1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,600 Speaker 1: Hi, everybody. Chuck Bryant here of Stuff you Should Know 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:07,320 Speaker 1: and welcome to the weekend. It's Saturday, and you know 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: what that means. It's time for another Stuff you Should 4 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: Know select episode where Josh and I picked our favorites 5 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 1: from the past one thousand plus episodes and repost them 6 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: and hopes that you might discover something old. Here we 7 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 1: go something old? Is that a good way to sell something? 8 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: That's why we call them classics and selects. July twenty nine, 9 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: two thousand ten, was a very special day because that 10 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: is the day we released the episode How Traffic Works. Yes, traffic, 11 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:39,919 Speaker 1: not drug trafficking, but traffic, car traffic. We all hate it, 12 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: but you know what, maybe you should understand it a 13 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 1: little better. Really interesting, and I believe Josh even coined 14 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 1: his own term. If I'm not mistaken for this one, 15 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: a break a bubble? Dare I say? Does my memory 16 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: serve me? We'll find out by listening right now to 17 00:00:54,960 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: How Traffic Works. Welcome to Stuff you Should Know from 18 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 1: House Stuff Works dot Com. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. 19 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:14,960 Speaker 1: I'm Josh Clark. With me is Charles Precious Bryant? How 20 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 1: you doing, Precious? This is the podcast based on the 21 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 1: novel Push by Sapphire. Yeah, that is absolutely right, word 22 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: for word. Right, Jerry just got back because you did 23 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: a spoiler. Yeah, for Precious I've known for spoilers, aren't I? 24 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: At least two? It was Boiling Home. No, there was 25 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: a there was um six ft under. There was another 26 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: one I spoiled too, wasn't there? Yeah, there was one 27 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:40,960 Speaker 1: you spoiled That was a really old movie, and I 28 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: was like, come on, that movie is like fifteen years old. 29 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: There's a statute of limitation, was it, Buck Rubon's I Yeah, 30 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: I think that was it? Yeah, me too, Chuck. Yes, 31 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: have you ever been in traffic? That's the best I got. 32 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: How do you set this up? Chuck? Do you like 33 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: Steve Winwood? Yeah? You know I was going to make 34 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: a Traffic the band comment. Have you ever seen the 35 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: low spark of high heeled boys? Yeah? Yeah, that's it. 36 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: I'm seriously, I'm like trying to do you know he 37 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 1: was like when he first joined Traffic, thinks a he's 38 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: a lothario. Yeah, and by that I mean in Prodigy. Yeah, yeah, Traffic. 39 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 1: I've been in traffic, buddy, you Yes, I have actually 40 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,519 Speaker 1: been in traffic. Um, happens a lot because I don't 41 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:30,079 Speaker 1: ride Marta. You ride are fine, fine, crippled public transit 42 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,920 Speaker 1: system here in Atlanta. I'm never in traffic anymore. It's 43 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 1: it's really been a huge difference in my life. Yeah. Well, 44 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:41,959 Speaker 1: I don't ride Marta because, um, I usually I tend 45 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: to avoid the smell of urine, and UM, reading while 46 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 1: moving makes me sick. So I'm you know, plus, I 47 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,239 Speaker 1: I value I used to value being able to smoke. Yeah, dude, 48 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: I was just about to say that's why I used 49 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: to drive. Yeah, and now I'm just like, I just 50 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:58,079 Speaker 1: do it out to have it. But I get caught 51 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:00,639 Speaker 1: in traffic a lot, and it stinks. I don't see 52 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: you on a public transport. You're not You're not that 53 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:07,359 Speaker 1: kind of social No. That's the other thing too, It's like, oh, hey, 54 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 1: we worked together, let's talk the whole time. No, I don't. 55 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:12,639 Speaker 1: I wear my sunglasses. It can be dark and raining, 56 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 1: and I've told everyone here that if I have my 57 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 1: shades on, that means the office is closed. Nice, the 58 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: store is shut down. That's very nice, stor it looks 59 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: super cool. Alright. So I'm a jerk that doesn't talk 60 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 1: to coworkers. Now moving on, buddy, It's okay, Chuck. Do 61 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: you remember when we recorded quicksand yes, do you remember 62 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: how we said that there's like a finite amount of 63 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: stuff out there about quick thing, because there's a finite 64 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: amount to know. There's a finite amount to know about traffic. 