traffic beauty
December 23, 2009 at 10:10 amDC, commute, dupont circle
blureauty 1, originally uploaded by m hoek.
Based on the continuous stop-and-go bumper-to-bumper traffic that I had the pleasure of witnessing last night, many people are behind the eight-ball on the Xmas shopping. Clearly, some of this is due to the heavy snow (snOMG, snowpocalypse, snowmagddon, etc) that we received over the weekend but I suspect a fair bit was due to plain old procrastination. We drove on Wisconsin Ave/Rockville Pike all the way from Georgetown to Rockville — during rush hour — through the major shopping arteries of Georgetown, Friendship Heights, Bethesda, and Rockville. The smartest idea? No, probably not, but I, like so many others out on the road, had plans of productivity that were derailed by the fluffy white stuff.
My reason for heading into the great suburban sprawl that is Rockville, or North Bethesda or whatever it is currently being branded as, was to pick up the artwork that I’d been commissioned by the Union Row condo board to complete for use in their building (full disclosure: Union Row was built by my employer, PN Hoffman and I did most of the original art in the building). During our initial hour and a half jaunt up the Pike the dreadfully slow traffic gave us a fair bit of time to reflect on the joys of living within a few miles of our place of employment. I honestly do not know if I could deal with having a mind numbing, stop-and-go commute out to the exurbs everyday. I have to hope that eventually it becomes so routine that you are able to zone out and reach some sort of “zen peacefulness” for the duration of the commute. Zoning out while driving has its own perils and based on the honking horns and frustrated faces that I saw on the faces of the surrounding motorists, no one was reaching any state of mental rest or clarity. I understand that last night was an extraordinary case due to the extenuating circumstances of holiday shopping and inclement weather but I’ve made that trip quite a few times and at varying times of the day — it is never pleasant.
What is pleasant is the three mile bike ride or six stop metro ride that normally comprises my commute from Dupont Circle to NoMa. As frustrating as WMATA can be when trains are packed and service is spotty, and as unnerving as getting across New York Avenue and North Capitol Street on a bike can be during rush hour, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Often, my bike ride into work is one of the best parts of my day. I’m clearly the minority in actually enjoying my commute. When I drive in the city I tend to feel like a passive observer, just watching the life of the city pass by around me. I feel disconnected and have a tenancy to get frustrated at the actions of other on the road. The cycle commute breaks you out of the insulated single-occupancy-vehicle bubble and lets you take in the sights, sounds, and energy of the environment around you.
This entry got a bit off track but the point is I think more people need to think about how much time and sanity is being sacrificed to the commute when striving for the “drive til you qualify” American dream of a single family detached house in an anonymous subdivision. For those that have made the choice to live near their job, and I know that in this market that is not always a choice that is available, more commuters should try to eschew the impulse to make even the shortest of trips by automobile and embrace cycling or public transportation.
Okay off my soap box for now. The photo above was created by using my “point and click” camera and blurring the lights from traffic crossing the Calvert Street bridge with a four second exposure as I walked home from the metro. See, there can be some beauty in traffic.
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December 23rd, 2009 at 7:16 pm
It’s that time of year again! I’m doing the rounds and apologising for my complete failure to more regularly offer comment on everybody’s incredible efforts for the year. I know how hard it can be to keep up with the daily grind of everyday posting, and want to thank you for your efforts.
I especially want to wish festive greetings for all from down here at [nearly] the end of the world, the bottom of Tasmania.
So, if you could delete whatever is not applicable, I’d like to wish you a very pleasant/merry/happy/wonderful/safe Amaterasu; Ashurall; Beiwe; Choimus; Christmas; Dazh Boh; Dongzhi; Goru; Hanukkah; Hogmanay; Junkanoo; Karachun; Koleda; Lenæa; Meán Geimhridh; Modranicht; New Years; Ras as-Sana; Rozhanitsa Feast; ?eva Zistanê; sh?gatsu; Summer Solstice [if you're in the Southern Hemisphere]; Sviatki; Vánoce; Winter solstice [if you're in the Northern Hemisphere]; Yalda; Yule-tide; Ziemassv?tki; and ??????!
With a hearty three cheers from Kris, Jen, Henry and Ezra!