Shoutout to the 7:12 express bus driver who taught me a new way to read the traffic

For years, my morning ride on the 101 was a total guess on how long it would take. I tried leaving earlier, later, even looked at traffic apps, but they were always wrong. Then one morning, the driver pointed out that if the cars on the overpass above the highway were moving, we had about five minutes before our lane would clear up. He said he'd been watching that pattern for fifteen years. Now I just look up and know if I have time to relax or if I should start reading. Has anyone else picked up a weird local tip like that from a regular driver?

3 comments

3 Comments

keith_rivera191mo ago

My old mailman told me to watch for the garbage trucks on Maple. If they're running late, the whole neighborhood's schedule is off for the day. Those guys see the rhythm of the streets better than any app.

the_wren1mo ago

Totally get that, it's like they have a secret map. My old bus driver used to say if the coffee shop on 5th had its "open" sign lit but no line, we'd hit every green light downtown. It's that same kind of local logic @keith_rivera19 is talking about, you just can't buy that info lol.

christopherwilson1mo ago

It's crazy how much hidden knowledge is just floating around in plain sight from people who do the same thing every day.