65 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: But there's tons of information out there. Yeah, lots of 66 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: little side things to know for sure. Yeah, Because ultimately, 67 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: traffic happens in two ways. One is, there is simply congestion. 68 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: There's just too many cars on the road to carry 69 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: to carry the flow of traffic quickly. Right. The other 70 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: way is there is some unpredictable event that somebody's pulled over, 71 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: somebody's broken down, there's a wreck, whether maybe an event 72 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,679 Speaker 1: that falls under congestion, police have pulled over a traffic 73 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: a speeder. People always slow down for that, and that's it. 74 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: That's it. Those are pretty much the two broad categories 75 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: that traffic can be created, right, um. And what happens 76 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: in each of those events is somebody upfront puts on 77 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 1: their brakes and that that one press of the brakes 78 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: travels backward all the way through right when you have 79 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:47,600 Speaker 1: a bunch of different cars and different lengthes doing that 80 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: at the same time, you have traffic you know what 81 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 1: that's called traffic wave. Yes, that's true. It's a domino effect. 82 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:57,600 Speaker 1: It's very easy, it is. And I came up with 83 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: my own idea of just scribing this. You're ready by okay, 84 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,159 Speaker 1: So what I came up with is called the traffic bubble, 85 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: okay by Josh Clark. So the traffic bubble happens when 86 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:13,119 Speaker 1: somebody is driving along and presses their brakes for whatever reason. 87 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: And just imagine that when they press that break, the 88 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 1: big bubble grows over the car, okay, And it starts 89 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: very slowly traveling backward. And each car behind that car 90 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: that's that created the traffic bubble isn't allowed to accelerate 91 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: again until the traffic bubble is passed through them, right, 92 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 1: But then the further back the traffic bubble goes, the 93 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: more it dissipates, until eventually the people far enough back 94 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: don't have to go through the traffic bubble and they're 95 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:44,360 Speaker 1: not affected by it. And does the bubble pass through 96 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:46,720 Speaker 1: the front cars to where they can then again accelerate. 97 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: Is that how you see it as a moving bubble? Yeah? 98 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 1: Over the bubble travels backwards over the traffic, and then 99 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,040 Speaker 1: once it passes over you, you're allowed to accelerate again. 100 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:57,040 Speaker 1: I believe you're just going to turn my friends the 101 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: traffic bubble like that jerk science or no break bubble, 102 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:02,920 Speaker 1: that's what I called it. Okay, breaking bubble. Yeah, like 103 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: a piping effect. I hate that guy and he hates you. 104 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: I don't care so traffic Josh, you want, We might 105 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: as well thrown a few stats here. Yeah, this one's 106 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: that heavy. It is. This this article by our colleague 107 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: Jonathan Strickland at tech Stuff. Yeah, the bald this podcast 108 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 1: on staff here, Uh, what's a good stat here? The 109 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: estimated traffic costs If you wanna talk about cost of 110 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: traffic in about five years ago, they estimated about seventy 111 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 1: eight billion dollars. And that's only fuel and waste of time. 112 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:38,840 Speaker 1: They don't take into account like pollution, environmental damage, health 113 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 1: costs due to pollution. I mean it would really add 114 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:44,040 Speaker 1: up if you got to, you know, include those things. Yeah, 115 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 1: and um with extra gas that was bought in two 116 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:51,840 Speaker 1: thousand seven, right, isn't that the year that studies connected 117 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:56,719 Speaker 1: or covered UM we in the US bought two point 118 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: nine billion billion extra gallon of oil because of traffic, 119 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:06,359 Speaker 1: and the annual cost for each individual motorists in America 120 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: was like seven ten bucks just sitting there, just from traffic, 121 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 1: not from you know, the gas that you need to 122 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: actually get from point A to point B, but the 123 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: extra gas used from idoling. Yeah, crazy, yeah, And I 124 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 1: believe l A tops it out obviously at about two 125 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: weeks a year you potentially spend sitting in your car 126 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: and traffic. Yeah. L A has um. There's this group 127 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: called the Texas Transportation Institute, and I think they're out 128 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: of A and M. Maybe they're awesome. They they they 129 