Rush Hour Rush

The drive to JFK airport is always a mystery as to how long it will actually take to negotiate the 300 or so miles to New York City. Over the years snow storms, rain storms, ice storms, hurricanes, traffic accidents, construction, auto breakdowns, protests,  sporting events, a chemical spill, and even a factory explosion have directly affected the amount of time required for the trip. What should be five hours of moderate driving has stretched up to 14 hours due to unforeseen events. So, the travel to and from the airport is best when uneventful and mundane.

Today something unusual happened. The travel to New York City was mercifully boring. When approaching the George Washington Bridge to cross from New Jersey into Manhattan, I noticed the time approaching 5 PM. Today is Monday, and we are driving across a major U.S. city. RUSH HOUR! Settling in for the long haul, I checked my snacks, drinks, and potty situation. All good. This is when the unusual part happened...we were still moving, and that at a good clip. We approached construction, but to my amazement no slow down. Clearing the construction we merged with some traffic in a notoriously congested area. No slow down. We passed LaGuardia Airport, Citi Field, and the National Tennis Center and there was still no real slow down. Seeing what looked like an accident ahead I thought...finally! Yet traffic continued to move freely right past. It was amazing. We arrived at the airport right at the 5 hour mark from our time of departure, having experienced a perfect storm of rush hour freedom. What a way to start an adventure.