Keller @ Large: Solutions For Boston's Poor Weather Driving Woes
BOSTON (CBS) – Well, that was some fun drive home yesterday, wasn't it?
When I heard on BZ radio that there was a 20-mile backup on 128, even though I wasn't stuck in it, I turned off the radio and put in a special cassette I have of wind chimes and seal noises for the rest of the ride.
But did that wet commute really have to be so bad?
As a dress rehearsal for the really bad commutes to come this winter, it wasn't very reassuring. So as a public service, I went searching for answers to the undecipherable riddle that bad weather seems to pose for the Boston driver.
My research took me to what must be a foreign website, smartmotorist.com, and I'm glad to report that there is a wealth of advice we could heed to avoid the life-sapping gridlock that has become so common here.
"First and foremost," say the experts "slow down! It takes longer to stop or adjust in wet weather."
Imagine that! Who knew?
"Stay toward the middle lanes - water tends to pool in the outside lanes," they write.
Clearly, these experts have never seen our roads, where you're lucky if there is an intact outside lane.
Another tip: "Maintain proper following distance (the three-second rule). This needs to be increased in wet weather." There's a three-second rule?
Someone forgot to tell half the driving population here. For them, the three-second rule is something that should be called on Lebron at least a dozen times a game.
And finally, if you didn't get the point about slowing down off the top, this advice: "Avoid using your brakes; if possible, take your foot off the accelerator to slow down."
They just don't understand.
It stands to Bostonian reason that a foot on the accelerator gets you home faster, OK?
MORE LOCAL NEWS FROM CBS BOSTON