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 1: are like the leaders and studying and understanding and trying 130 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:43,800 Speaker 1: to mitigate traffic, right um. And they came up with 131 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: this thing called the travel time index, right yeah. So basically, 132 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: you take the amount of time it takes and it's 133 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 1: specific to each city, and it's for each city. It's 134 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: not compared from city to city. It's compared to a 135 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 1: certain time in one city to another time in the 136 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: same city. So in an off peak time, say you 137 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 1: can travel the speed limit, it takes you one hour 138 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 1: to get from point A to point B in Los Angeles, 139 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: it would take one point nine two hours doubles your 140 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: time basically during yeah, during rush hour, So it takes 141 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: twice as long to get from point A to point 142 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: B during rush hours compared to off peak. That's the 143 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: travel time index. Yeah, and you know you have to 144 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 1: do this anywhere you live where there's heavy traffic. But 145 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 1: when I lived in l A, I used to have 146 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: to always think, all right, well, this would take me 147 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: forty five minutes normally. So and when you work in 148 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: the movie business, you you can't be late. That's just 149 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 1: not one of the things you do. You've got to 150 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 1: be there on time or early. So you're like, well, 151 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: it's supposed to take me forty five minutes, I'm gonna 152 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: give myself like two hours. I gave myself more than 153 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:51,840 Speaker 1: double to get anywhere I needed to go. That's that's 154 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 1: very smart. It's awful, is what it is. Yeah. L 155 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:57,079 Speaker 1: A's kind of bad, but chuck, we have it pretty 156 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 1: bad too. Yeah, Land is really bad. We're among like 157 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:02,679 Speaker 1: probably I think the top three or four. I heard 158 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 1: a year or so ago that Atlanta had toppled l A, 159 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 1: but I never saw any citation. Well, all those it 160 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: depends on how they are rating. It. Some they rade 161 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 1: the differently, like the amount of time you spend in 162 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:15,679 Speaker 1: your car commuting or the amount of time you sit idling, 163 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: So it kind of depends. But Atlanta's way up there, Boston, Seattle, 164 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 1: San Francisco actually think is absent from that. Oh really, 165 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 1: I think that they have made some moves that have 166 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:30,200 Speaker 1: kind of mitigated traffic and gotten them off some of 167 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: the I know, the Big Dig was messing everything up. 168 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: The Big Dig was just killing people. Yeah, and d 169 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 1: C is awful. Have you ever driven around there? Uh? No, 170 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: I haven't. You was talking about how especially during the summer, 171 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 1: during the travel or the tourist season, it's just mind 172 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 1: numbing it is. Yeah, I mean way out into the 173 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: suburbs in Virginia and Maryland sitting there. Yeah. You know 174 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: what they did in l A that I saw one 175 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: time that I had never seen was I was going 176 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: down the highway one day and I noticed everyone was 177 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: slowing down. And I looked up ahead on the expressway 178 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 1: and they were to California Highway patrol cars doing huge 179 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: slow ses back and forth on the six lanes of expressway, 180 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:14,400 Speaker 1: not letting, like keeping everyone back like a nask, like 181 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:16,720 Speaker 1: a like a paste. Yeah, like a pace car. But 182 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:18,719 Speaker 1: you know they weren't driving straight. They were driving these 183 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 1: big s. Is like, don't go buy me. I've never 184 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:22,960 Speaker 1: seen that before in my life. What would have made 185 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,560 Speaker 1: it even funnier is if they've been driving those ses 186 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:28,080 Speaker 1: with their hands out their window and their guns just 187 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 1: shooting into the area while they were doing it. That 188 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:33,160 Speaker 1: would really say, don't drive past me. Yeah, that would 189 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 1: have been great. And apparently that was they do that. 190 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: It's a I don't know what they call it, but 191 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 1: that's too slow everyone down. It's called being a yes. 192 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 1: And on that note, my friend Derek has a joke 193 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: about Atlanta traffic, and he's right, because Atlanta before their traffic, 194 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 1: