When something sucks, that's nature's way of telling you to stop

The energy descent and the need to radically reduce carbon emissions will be huge challenges to us. On the other hand, there's lots of evidence that the status quo is hated and that there are plenty of people eager to be free of the soul-sucking commutes that cost a fortune, destroy the environment, and weaken our communities (many of Salem's problems are traceable to the prevalence of disengaged commuters):

Well, we had a hunch people didn't like their commutes, but we're absolutely blown away by what we've seen.

Bloggers are gushing and the country's atwitter. The New York Times, Wired, Streetsblog, Matt Yglesias, and hundreds more have shared the rage at our new website, www.MyCommuteSucks.org.

Commenter "Chavez" does a 75-mile round-trip commute by car from Philadelphia to Princeton, NJ. Road work on the Trenton Bridge has left him with six (!) flat tires over the years.

A cyclist in Washington, D.C. said he gets "doored" on a daily basis. "It really irks me when drivers, pedestrians, and even other cyclists do stupid things to put my life in danger on a bike."

"RT" writes, "Living in a rural area, I have no public transportation alternatives, even though I am traveling into the largest metro area in the state."

Read hundreds of real stories about daily commutes - and ask your friends to share their own rants and raves at www.mycommutesucks.org.

In addition to reading about other peoples' commutes, at www.MyCommuteSucks.org you can sign our petition to Congress, unload your daily transportation frustrations, post your own photos and video, and learn more about how the transportation policy they develop in Washington affects the lives of so many millions of people, whether they drive, ride, or walk.

Stop by www.MyCommuteSucks.org to see what's new, add your own fresh commuting adventures, and spread the rage to friends and family.

Sincerely,

Ilana Preuss
Outreach and Field Director
Transportation for America