Bob Marley sang about "Jammin'" 30-years ago, and it might be a good idea to keep that cool tune in your head as you face the back-to-school jams that will begin next week. While there are more ways than ever to find out electronically where there is a backlog and where there are accidents, many commuters simply don't have many options. They need to be at a certain place at a certain time- whether it's work, school, or an appointment.
And on our islands, there are only so many options or arteries to get us wherever we are going. Busses and carpooling work for some, and more people need to look at ride-sharing with co-workers or neighbors who work in close proximity to one another. But asking people to leave earlier or later is simply not pragmatic or realistic. I remember the years of pulling into school with my kids and watching the head bobs in the cars in front of and behind me as kids slept all the way to school. Hard to believe leaving a half-hour earlier is in anyone's interest in those cases. It's tough enough rousing the troops at 5:30am. You can't leave from home much later for work or school for fear of being late, with all of the repercussions and stress that causes. And it really doesn't matter where you live for that reality to sink in when you are looking at daily commutes of 45-minutes or more.
So look at your options, realize that the bus, carpooling, or ride-sharing might provide minor inconvenience for some long- term relief and sanity on a daily or semi-regular basis, and get ready for some local style jammin' on the roads in the weeks and months ahead. Think about it…
