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So, I get a late start to work this morning (not too bad - about 15 minutes later than I wanted). Fortunately, I've been listening to traffic reports. The bottleneck on my route to work now is 217, because the alternates you can take once you get near it are...well. Crappy, 30 mph, filled with traffic lights, twisty city streets. Not good. You're usually better on a slow highway than those things.
Fortunate that I've been listening to traffic reports, because on 217 near Hall, north of Scholls Ferry, there's a roll-over accident that started a while earlier. Argh! In the backup, two more wrecks occur, one at 72nd and one at Greenburg.
To put this in perspective, 217 runs from Highway 26 to I-5. If you get on 217 at I-5, at its start, the first exit is 72nd. The next is 99W. The next is Greenberg. The next is Scholls Ferry. They needed only one more accident to have put one near each of the first four exits. Argh. >.< And of course, a rollover wreck does not clear quickly.
Unfortunately, I don't have a good alternate. Oh, I know they exist - some back-country routes through Sherwood and such - but I've never tested them, don't know them, and my GPS would be continually trying to land me back on 217. Plus I had to be in by 9, there was a meeting. I knew I could do that on 217, it just wasn't going to be fun. So I head up there, use surface streets to dodge the early part of 217, and as I'm dodging I hear the rollover (which had happened quite a while prior but was still blocking when I set out) is in the final stages of clearing. I also hear that the surface street I was planning to use for my next leg is way, way overcrowded and a bad bet. So I dodge back onto 217, counting on the backup clearing (or at least rolling forward).
Which it does! Huzzah! ...for about a mile past Scholls Ferry, and then it grinds. To a halt. Yes, someone managed to have another accident, up near Allen this time. >.< ARGH. Left lane blocked, car slightly into the right lane (less than six inches, I think). Not moving without a tow truck from the look of it. Second car involved not as badly damaged, driver nicely pulled onto right shoulder somewhat beyond accident scene, and isn't blocking anything. Driver of first car is leaning on the center median, talking on his cell phone and crying. Ambulance personnel are hovering near him; police haven't arrived yet. Ambulance? Parked in the left lane of 217 southbound, thus sharing the backed-up-traffic joy.
I hope everyone was all right, though no one looked very injured. Driver of the left-lane car looked REALLY rattled, though.
After that, the rest of the commute was merely the normal levels of tedious. But...217 is what, 8 whole bleeding miles? Good GRIEF. (Eight of the slowest, most aggravating miles ever, when it wants to be. In the afternoon, it gets ugly without any accidents, but morning commute is usually easier. When there aren't accidents.)
Fortunate that I've been listening to traffic reports, because on 217 near Hall, north of Scholls Ferry, there's a roll-over accident that started a while earlier. Argh! In the backup, two more wrecks occur, one at 72nd and one at Greenburg.
To put this in perspective, 217 runs from Highway 26 to I-5. If you get on 217 at I-5, at its start, the first exit is 72nd. The next is 99W. The next is Greenberg. The next is Scholls Ferry. They needed only one more accident to have put one near each of the first four exits. Argh. >.< And of course, a rollover wreck does not clear quickly.
Unfortunately, I don't have a good alternate. Oh, I know they exist - some back-country routes through Sherwood and such - but I've never tested them, don't know them, and my GPS would be continually trying to land me back on 217. Plus I had to be in by 9, there was a meeting. I knew I could do that on 217, it just wasn't going to be fun. So I head up there, use surface streets to dodge the early part of 217, and as I'm dodging I hear the rollover (which had happened quite a while prior but was still blocking when I set out) is in the final stages of clearing. I also hear that the surface street I was planning to use for my next leg is way, way overcrowded and a bad bet. So I dodge back onto 217, counting on the backup clearing (or at least rolling forward).
Which it does! Huzzah! ...for about a mile past Scholls Ferry, and then it grinds. To a halt. Yes, someone managed to have another accident, up near Allen this time. >.< ARGH. Left lane blocked, car slightly into the right lane (less than six inches, I think). Not moving without a tow truck from the look of it. Second car involved not as badly damaged, driver nicely pulled onto right shoulder somewhat beyond accident scene, and isn't blocking anything. Driver of first car is leaning on the center median, talking on his cell phone and crying. Ambulance personnel are hovering near him; police haven't arrived yet. Ambulance? Parked in the left lane of 217 southbound, thus sharing the backed-up-traffic joy.
I hope everyone was all right, though no one looked very injured. Driver of the left-lane car looked REALLY rattled, though.
After that, the rest of the commute was merely the normal levels of tedious. But...217 is what, 8 whole bleeding miles? Good GRIEF. (Eight of the slowest, most aggravating miles ever, when it wants to be. In the afternoon, it gets ugly without any accidents, but morning commute is usually easier. When there aren't accidents.)