. Fearing

Vans stink!

Wednesday October 5, 2005

Departure Time: 7:34 (ooof!)
Arrival Time: 8:18
Weather as I call it: Foggy and cloudy still.
Paper Guy: Shades and Jacket
Shady Gas Price: $2.71 (must be the reserves keeping prices down)
Yelled at other drivers: Nope
Feared for my life: Nope

The last two days have been pretty great getting through town. I am not really sure why, but both the high school and the middle school that we pass each day have seemed...closed. There is no explantion on the school's official website.

It's odd but welcomed.

Tuesday October 4, 2005

Departure Time: 7:24
Arrival Time: 8:15
Weather as I call it: FOGGY...overcast skies
Paper Guy: No shades...but he did have his jacket on.
Shady Gas Price: Didn't see it.
Yelled at other drivers: Once-ish
Feared for my life: Nope

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• I shrugged my shoulders at one driver who pulled her SUV so far into my lane to make a left turn I could not pass. When I say I shrugged my sholders, I mean I did a full, palms up and out shrug so that she understood that I was confused by her action.
• I have to congratulate the guy who was driving the 1992 Pontiac LeMans. Let me count the reasons why:

1. His phone use caused him to drive about 22 miles per hour and weave in and out of lanes...
2. Which caused me to be caught at a red light...
3. Which caused me to look over at him (since I tried to pass him before the red light) and saw that he was using a car phone that Fred Flintstone might have used
4. To top it off, his hood was smashed up a bit...so he has had his trouble.

God speed, fellow commuter!

Monday October 3, 2005

Departure Time: 7:33 (late start Monday)
Arrival Time: 8:24 (Everyone else did too.)
Weather as I call it: Fair skies...60's
Paper Guy: Wearing a beige Members Only type jacket. Shades--On!
Shady Gas Price: $2.75
Yelled at other drivers: zero
Feared for my life: not today

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Who is the Paper Guy? He's just a guy who is trying to do the best he can everyday. For the purposes of this blog, he is my independent weather indicator. Unlike my pampered, cube dwelling butt, this guy has to work outside for a living. He sells newspapers to the waiting drivers sitting at the red light. He walks up and down the line of cars looking for those who want to enrich their lives with one or both of Boston's major dailies...and God bless him, he always makes sales quickly and never holds up traffic. Ride on, Paper guy. Soon, your heavy snow gear will make the report, unfortunately....

Friday September 30, 2005

Departure Time: 7:29
Arrival Time: 8:18
Yelled: Once. If you recognize someone who is walking on the sidewalk, please don't call them over when the light turns green.
Weather: Cool. 51 degrees, mostly sunny skies
Paper Guy: Shades and vest
Shady Gas Price: $2.79


Have a good weekend...see you Monday....

Thursday September 29, 2005

Well, I drove my wife to work today so I didn't see the normal stuff....but...

• Doncha just love small accidents that happen right in the middle of 93?
• Doncha just love driving fast in the HOV lane?
• Doncha just love laughing at the people who are pulled over by state cops because they are a vehicle with a single occupant driving in the HOV lane?
• Doncha just love thinking about the traffic problems the Big Dig has caused instead of the ones it has solved?

Departure Time: 7:30

Arrival Time: 8:39

Wednesday September 28, 2005

Departure Time: 7:26
Arrival Time: 8:15
Same as yesterday...pretty good!
Weather: Sunny and clear skies...a little colder than yesterday.
Paper Guy: It must be blue vest weather. He was wearing it with the shades.
Shady Gas Price: $2.71 No effects from Rita yet(?)
Yelled and Beeped at someone: Once. Some people in town do not like to stop at intersections when they are turning right. I hate that. I let them know they need to stop....I like to hold up my hand like a traffic cop after I make eye contact.



Tip of the day: When you are traveling west on Soldiers Field road, right after the intersection with Arsenal St. (Traffic is actually diverted underneath the intersection), make sure you are in the right lane. There is always one or two cars that need to turn left to get into the Acura dealership. If you get caught behind them in the left lane, you will be there for a while....Take it from me, I realized at the last minute "wha' happened" and then I was stuck. whaa.

