What's the point of traffic reports? (small rant)

[leahannpen]

Just a small rant on so-called "traffic reports". As you drive in to work, the radio stations give you traffic updates...why? Everybody there sits in the traffic every single day...day in, and day out. WE KNOW IT'S BUSY! DUH!

They say "it's slow from the "whatever" to the "whatever".
No KIDDING!?!

They say "I-whatever is backed up and sluggish".
REALLY?

They say "Break lights all along I-whatever"
DURING RUSH HOUR? NO WAAAY??!!

I'm sorry to rant, but every single morning and night, while I'm sitting there with 8 million people, the same 8 million people who drive this way every day, I just laugh.

Wouldn't it be better to just alert us when it's a major problem, such as an accident or something? That way, I'd probably pay better attention when they came on, and do something different, or go another way. It just seems like a total waste of resources. I hope I don't offend anyone, as that wasn't my intention, but today, it just finally 'got to me' and now, I feel better.

 

[treesinger]

A local talk radio host went on the same rant some months back.. You're right. It's ridiculous how the ordinary becomes such catastrophic news.

Clue: Philly has nightmarish traffic. The schuykill is always jammed. Traffic alwaya backs up from Academy to Woodhaven rd. etc. STOP THE INSANITY!

 

[Towncrier]

They always seem to report accidents and unusual traffic tieups long after they have been cleared. I just leave the radio off.

 

[Jolie C]

Originally posted by treesinger
Clue: Philly has nightmarish traffic. The schuykill is always jammed. Traffic alwaya backs up from Academy to Woodhaven rd. etc. STOP THE INSANITY!

 

[minniecarousel]

My DH can take an alternate road home if his usual route is backed up. Seems to help him.

 

[kild]

Way down here in lil ol B'ham, the reports help me get home faster. If one way is blocked, I can take another route.

 

[Bob Slydell]

Originally posted by kild
Way down here in lil ol B'ham, the reports help me get home faster. If one way is blocked, I can take another route.

If I hear the report early enough, I will take an alternate route, either in the morning (off of TV) or on the way home (off the Internet or radio).

 

[cardaway]

If you don't have internet access to traffic cameras, they can still be quite useful here. With at least two ways to most major destinations, there usually is a better choice on any given day.

Of course the report only is accurate for a few minutes as everybody rushes to go the better route.

 

[Towncrier]

Er, Bob. What station are you listening too? The traffic reports that I hear are all useless.

 

[Bob Slydell]

Originally posted by Towncrier
Er, Bob. What station are you listening too? The traffic reports that I hear are all useless.

In the morning -- WKYC

At work, either Cleveland.com or WTAM in the car.

The only thing that'll make me change my route, though, is if there's a really major backup on I-77. Otherwise, I just shrug and deal with it.

 

[leahannpen]

Oh, I'm sure different areas of the country are different, but it just seems like where I'm driving, the SAME interstates and highways are backed up, during the same time every day. We already know that!!! That's all I'm saying.

I just think it'd be better if they did less reports of the usual daily grind, and make a bigger deal of the accidents and such. Here too it seems I'm driving past an accident BEFORE I ever hear about it on the radio or whatever.

Just a rant...that's all.

 

[caitycaity]

Originally posted by kild
Way down here in lil ol B'ham, the reports help me get home faster. If one way is blocked, I can take another route.

one of the stations here does traffic and weather every 10 minutes on the 8's. they are always pretty up to date and have saved me time before.

 

[mickeyboat]

A radio station in our area reports the traffic this way: if you see any traffic problems, let me know and I will report them.

There is almost never a traffic issue up here unless there is an accident, etc.

I can't imagine being stuck in that traffic every day!

Denae

 

[treesinger]

The problem with the Philly area (say, 50 mile radius), there are either NO convenient escape routes, or those routes are alreayd packed with commuters that don't take the highway because they know it is congested. In this area, alternate routes are more like alternate traffic jams. So traffic reports are just redundant reports of everyday life. Heck, they should only report when the heavily used routes are CLEAR so we can head to them. Assuming they EVER are clear.

 

[jrydberg]

Way down here in lil ol B'ham, the reports help me get home faster. If one way is blocked, I can take another route.

When I lived in B'ham, I had a 35 mile commute that took 30 mins. Now I live in the DC area and have a 12 mile commute that takes an hour and a half

 

[minniepumpernickel]

I can't stand the DC area traffic when I visit. I hate 95, and the beltway it's always so jammed. I don't know how you residents do it?

 

[castlegazer]

Oh this is too funny leahannpen, I was just having this rant with myself this morning. My rant went like this - well, if they are going to tell me that same goshdarn road is backed up why don't they work with the local towns to tell me a good alternative to taking it - lot of freakin good it does to hear that that road - the only road I can take - is backed up.

Traffic reports did save my bacon on Wednesday - we had this amzingly horrific two truck crash here on the MA Pike right at rush hour. It closed this major roadways for the entire state completely down. I was leaving my son's daycare as I caught just a snipit of info about "ike closed" . I decided to chance it as I didn't really hear enough to tell me anything but it did give me pause and I went a completely different route to work. I got to work on time with no traffic hassles. A co worker that lives a block from my house started out to our office which is 45 minutes away from our houses at 7:05 am - she got into work at 12:15 pm - YUP ! 5 HOURS! She got onto the Pike prior to listening to the traffic reports and was trapped.

 

[Az Pirates]

I understand the OP's point.

Just the other day they led the traffic report with the fact that they would be reporting on a really bad accident with major delays and to stay tuned.
They then went on to list all the regular delays - you know the ones that happen everyday at rush hour.
By the time they got back to the unusual major delay I was sitting in the middle of it. Gee thanks guys!

 

[TinkBoo&ElliesMum]

I stopped paying attention. Since we moved it doesn't matter anyway, there are two ways in and out of town, the overly backed up bridge with construction or the overly backed up bridge with construction. The two roads that get to the bridges are just as bad. I pick up DS from school, it's a 15 mile drive, takes us 30 minutes to get out there and 45 minutes to an hour to get home.

Seattle metro traffic bites!