everyone's driving really really what fast. Yeah, that's one of 195 00:10:57,200 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: the great characteristics about it LANDA as far as i'm can, 196 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 1: you go as fast as you can. I mean, the 197 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:06,720 Speaker 1: average um flow of traffic, I would say it's about 198 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:09,080 Speaker 1: seventy miles an hour around here, and that's with like 199 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 1: a lot of people all around you. Yeah, everybody's bumper 200 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: to bumper going at least seventy and the cops don't 201 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 1: pull you over unless you're going over seventy and even 202 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 1: then like, it's usually like you're going eighty or ninety 203 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 1: when you get pulled over because everybody else is going seventy. Right, 204 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 1: And that's my buddy Derek's joke is in Atlanta, and 205 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 1: it's really true. It's not a joke. Everyone drives as 206 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:30,080 Speaker 1: fast as they can every day until someone and then 207 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 1: someone recks, right, and then traffic backs up every single day. 208 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 1: That's Atlanta traffic. Are we done? So let's just sit 209 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 1: here and do traffic stories about what what angers us? 210 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:04,439 Speaker 1: So check. There's a lot of smart people who study 211 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 1: traffic because like you said, there's um, what was it, 212 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:11,720 Speaker 1: how much money in two eight billion just from fuel 213 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 1: and wasted time? Because think about it, a person's time 214 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:18,720 Speaker 1: is money, right, And if you're sitting in traffic, unless 215 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: you're one of those jerks like me who has an 216 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 1: iPhone that emails while he's driving, then you're wasting money, right. Um. 217 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: And actually there's this there's a group called Commute Solutions 218 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 1: are out of Santa Cruz and they calculated the actual 219 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 1: cost per mile of driving, not just traffic, but driving 220 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: to each person is one point nineteen one dollar nineteen 221 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:45,160 Speaker 1: cents per mile. Yeah, and that includes everything I don't 222 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:47,560 Speaker 1: know how they came up with that number, but check 223 00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: it out. Well, if we're talking about highways and stats, 224 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:54,600 Speaker 1: we might as well talk about the same. Texas group 225 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:58,439 Speaker 1: did a study and um they found that traffic over 226 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 1: the past years increased and by they predict it will 227 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:09,959 Speaker 1: go up another And here's what's remarkable. One only one 228 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:13,680 Speaker 1: of all our roads are highways, yet they shoulder half 229 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:17,720 Speaker 1: the traffic, half the car travel. Yeah. Crazy, it is crazy, 230 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:20,800 Speaker 1: And you don't usually think about when you think about traffic. 231 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: I usually think about the highway myself, although I rarely 232 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: get on the highway anymore. It's all surface streets that 233 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:30,079 Speaker 1: I take to and from work. Yeah, what do you go? 234 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:36,120 Speaker 1: Duid hills? Okay? I go basically up Piedmont um. But 235 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: it's it's traffic every day. But I don't think of 236 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 1: it as traffic. And I think of traffic, I think 237 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:44,679 Speaker 1: of seventy five at rush hour. And just like UH 238 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:49,200 Speaker 1: exit ramps backed up, the the thing is is our 239 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 1: surface streets are also intended to handle overflow of highway traffic. Right, 240 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: not just people who are backed up from the exit 241 00:13:57,360 --> 00:13:59,199 Speaker 1: ramp back onto the street, but I mean people who 242 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 1: are making a con just decision like me to find 243 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:04,560 Speaker 1: a different way that doesn't have anything to do with 244 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 1: the highway. Right, And they found that if you want 245 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 1: to widen a highway, I think we talked about this 246 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:15,719 Speaker 1: in like the urban planning one um that when you 247 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 1: when you widen the highway, Um, there's something called latent demand. 248 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:23,400 Speaker 1: It's a theory that if you want in the highway, 249 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 1: people like me are going to be like, oh well, 250 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:27,120 Speaker 1: now there's a leven lanes instead of five, so I'll 251 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: just hop on the highway. And so the demand increases 252 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 1: in step with the widening of the lanes. So it 253 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 1: actually doesn't mitigate anything by adding more lanes to a highway, right. 254 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: I think they said the only way that will work 255 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:42,320 Speaker 1: is if they outpaced demand with lanes, and that just 256 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 1: doesn't happen. There's too many cars expensive, But that kind 257 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 1: of makes sense to throw that money then instead into 258 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:55,800 Speaker 1: upfront costs for a light rail system, you know, hippie. 