Switching lanes in dense traffic does reduce flow and increase everyone's commute time. Cutting across a couple of lanes, exiting the road and then merging back in a few blocks later is even worse. If more people thought of driving as team-work rather than a race we'd all spend less time in traffic. This fellow argues that behavior that slows traffic down is a good idea because if makes him feel good. I'm sorry buddy, but you're an idiot. You're taking actions that do not benefit you and harm me because you lack the mental discipline to relax and stop treating traffic like a race.
Here is a suggestion for those of you who are currently like this guy but are willing to try driving smart for a change: Don't alternate days. Get into one lane and stay there and continue to do so for a couple of weeks. Listen to the radio. Think about stuff you need to think about. Zen the #$%^ out. Once you unlearn your moron-driver habits you'll arrive at your destination a lot less stressed out and you'll have the peace of mind that you're not one of the morons adding to the problem.
Funny you should say that, that's my family motto: "Qui stupidi sunt, ut strenuus me".
That he thinks it is ok to cut through residential neighbourhoods because the freeway is backed up is more than stupid, really. It is dangerous and unfair. I was going to say that, given the apologetics around this strategy, that he's being a little tongue-in-cheek. But when he opened with "the really painful part of being stuck in traffic is not, really, the actual amount of time that it takes to get from Point A to Point B" it was pretty clear that we were going to be looking for wisdom and intelligence from other sources.
This guy did a fantastic mini-study of traffic wave systems, and has worked out techniques that go one step further than what your describing - actively cancelling out traffic jams by allowing cars to freely change lanes for a long distance ahead of you.
How about not going the route of "zen the #$%^ out." I prefer the drivers around me to be aware of their surroundings and conscious of their driving, not lost in dreamworld.
Driving in a congested freeway does not need all your faculties. Most people do it on auto pilot.
When you are fully alert, it leads to frustration , lane jumping and road rage. So I agree with GP that you need to mellow yourself down during long stop-n-go traffic. Not to the point of falling asleep on the wheel of course. But I don't think everyone needs to be combat ready either.
When I'm stuck in traffic, I consider that a time to submerge the ego, embrace the virtue of patience, and realize that the goal of all drivers should be for everyone to get everyone unstuck and return to normal traffic flow.
So rather than sit bumper-to-bumper, I will open a car-sized space ahead of me, and intentionally allow "line jumper" cars to enter it. Rather than alternately hitting the gas and brake, I'll just let my car roll, smoothing out the wavelike interactions in congested traffic.
If you stop thinking purely of your own self-interest, you can act to improve the overall flow of traffic, rather than just try to get yourself out of it as soon as possible. Think of it as an engineering problem. Instead of how to get 1 person home as quickly as possible, try to get 10000 cars to their destinations with the lowest median travel time, using only your ability to control one car in the flow of traffic.
Here is a suggestion for those of you who are currently walking from place to place: Don't walk, run. Start running and continue to do so for a couple of weeks. Listen to music. Once you unlearn your moron-walker habits, you'll arrive at your destination a lot faster and you'll be healthier overall, and you'll have the peace of mind that you're not one of the morons adding to the problem of slowing down runners by walking in front of them.
Here is a suggestion for those of you who are currently like this guy but are willing to try driving smart for a change: Don't alternate days. Get into one lane and stay there and continue to do so for a couple of weeks. Listen to the radio. Think about stuff you need to think about. Zen the #$%^ out. Once you unlearn your moron-driver habits you'll arrive at your destination a lot less stressed out and you'll have the peace of mind that you're not one of the morons adding to the problem.