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So what is it about the morning traffic that we all hate - I mean, think about it, bumper to bumper stuck in this slow crawl down expansive highways with hundred or thousands of other commuters, going in the same forward direction. We can either be completely stressed out by this issue, or use it to our ultimate advantage. Think: speed dating. You're not going anywhere anytime soon, as there is either a major multi-vehicle accident up ahead beyond the horizon, or someone is changing a tire and everyone has to slam on their brakes to make sure that this individual is doing it correctly. Why not take this time to roll down your windows and meet your neighbors?
At any given time, there are 4 people within shouting distance of my vehicle, with one being within the normal range of volume. We already have 2 common bonds; the traffic we are inevitably stuck in and the weather outside of our vehicles. Starting the conversations would be easy, simply roll down the window and say 'Hello, how are you, my name is so and so. Look at this rainy/snowy/windy/gorgeous weather, can you believe it?' Or, 'Can you believe that silver VW ahead? The way they cut into the lane like that?' Better than the traditional opening bar-room ice breakers, like 'come here often?' or 'Let me buy you a drink baby.' These often times lead to critical failure, at best when the proposed person just turn away, while at worst a quick slap across the face and ejection from said drinking establishment.
Also, traffic should not be a stressful moment in your day. Look at it from the 10,000 foot perspective. You're leaving a more than likely stress-filled household; wife or husband, kids, bills, home repair, etc., to go to a stress-filled work environment; deadlines, managers, meetings, customer demands, etc. This is you time of solitude. You can't control the traffic patterns, as I've personally found out, and it's always a valid excuse when running into the office late. This is your only time of ultimate solitude. While you can roll the windows down and hear the blaring noise of the outside world, you can just as easily keep them up, turn on the climate control, and catch up on some audio books, or listen to that favorite jazz album that you can never seem to hear while at home or work. You are snuggled nicely inside a rolling serenity pod with all sorts of comfort options.
But I digress. I believe the ultimate stress relief is conversation with another like-minded individual. I know that this will be read by a few people, passed around, and inevitably someone will patent 'Traffic slow-speed dating'. I'm actually at peace with this. It would help reduce the incredible amounts of road rage our country suffers from, as well as sate our natural human urge of social gathering. And, in the process, if we manage to match compatibility with another person, we just eliminated all stress from the rest of the day.
