Aaahhhh! Sometimes I get so frustrated ! Take the other night. What should have been a 10 minutes drive, turned into 2 hours in my car and not actually going anywhere!
So what happened ! Traffic happened !
I planned to go and visit my parents after working at home. Between my house and theirs, is an island which leads you to a motorway, a bypass, and two other roads leading to Warwick and Stratford Upon Avon! There had been an accident northbound on the motorway at our junction, which brought the motorway to a standstill!
It’s amazing how much traffic a motorway takes. You only realise this when all those cars then try to find other routes to get to their destination!
Initially, I started off down my usual road. As I said above, it should only take about 10 minutes, maybe 15 when its busy. It involves 2 main roads, but they are usually moving!
I knew I was in trouble, when only minutes into my journey, I came to a standstill! After about 15 minutes of not moving more than a few inches, I decided it might be a fabulous idea, to do a U-turn back into the village, and go up the back road! Perfect! Or so I thought!
What I hadn’t thought about, is that the thousand of cars that wanted to go northbound, had also left the motorway earlier on, and had used the same back roads!
An hour later, I was no further getting to my parents that I was when I left home!
Now, I am usually quite resilient. Its the evening, so apart from cooking dinner, I’m not under a strict clock to get to my parents. I say that, but then when you factor other drivers, that goes out of the window.
To help me through the boredom of sitting in a traffic, I decided to speak to my brother using my hands free phone. We are not moving at this time. We haven’t moved for a while. Then for some unknown reason, I hear a car horn behind me! Now, I don’t know if it was the direct car behind me, or the one behind him, but come on! The car in front of me is only inches away from me. The car in front of him the same, and so on. What did they want us to do? If that didn’t wind me up enough, 5 minutes later, they started doing it again! I mean, what planet were they on? The only way I or any other car could move, was to open the boot of the car in front and get in!
It’s time like this, I wish I was brave enough to get out of my car, and ask them, politely of course, what they feel hitting the horn was achieving! The spot I am in, has views of the 3 roads ahead. All of them are at a stand still too! You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work out, that no-one is not moving just for fun!
At this point, by brother persuades me to turn around and head back home, which is actually a fabulous idea!
There is an island in front of me so I edge myself towards it. I mean, I am now going to be going against the traffic. In theory, I should be able to get around the island and do a U-turn. Oh, that would be too easy! It would actually mean someone would have to use their common sense. Something, that once you get behind the wheel of your car, in a traffic jam, goes!
I’m at the Island. Its taken me some time to get here, don’t get me wrong, but I am here! Traffic is backed up, because the 3 roads off it are at a standstill. The only exit that is free, is the one I want to go back up the road!
So I am there, i’m excited that I could soon be on a road which is moving! That was short lived. The car to my right on the Island is in the lane that wants to go to the exit that isn’t moving, sees me and moves forward and blocks my entry onto the island!
Seriously, why would you do that! I’m now stuck again! Great!
After some time, the traffic has moved enough for me to get through. Yey! No! The car to my left decides she is going to cut across me to get onto the motorway! Thankfully, I’m going so slow, I can stop to prevent us from colliding! I tell myself, it’s ok, she obviously wants to get out of the traffic too and is doing a U-turn, so taking this opportunity to do this! I’m annoyed, but I get it!
That would be too simple wouldn’t it!
What actually happened is, she thought it would be a good way to get through the traffic onto the road she wanted, rather than sit in the correct lane. She now realises, she can’t. What she has now done, is stop anyone else getting around the island to escape this madness, including me!
So once again, I am stuck there until the traffic has moved enough to give me room to get by! I was tempted to drive on the grass around the Island, but I thought better of it!
I decide to relax and stay calm!
Finally I am free! I call my hubby and leave a message to say i’m coming back home. I should home soon as I am now going against the traffic!
Happily, i’m singing along to the radio. Then I see the car lights in front of me! They are not moving! Aaaah. It seems every other car has decided to turn around!
Thankfully, there is no-one on the horn, or cutting me up! I’m just sat there!
After 2 hours, I finally see my village.
I am now very stressed and frustrated. Not because I have been in traffic. I had my radio, had made some calls, and it had given me some time to have some thinking time. Usually these are positives. No, the reason I am stressed, is because I still can’t believe the behaviour of drivers!
I fully appreciate, that everyone has probably had a long day at work, and just want to get home. The reality is, there has been an accident. Someone at best has been hurt, at worst died! They are healthy and safe in their cars! Getting road rage, or doing stupid things to get to your destination sooner that isn’t practical, isn’t going to help.
The next time you are stuck in a jam, think about what you are doing, and the impact of others around you! Everyone is in the same boat as you. Use the time to reflect on your day, plan something, make calls to those people you have been promising to speak to (only if you can do so hands free though).
If you have children at home waiting for you to read them a story, can you do it hands free over the phone. I know you won’t have a book with you, just make it up! Use the situation you are in to inspire you!
There is nothing you or anyone else can do to change the situation you are in. Turn it into a positive. You never know, you may feel better about the situation too!
Slimminginspirations4u 