Left the gym a few minutes later than usual today and hit the highway out of town (the ONLY highway) just after 1700. My drive from gym to house is 42 miles, and all but 2 miles are 6-lane or 4-lane divided highway.

I didn't get beyond third gear until mile 18. And yes, I have 4:10 gears.

Stupid people just can't seem to understand there is absolutely no need to slam on their brakes prior to taking a slight bend in the road, nor is it required for every lane to slam on brakes simply because one idiot in the far right lane wasn't paying attention and almost rear ended the car in front who slowed for merging vehicles (who are actually not looking to merge, but just cut into traffic anyway they desire)...I think it's finally time to move to Nome...I bet they don't have traffic problems there...

 

Didn't realize that Wasilla was so big city. Sounds like driving in the twin cities(MN)

 

Yeah... gotta love that "brake light hill". Have lived here for over 26 years... still don't know WHY they have to hit the brakes all the time.

 

That's one of many reasons I don't live in the valley..... Or the bowl.....

 

Not untill we build the road...

 

The old Eagle river bridge was way lower than the new one. When it was icy people used to ride their brakes all the way to the bottom than not have the speed to get up the other side. Even now with the new bridge I see people doing it and its not that bad of a dip!

 

I can almost understand tapping the brakes to disengage cruise or slow slightly before dropping down the hill as it is pretty steep. What absolutely boggles my mind though is why there's a daily traffic jam at the S-curves by the weigh station. Doesn't matter if it's snowing or not, light or dark, good roads or ice. I haven't been able to do the posted speed limit for my entire afternoon commute for more than a year now...it didn't used to be this way!

Wasilla isn't a big city, although it does take me almost 20 minutes to get through 6.7 miles of 45mph roads. Eagle River is a bedroom community of Anchorage, and Anchorage isn't a big city by any non-Alaskan definition, yet the commuters manage to fill all three lanes bumper to bumper and fight for lane position like it's the last lap of the Daytona 500. Asinine. I've driven through the Twin Cities in a thunderstorm during rush hour on I90/94. It was the first time I'd seen stop lights on the merge ramps and the shoulders being used for lanes...that's heavy traffic. I just think the folks up here want to feel important and they equate crazy traffic with importance.

Oh well...Scotch makes everything better.

 

When I finally get myself clear of the obligations I still have, my home will be somewhere in the North Star Borough. I really enjoyed living in North Pole, and at one point I even lived in Fox and commuted to Eielson. Never had a concern with traffic.

Even then, I don't think it would be an issue. There's a road to Manley Hot Springs too and in all the times I've driven it I think I've passed about three cars once I left the Dalton Hwy...and all of them turned down to Minto

 

I feel your pain buddy! I have a 25 mile commute, of which 20+ miles is highway, speed limit 60 mph. It boggles my mind why some folks think 45 or 50 mph is a good speed to drive. It's a 2 lane highway and these people will have 20 or 30 cars backed up behind them because there is no where to pass. Off rant

 

Pssssssssstt,I really thought you guys would not notice,but these are all S.F.Bay Area driver student rejects.

 

And people wonder why I'm retiring to Tok. I was in that same traffic jam. Normally take an hour to get home. That one took me 2.
Adam do what I do. Hang out in the right lane at 55 and relax to some good music. You get there just as fast and a lot less stressful.

 

Don't get me started on bonehead drivers! You don't even know traffic and what the idiots are capable of til you drive thru Seattle or share the road with Alberta's finest around Kalispell MT.

 

Sure I do. 99% of the bone heads up here come from down there.

 

So, you're saying that they actually come to a STOP when there's something in front of them? Wish they were that smart here.

 

No, they come to a stop with nothing in front of them. Those zero visibility moments can suck.