Tuesday September 27, 2005

Departure Time: 7:26
Arrival Time: 8:15
Weather: Crisp and sunny
Paper Guy: Same outfit as yesterday...odd.
Shady Gas Price: Holding steady at $2.71

Old Red Dodge Caravans and white school vans should stay off Storrow Drive. I didn't yell at anybody today, but I did raise my right hand up once, gesturing and communicating my disbelief of the red caravan's 28 miles per hour traveling speed in the right lane near the Arthur Fiedler footbridge.

Monday September 26th, 2005

Departure Time: 7:32
Arrival Time: 8:21
Paper Guy: Wearing a blue vest.
Weather: Cloudy...60 degrees...Autumn weather is on its way...
Shady Gas Price: 2.71

Paper Guy has some friendly customers...he makes a big deal talking to them, lots of waves and 0ther friendly hand gestures while the transaction goes down. It's hard to observe everything he does since eye contact usually signals a paper sale...I usually don't have 50 cents for a Herald.

Friday September 23, 2005

I have the day off. I post here in my living room in my underwear. How 'bout cha? Back to the drive Monday.

Thursday September 22, 2005

Departure Time: 7:31
Arrival Time: 8:34
Weather: Sunny 72 degrees....is this California or what?
Paper guy: Same outfit as yesterday....except the sunglasses were replaced by prescription glasses. Weird...
Shady Gas Price: $2.75...I guess I overestimated that $2.69 quote. I blame Hurricane Rita.

Left a little late today...and I took Memorial Drive instead of Storrow Drive. I wish they would fix the Leverett Circle intersection...

Wednesday September 21, 2005

Departure time: 7:29
Arrival time: 8:28 (ooof.)
Weather: Clear skies...72 degrees.
Newspaper guy: Shades and a blue V-neck sweater.
Shady Gas Price: ---- I didn't see it today...but I bet you it was $2.69

Number of times I yelled at people: 3 or so. I had coffee today...I actually shouted, "You are the world's worst driver!"

Tuesday September 20th, 2005

Departure Time: 7:27
Arrival Time: 8:18
Shady Gas Price: $2.75
Newspaper Guy: Wearing "the shades" and a long sleeved blue shirt with a white collar.

Yelled: twice

Feared: once

There is nothing better than the driver of an old Chevy Cavalier who...

• Stops for no reason
• Drives 20 under the speed limit
• Stops at a green light to let children cross...then when the light turns yellow...and then red..decides to turn right illegally. I am glad he was able to get where he was going, though.

Monday September 19th, 2005

Departure Time: 7:26
Arrival Time: 8:20
Weather: Bright, Sunny, 68 degrees or so.
Paper Guy: Inexplicably wearing the same outfit he wore Friday. I wonder about his weather-reporting accuracy.
Shady Gas Price: Didn't see it today.

• Old school crossing guards should take courses in crossing the street.
• There's a place in Somerville where you can take pottery classes...It's called Mudville.
• I saw this woman wearing a Boston Red Sox tee-shirt with the letter "C" emblazoned on the top left part of the shirt. I remember seeing her last October wearing all Red Sox merchandise the day after they had lost the third game of the American League Championship Series to the New York Yankees. When I saw her last year, I thought to myself..."Are you kidding me? How could you wear that stuff when they are about to get swept?" She never lost faith. I did. She was right. I was wrong. Maybe seeing her again is a good sign.

Friday September 16, 2005

This blog will catalog my trips into work everyday. Since this is the first post, I would like to explain some of the recurring themes.

Weather...as interpreted by me and the guy who sells newspapers in Somerville to the drivers waiting for the lights to change.

Number of times I yell at someone.

Number of times I fear for my life.

Departure time

Arrival time

Displayed Gas Prices at shady station

...and my general commments....


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Weather: Overcast...a bit misty. Newspaper guy wearing long sleeve button up shirt and sunglasses...somehow.

Yells: Zero

Fears: 2

Departure Time: 7:24ish

Arrival Time: 8:15

Shady Gas Price: $2.84 a gallon

A pretty smooth ride...although most people freak out when it's not bright and sunny.