259 00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: Actually I'm still holding up for personal rapid transit. That 260 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 1: was a palette in me podcast, but it was interesting. 261 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: It's a good one. Uh RAMT metering. If if you're 262 00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 1: talking about solutions, that's another one. And they had these 263 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 1: in l A. And they have them here in Atlanta. Now. 264 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:12,400 Speaker 1: It's where when you go to get on the highway. 265 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 1: Now they have stoplights that just allow like one car 266 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 1: through every few seconds. So you know, when you get 267 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: on at Freedom Parkway, I used to fly around that 268 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:25,720 Speaker 1: curve it was fun and jump into traffic and squeeze 269 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 1: in however I could. And that's you know, I was 270 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:31,760 Speaker 1: one of those jerks causing traffic. Well, I think anybody 271 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 1: entering is that, because again with traffic, especially with just 272 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: straight up congestion, there's just too many cars in one place, 273 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:43,360 Speaker 1: especially when you have a line of traffic and then 274 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 1: more people directly adding to that lane. Yeah. Right, But 275 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 1: RAMT metering really really works. They did a study in Minnesota. 276 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: They have four d and thirty RAMT meters and in 277 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:55,640 Speaker 1: two thousand they shut them all down for seven weeks 278 00:15:56,240 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 1: and during that time traffic accidents increased. And then afterward 279 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 1: they re reinstituted it and they saw the capacity increased 280 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 1: by fourteen percent, and they walked away from that project 281 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 1: going like with their hands in their pockets. Yeah, like, 282 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 1: we should probably not tell anybody about that. Yeah, I 283 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 1: was trying to do a Minnesota accent. But that was 284 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 1: pretty good. I couldn't do it. All I said was, 285 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 1: oh no, it wasn't bad though. That's how they say it. 286 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 1: H O V lanes is another thing that they've done 287 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 1: pretty much countrywide. Carpool lanes as help. Yeah, I always 288 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 1: forget when I have another person in the car, though. 289 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:33,360 Speaker 1: Uh yeah, I'll get like halfway where I'm going and say, 290 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 1: oh man, let's get in the carpool lane. Yeah, I 291 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:38,320 Speaker 1: have to say though. The h O V lane, to me, 292 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: it's it's an extension of the fast lane. So you 293 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: got the fast lane and then you have the h 294 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 1: O V lane, And I hate it when it's the 295 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 1: fast lane is just the fast ling. The HOV lane 296 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 1: is like, I drive as slow as I want, but 297 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 1: I have, you know, four people in my car. It 298 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 1: makes it difficult. It's it's kind of like the h 299 00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 1: O V lane to me, is you have two or 300 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 1: more people, you're willing to drive ten miles faster than 301 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:05,480 Speaker 1: anybody else on the highway. Agreed, And since we talked 302 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:08,119 Speaker 1: about pet peeves in our last podcast, My one of 303 00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:10,360 Speaker 1: my largest pet peeves is when I'm sitting in traffic 304 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 1: and I'll see people speeding by me in the h 305 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: OV lane by themselves. Nothing bothers me more than people 306 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:19,159 Speaker 1: that think the rules don't apply to them. I hate that. 307 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:22,359 Speaker 1: I hate those people, or people who um use the 308 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 1: shoulder and just drive along in traffic as far as 309 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:27,480 Speaker 1: they can to get like fifty cars ahead. Yeah. I 310 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:29,199 Speaker 1: almost got plowed over in l A one time. I 311 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:31,720 Speaker 1: was getting out to get in the regular exit lane 312 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 1: and almost got creamed by a truck that was on 313 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 1: the shoulder, and I screamed at him that he almost 314 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:38,200 Speaker 1: killed me, and he says, what are you a cop? 315 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: That's l a for you. It was like, he literally 316 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:45,080 Speaker 1: almost killed me. What are you a cop? If you're 317 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 1: a cop, you'd be making lazy ss is in front 318 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:49,399 Speaker 1: of try ands firing my gun into the air. Exactly. 