There are bad work commutes. Then there are blood-boiling commutes that need to be vividly rehashed to unwitting co-workers, friends, anyone. Now there’s another option: The Washington-based nonprofit groupTransportation for America has launchedthis Web site as a home base for people who want (or need) to vent about their miserable trips to and from work.
“Sitting in a metal box on a sea of asphalt surrounded by the toxic gases that are cooking our planet sounds like a lousy way to start and end your day,” says the site. “It’s time to stop silently seething and muttering curses under your breath — we’re inviting you to let it all out!”
James Corless, the group’s director, says his own commute isn’t really so bad right now — he takes the Metro into Washington — but he does complain that there are too many cars, which break down frequently.
“We’ve been doing town hall meetings around the country, and there’s a lot of general frustration not only with high gas prices, but with road congestion, poor maintenance and the lack of transit options,” Mr. Corless said. “Americans can finally turn their frustration and rage into real action,” the group says, urging mad-as-hell straphangers and highway crawlers to tell their members of Congress about their awful commutes: “Stop pouring billions into a broken system. Fix it, clean it, make it work!”
Commuters can post a comment, photo or video at the site, send an e-mail or express themselves via
Twitter. Here are two of the earliest tweets: “You know what would make this day end perfectly? A 90-minute commute through dense traffic…” and “The more I have this commute the more I vote to develop teleport capabilities.”
The site is being launched today, which is Bike to Work Day (also celebrated in some places on May 14, and part of Bike Month). And Congress is preparing to debate the transportation bill, which appropriates billions of dollars for both highway infrastructure and public transportation (usually much more of the former, which is why it’s also called “the highway bill”). The current legislation expires September 30.
