Traffic Meltdown

By Bruce Bisping , Star Tribune
I've vented many times about the horrible driving in the Twin Cities. It seems that no one has the ability to merge. Merging used to add an extra 20 minutes to my commute from Uptown into Roseville. But things have gotten "better" in recent months. I've learned tricks to get from point a to point b, with as little traffic as possible.

My commute to my doctor's appointment in St Louis Park took and extra 30 minutes this morning. I couldn't see what was happening on the other side HWY 94. Normally, the drive takes 15 minutes tops. There are times when you can add an extra 20 minutes due to other commuters rubber necking a car broken down on the side of the road.

Rarely is the accident serious. Only once have I seen anything warranting my attention - a Toyota Camery upside down, with smoke billowing from the engine. Usually it's a car with a blown tire. I can't tell you how frustrating it is to sit, waiting and waiting, and for it to turn out to only be a car broken down on the side of the road.

Today, though, it was the commute home on 694 E towards downtown. Unable to merge onto 94 W, I drove to through downtown. Thank goodness the architecture downtown is so amazing or I would have been really annoyed.

Living on Minnesota Time

A co-worker of mine reminded me the other day that I wasn't living on "Minnesota Time." She'd given herself an hour to get to work, when normally the commute takes 20 minutes. I just made it on time, running in the door and completely out of breath. It seems that everything depends on the weather: from the clothes I put on my body to the amount of time I allow myself to get to class, work or an appointment. I don't have it down yet. I'm often still running late. I'm getting better, but she was right. I'm not living on "Minnesota Time."

I look at the weather report first thing each morning. My entire day is then scheduled around the day's forecast. I used to check the Star Tribune's website for the weather forecast, but I've recently installed the Forecastfox addon for the Firefox Web browser, which updates regularly.

Each morning I go over a check list:

[X] What is the temperature? From the low 30s to mid-20s - it's hoodie, long sleeve shirt and gloves weather, without the need for long johns. In the teens, winter jacket is a must, and depending on the wind chill, it might be a long john day. Once the thermostat reaches 10 degrees or below, long johns, long sleeve shirt under a short sleeve shirt, gloves, winter jacket, and winter boots are all a must. In the single digits, more likely than not, I'm also wearing a hoodie under my winter jacket along with the rest of the attire.

Also, depending on the temperature, it takes longer for my car to warm up. My Honda Civic doesn't like winters. The Civic handles the winter better than the Nissan Altima I owned when I moved here. There have been times when my car won't start, but for the most part, it takes a good 15-20 minutes to warm up before it's drivable. This extra time must be worked in to travel time.

[X]Is it snowing? Again, many things vary depending on "type" of snow, how much snow has come down, have the streets been plowed, extra time is needed for the commute (either by bus or car), extra time needed to scrape the snow and again time for the car to warm up.

I'm two plus years in now and I'm finally getting better. You'd think I'd be less stubborn and adapt to the seasons. The first thing most Minnesotans ask me regarding the transition into Minnesota is how I'm handling the winters.

Really, though, the winters aren't so bad. I know. I know, they've been mild the last three years. I've heard it before. Winter just seems to last forever. Once you figure out the "Minnesota Time" it's just a matter of layers and coordinating your outfit. I've got the the layers down. Now if only I can start living on "Minnesota Time" my life would be much less stressful.