Mornings are not my time. I drag myself out of bed, latch onto a glass of orange juice and plop into a chair to watch the television news. It takes a while for my brain to kick in. Part way through every newscast, however, a question rears up. Am I the only viewer who wonders why they waste so much time on traffic reports?
Even if, and I emphasize the IF, I were going to join the masses on the highway inching my way towards the city, TV traffic reports during breakfast wouldn’t help me. They would be outdated before I left the driveway. Radio traffic reports make sense. I can listen to them as I travel. Whatever fender-bender may be causing a slowdown on Highway #1 at the Kensington exit will be cleared away by the time I reach that location. I don’t need to know about it while I’m sipping my juice.
Television traffic reports are uninteresting, useless fillers. When I tune in to the morning news I want news. If a major artery is going to be closed for the morning due to an accident, that’s news. A helicopter view of a bridge deck where “traffic is building” is not news.
Am I the only one frustrated?
::end of rant:: and I apologize that this has nothing whatsoever to do with writing unless you consider that it gets my blood moving so that I’m ready to write.
MUSINGS 
Venting is good. Imagine if nobody ever vented. Oh, my — I just had a sudden image of head’s exploding all over the world. Not a pretty sight.
LOL Yes, that built-up pressure could be disastrous. My mother’s pressure cooker once exploded… soup covered the walls and ceiling. Pretty ugly.
If the traffic report is done well, then it is useful. Especially in a place like LA where there are so many choices as to which route to take. If it’s a place like San Francisco, with limited choices, it can also be helpful as you will know if it’s extra heavy this morning and you have to leave early, or if you have extra time. If they are telling you about stalls, debris or minor accidents, then they are wasting your time and theirs.
Thanks for dropping in to comment. I suppose it might depend on where you live and where you’re going, but in Vancouver, Canada, by the time you’ve heard the news of heavy traffic and actually get to where the traffic was heavy… the backlog has cleared. Our local TV station has these lengthy mundane reports every few minutes — drives me crazy.
It does seem a bit redundant.
It really is. Traffic report on TV between 7 – 9 a.m. when commuters are already on the road and no longer watching TV sounds like poor program planning to me. Fortunately I like the announcers’ personalities or I wouldn’t watch at all.
I like getting an early start to the day. I’m not much for watching television or listening to the radio. Too busy enjoying the quiet I guess.
But ranting from time to time is good for the soul. I hope it made you feel a bit better 🙂
I like quietness, too, although my brain isn’t functioning enough at first light to appreciate it! And yes, I guess I feel better for having ranted. Letting a little steam out of the valve releases the pressure.
You are not the only one I can promise that.
To me the news has become nothing more than traffic and weather and the “art” of journalism is dead within the broadcast media for the most part.
Plus, tie that into the morning and blam…it is even worse 🙂
Listening to radio news at the top of the hour gives us succinct information in five minutes and is over. Somehow the television news manages to get strung out over two hours with snippets of news between the traffic, weather and occasional interview. I agree: the so-called art of journalism doesn’t exist there.
Ah – traffic. Miami traffic is awful. I drive south into the Hialeah section of the city (early) … & past the memorials posted every block or so – from accidents or shootings. There have been 3 fatal shootings in the last week & a half within a block of our project. Hafta drive leaning low over the center armrest – makes a smaller target.
I don’t really watch TV ‘specially in the AM.
I was born and raised in Vancouver, so shouldn’t be fazed by the big city approach but I live on the outskirts now and rarely have to cope with the inner city’s traffic or rat race. Your project sounds like it’s in a pretty risky neighbourhood! Quite a contrast to Paul’s situation in Alaska!
It’d be fun to see a morning traffic report in Fairbanks. “Car spotted on Farmer’s Loop Road. Appears to be approaching town. And back 1/4 mile, another car.”
LOL! I’ve been to Fairbanks so I know you’re exaggerating, but it’s got to be better than LA, Nashville, Miami and Vancouver where some of the above comments originate. I guess there’s not much chance of a major traffic jam where you are. Joylene and Laura could probably relate since they’re both from even smaller communities.
I think most news is a waste of time. That’s why I never watch it. If something important happens, we ALWAYS find out. ALWAYS. So I spend my first hour slamming down as much coffee as I can consume without flying to the moon and talking/listening to God. I like His take on life much better than newscasters.
I’m with you on that, Jeanette! He has a much more reliable perspective.
Carol, this is so funny because I used to think the same thing. In the mornings before I left for work I used to flip on the news—just to hear the weather. I had very little time—and there they were the traffic. It used to make me mad too because it would be an HOUR before I got there—the traffic would be different AND I still didn’t have a clue what the weather would be! There, I feel better too! ha ha
Love you
Katt
I’m glad I’m not alone in this! 🙂