Unbelievable Traffic

I knew it would be close. Drew's soccer preseason has begun. I am hard pressed to fit this into my schedule. I have post 5 pm commitments three nights a week, things I simply can't be absent for or late in getting to. So I try to drive when I can. Still, I am hampered by the 8 to 5 kind of day my job requires.

My parents had a simple solution for this issue. If you can't drive and commit, then the kid can't do it. Period. Maybe that's why I weasel rides from others and finagle transportation to fit my limited abilities. I want him to be on the soccer team and do the sorts of things he likes doing. Even if as a parent I fail miserably at being supportive.

Today I whiz out the door at 4:28, jump into the car and hit the road, praying for a speedy passage through downtown. I know it will be a bit slow on the east side of the city as I hit traffic of people returning home after work. Surely though I can make it by 5:30 or somewhere close to that. After all, it should be a twenty minute drive.

What is this?? Miles before I am anywhere near the city I am slowing, slowing, slowing to a crawl, inching along. I crane my neck trying to ascertain what lane is moving faster, what the holdup is. Construction? An accident? Fairly quickly I spot three cars on the side of the road and see the police lights flashing behind us, headed in their direction.

Phew! I think. Once we pass the scene things should move faster. But no. Long past the accident we are still crawling. Suddenly I see a second accident. Oh, great. Two in a row. I glance at the clock. It is 5:25. I will definitely be late. I consider trying to call Drew and let him know, but I am afraid to be distracted in such a pack of vehicles. I resist and fidget anxiously in my seat, willing us to move faster.

Then I spot the third and forth accidents. What on earth? I admit, the sun is shining at an inconvenient angle. Perhaps people could not see and smacked the car in front of them? There doesn't seem to be anything on the road that appears slippery. And for once, no construction either. We creep at an agonizing five miles an hour for what seems endless minutes.

Downtown slowly rolls past my window, ignoring my plight. I consider where I might get off and try a side street, but I see so many people doing that I realize it will not help me get there any faster. Phoo. I could probably run quicker than my car is coasting. I play leap frog with a corvette, then with a red pick up truck, each of us taking turns pulling ahead only to stop dead while the other passes. It is now 5:45. Drew must be wondering where I am. Yes, he calls. I put him on speaker and explain. I think he doesn't fully believe the situation. Rats rats and more rats.

Well, at long last, at 6:15 I manage to reach the exit I need, Linden Avenue. Smooth sailing from there. In minutes I am picking up the three kids and do my best to get them to believe my plight. I am only fully justified on the way home as we, heading west, pass accident after accident and miles and miles of still stalled traffic heading east in the opposite lanes, wending its way through the 490 mess. With each passing set of flashing lights, they become more convinced of the truth of my plea.

I don't think I have ever seen it so backed up. I hope I never see it that way again. In the meantime, this was not the way I had hoped to kick off soccer carpool season! Let's hope for no repeats.