319 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 1: What else, Josh, Uh, there's matting lanes. We already talked 320 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,640 Speaker 1: about that, But there's that one. Then there's um probably 321 00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:01,399 Speaker 1: the most uh contentious idea cones shim pricing, which is 322 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:05,080 Speaker 1: basically taxing people to drive. And there's a guy named 323 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:08,440 Speaker 1: Alistair Darling. I don't know if he's still the Transportation secretary, 324 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:11,840 Speaker 1: but he's something of a rock star in the transportation 325 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 1: world because he was a huge proponent of this, and 326 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:19,280 Speaker 1: he said in England, yeah, he was the British Transportation secretary. 327 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 1: He basically said, you know, cars exact a toll on 328 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:27,600 Speaker 1: the environment and on the road, um, just by driving 329 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: on him, So we should charge people to drive on 330 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: the roads. What he failed to mention is that we 331 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:35,120 Speaker 1: already do. There are things called taxes, and those are 332 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 1: meant to pay for the roads. Right, he's forgetting about 333 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 1: you know, all the other misused money. Um. But they 334 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 1: did actually have one in Great Britain. Do they still chuck? No, 335 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: I don't think they ever instituted. They had a pilot 336 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:54,679 Speaker 1: program from two thousand three to seven and it worked 337 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:57,880 Speaker 1: like a champ for him in London at least. Yeah, 338 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:02,119 Speaker 1: there was a thirty percent dropping congest shin decrease in 339 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:07,680 Speaker 1: in fossil fuel consumption, decrease in CEO two emissions. So 340 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:12,879 Speaker 1: like in London, Singapore, Stockholm, San Francisco, San Francisco, the 341 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:16,359 Speaker 1: Institute one No, San Francisco is studying a New York 342 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:19,600 Speaker 1: Bloomberg has proposed it and they've studied it. And I 343 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 1: just pulled this from this week. Actually, Lord Adonis is 344 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:27,920 Speaker 1: actually he's the Transport Secretary unless it's a new guy. 345 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:32,440 Speaker 1: What was your guy? His name is Lord Adonis. Lord Adonis, 346 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:37,680 Speaker 1: the Transport Secretary came up with a new hotel student. Yeah, 347 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 1: that's where Joshua be staying in New York under Lord 348 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 1: uh he. It says it's ruled out the introduction of 349 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 1: a national road pricing for the next parliament. But they 350 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 1: uncovered that civil servants are still involved with the project 351 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:53,920 Speaker 1: and spending money on research even though they supposedly took 352 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:56,120 Speaker 1: it off the table. It was kind of a secret 353 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:58,359 Speaker 1: that they were still like tinkering with Oh. I thought 354 00:19:58,359 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 1: you were like saying this these board paying for this 355 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 1: research o their own paychecks. No, but they've sunk seven 356 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:06,640 Speaker 1: point two million pounds that I guess the public didn't know. 357 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:08,920 Speaker 1: They thought it was off the table. So they're kind 358 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 1: of under some hot water, in some hot water. They're 359 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:14,879 Speaker 1: they're in some deep quicksand yeah, they said, Golden Brown 360 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:17,399 Speaker 1: and Alista Darling have been caught red handed planning a 361 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:22,880 Speaker 1: spy in the sky system A spy in the sky. Nice. Yeah, yeah, 362 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:26,440 Speaker 1: because I guess we should probably explain congestion pricing basically 363 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:29,360 Speaker 1: every car on the road. I guess when you would 364 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:31,880 Speaker 1: go get your vehicle tag or something. You also get 365 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:36,800 Speaker 1: a radio frequency identifier, right, and as you're driving, some 366 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:39,719 Speaker 1: satellite is tracking you, or you pass through some sector 367 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:41,720 Speaker 1: or something like that, and all of a sudden you're 368 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:45,959 Speaker 1: being you're in a toll area. And much like say, uh, 369 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:50,159 Speaker 1: one of those toll passes, UM, you are sent a 370 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 1: bill or there's like you have to set up like 371 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 1: a credit card or a bank account, attach that to 372 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 1: your to your tag, and it just draws money from 373 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 1: it based on however much you drive in there. In Singapore, 374 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:09,879 Speaker 1: when they first instituted, there's an actually UM they had 375 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 1: a flat rate for downtown, which is the most congested 376 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,359 Speaker 1: during peak hours. You had to pay three bucks to 377 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: just drive around downtown and you could drive around all 378 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:21,840 Speaker 1: you wanted. Uh. And as they as as they've gotten 379 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 1: better at it, they're they're getting a little fancy schmancy 380 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:26,640 Speaker 1: with it, you know, like, UM, well, if you want 381 