It really does.
On an average day, assuming there’s no traffic or road blockages, I spend about two hours commuting to and from work. It’s much the same for the First Lady.
There was no real choice in the matter — I work an hour away in one direction, she works an hour away in another. Our apartment is almost exactly equidistant from the two points.
Having grown up in Houston and worked there for almost two years, I thought I had grown used to an unusually long commute. In fact, I sort of took a perverse pleasure in guzzling all that gas – I listened to my satellite radio; I handled all my phone calls; and I had plenty of time to come up with great story ideas.
But in the past year here in Florida, the almost endless driving has — in the words of Yglesias — slowly grinded my spirit into dust. To say nothing of my paycheck – last summer’s gas prices nearly drove me insane and broke.
I really wish I could walk or bike to work, which almost certainly means that I’m officially no longer a Texan.
Anyway, I can certainly relate to the good people who’ve taken to the Internets in an effort for better public policy regarding transportation. Though I’m skeptical about the efficacy of an online petition, I really like the idea of having more non-driving options.
If you’re like me, check out Transportation for America’s site.