Traffic is a funny thing: a bunch of individuals all with the goal of getting from Point A to Point B, sharing the same means to accomplish those goals.
The success of one's goal is utterly dependent on strangers. "Will all this traffic make me late?" "Is that man going to stay in his lane?" "Is that woman giving me the right of way?" On the other hand, driving is an individualistic activity. Whatever the driver wills is what happens. There's no democratic council that determines whether or not the car will turn right. The driver just makes it happen.
I think that's why it's so frustrating to drive the streets of the San Gabriel Valley (my home for the past 8 months). We have so much autonomy in the act of driving, but yet so much dependence on the autonomous actions of others. When there are LOTS of "others," this dependence, and thus, frustration becomes more pronounced.
I've had a long time to ponder this, seeing as it takes forever to get anywhere around here. It's best to expect every car trip will be a "slow ride." Otherwise my expectations are woefully frustrated.
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