Washington, D.C., is notorious for traffic jams, road closures, and commutes worthy of their own epic fairytale. D.C. has an underground metro, several bus lines, Amtrak, the MARC train, zipcars, and a bike share system. There are a million ways to get around this little city–which also means there are a lot of ways to get held up.
However, there are commuters out there who love their commute–even if it’s really long and involves a delay. Some people use the time in the car (aka traffic) to conduct business calls, catch up with the news, or relax to some classic music. The bus and train crowd usually list one of the positives of “riding” as being able to read or do work. However, despite being able to make the best of their commuting situation, sometimes the commute just goes bad…. That minivan hit that sedan where 395 merges after the bridge and now they’re blocking traffic instead of getting out of the way. The metro decides to “unload” passengers and now you have to walk 2 miles to work or locate a cab. The metro is on fire. The metro is malfunctioning. There aren’t any available bikes at the bike-share. The road is shut down for a parade of circus animals.
This is the day-to-day in D.C.
Yes, it is extremely frustrating sometimes, but we should be thankful for our situation. Here are a few pictures of hellish commutes from cities around the world. Thank your lucky stars.
Sao Paulo, Brazil
and you thought the Nats game crowd was bad…
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Can you imagine seeing this as the metro crosses the Potomac?
China
and I thought D.C. bikers were a nuisance…
Ahh, the city of light and smashed faces?
Libya
Well that looks comfy. Not.
Toronto, Canada
Oh what fun it is to ride in a V-6, traffic-jammed sleigh!
Kenya
At least the bus is a fun color…
India
Where is the road?!
On this list, I think Bangladesh and Libya tie for the “worst commute.” Washington, D.C., I will endure your car-clogged roads any day. Bring it on.
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