Working from home today. Probably ride somewhere later and if any eventful (or what qualifies as eventful for the purposes of this blog) happens, I'll write something up. In the mean time, I've just been watching the traffic cluster that currently surrounds the Pentagon and I can't feel anything but for people trapped in the cars. Aside from cost and distance, I think one of the main reasons that people drive is "freedom"- you leave when you want, you go the way that you want, you don't need to sit next to someone, you don't need to worry about transfers, you can (maybe) park as close to your final destination as possible, etc. All of these things make transit seem unappealing and make driving seem pretty great. In short, you don't have to rely on someone or something else to get you from your exact starting location to your exact final location. And that's true to an extent. But on the other hand, there's no "freedom" at all in a mode of travel where you can be so affected by the uncoordinated actions of others. You hardly set your own schedule when you're stuck in traffic.
This isn't meant to suggest that everyone should forego driving. For some people, due to choice or circumstance, driving is the only convenient way to get to work. But for the people who do have a choice, it's worth remembering that your 'freedom' is circumscribed no matter how you go.
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