The Right Idea

“… I-10 eastbound at the I-45 interchange, there’s an eighteen wheeler overturned. HPD has all but one lane closed while they clear the wreckage. Traffic is backed up all the way to the west loop and building.”

As the radio blares, my mind automatically goes into overdrive calculating alternate routes, rush hour traffic patterns and drive times… that’s it! …Memorial Drive to the north side of downtown, then swing south on Smith to Jefferson then east to the hospital. For the moment this “hot-shot” package on the seat becomes the focus of my world. Cars ahead are already heading for the Memorial exit as news of the tie-up spreads. Oh well, even with this extra traffic along my “alternate route,” I’ll get there quicker. Barring another unforeseen traffic snafu I should just make the delivery by the 5:30 deadline. With another minor traffic crisis solved, my attention returns to the radio talk show, the host echoing my own opinion in a heated debate with a caller. Typical in the life of a big-city courier, this little traffic drama is played out by thousands of drivers daily in a city of millions.

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