Brake Lights and Back Pain: A Commuter's Rant

Let me first say that I love my job, and it is totally worth commuting to get here. However, that doesn't mean that I love the commuting. In fact, I hate it, and I thought I would take this opportunity to rant, just a little.

Stop. Go. Brake. Accelerate. Speed up. Slow down. Red brake lights ahead for miles, and horns blaring all around. Delays ahead.

This is my commute on the glorious Northern State Parkway of Long Island. The radio stations seem to coordinate their commercials, and I have to laugh when I switch from one to the other and the same song is playing. I like my car, I really do, but I'm not so fond of spending 2-3 hours confined in it every day. I have back pain that I should not be experiencing at 23 years old. It's funny how all of the *expletive deleted* drivers seem to be on the road when I am, amazing that people can be in such a hurry to get where they're going that driving recklessly is worth it.

Pass. Get passed. Switch lanes to avoid the long line of merging cars. Red light. Green light. Slower, faster, slower again.

There are thousands of people who drive to work every day, and many of them have been doing so for years. I've been commuting since November. For two months, I drove an hour plus from my house to Mattituck for a temp job. Every day, I passed wineries and farm stands, and a giant fake cauliflower. My friends and family would joke about how they didn't think it was possible to drive an hour East on Long Island and not end up in the water. Since January, I've been driving an hour plus from my house to Westbury. The opposite direction, with traffic, instead of against it. No giant fake cauliflowers out here.

Some day, when I have a family, I'll probably move back to the suburbs, and I might have to join the ranks of commuters once again. But, for now I'm counting down the days until I move to Brooklyn at the beginning of April, and the train conductors can handle the driving.

Do you commute to work? Take this opportunity to vent! Believe me, it feels good :)