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:29,719 Speaker 1: to drive here, it's a dollar seventy five for twenty minutes, 382 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 1: but you can back, you know, two blocks over and 383 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:34,919 Speaker 1: it's just fifty cents and so on. Well, that's one 384 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 1: of the rubs that UM. One of the big things 385 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:39,440 Speaker 1: is in England at least in other places too. I 386 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 1: think they've suggested paying more for peak hour so be 387 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:46,520 Speaker 1: flexible in your work schedule. But then, of course people 388 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:49,400 Speaker 1: that are a friend of the poor say that's progressive 389 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:52,720 Speaker 1: taxation because white color dudes can be all flexible and 390 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:54,679 Speaker 1: work from home, but the poor have to get up 391 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:56,920 Speaker 1: and go to work during peak hours. So you're they're 392 00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 1: basically paying for the road that the rich man drives on. Exactly, 393 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 1: That's exactly right, And that's the big problem. I mean, 394 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 1: aside from having to pay to drive with with a 395 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:10,720 Speaker 1: with a congestion tax. Yeah, um, what else can you do? Chuck? 396 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,000 Speaker 1: And also remember we were talking it's this isn't just 397 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:16,640 Speaker 1: highways surface streets to everybody. Don't get all anxious. We're 398 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 1: talking about surface streets as well. Yes, uh, surface streets. 399 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:22,919 Speaker 1: You get a lot of suburban sprawl, you know, like 400 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:26,680 Speaker 1: here in Atlanta, you've got like out in Roswell twenty 401 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:30,679 Speaker 1: years ago it was it was desolate cow patties and 402 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 1: now it's all uh, you know, young families moving out 403 00:22:35,359 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 1: there who don't want to be around urban types. Yeah, 404 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: and you have a lot of a lot more cars. Um, 405 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:45,879 Speaker 1: you have again that that one of two ways that 406 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 1: you can cause traffic. Just put more cars on a 407 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:50,920 Speaker 1: road than it than it's designed to hand and and 408 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:52,879 Speaker 1: out in the booneties like that. They weren't built for 409 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 1: you know, they were built for farmland. All of a 410 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:57,960 Speaker 1: sudden they got these suburban people moving out there. And so, yeah, 411 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:00,400 Speaker 1: traffic lights is something they can do. Yeah, this one 412 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,840 Speaker 1: disturbed me. Um that even the So you have a 413 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:07,399 Speaker 1: traffic light that is on a timer, right, which is 414 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:13,840 Speaker 1: especially when they're poorly timed. Yes, Yeah, decator is awful. 415 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:17,719 Speaker 1: There's another one for the Piedmont Park parking deck and 416 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 1: it just does whatever it wants, no matter what time 417 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 1: and day, and if there's a car, they're not and 418 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: people are just stopped in either direction, right, And um, 419 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:31,960 Speaker 1: that's a timed light, and time lights are awful, They're awful. Right. 420 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: Then you have um sensored lights, which are awesome, right 421 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:37,120 Speaker 1: because you just come up in the way to your 422 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:41,240 Speaker 1: car triggers it good. Yeah, Or you have a mixed 423 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:46,720 Speaker 1: system that uses time timing and sensors and it changes 424 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:49,120 Speaker 1: depending on the kind of day where it is. It's 425 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:52,240 Speaker 1: like you can set up a citywide comprehensive traffic light plan. 426 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:58,240 Speaker 1: Some cities have this. Even the best mixed citywide comprehensive 427 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:04,720 Speaker 1: traffic light plan reduced is congestion by one. Really Yeah, yeah, 428 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:06,919 Speaker 1: Atlanta is bad about that. At least in my area 429 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: there's and Jerry can confirm this, she kind of lives 430 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: over near me. But there's all these scenarios where you'll 431 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:16,200 Speaker 1: you'll stop at a light that's timed to not the 432 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:18,880 Speaker 1: part of the smart light system is that they're all 433 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: time to work together. So like if you sit here 434 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:23,800 Speaker 1: at this corner and you take a ride on red, 435 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 1: there's not another red light waiting on you, and then 436 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:27,920 Speaker 1: that turns green, and then thirty more feet there's another 437 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 1: red light. They should be timed out to where they 438 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:33,240 Speaker 1: were green. In l A, It's like, I mean, that's 439 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 1: the one thing I will say. There's a lot of traffic. 440 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:36,840 Speaker 1: It's just because the people they do the best they can. 441 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:40,359 Speaker 1: You look down. They have these long, long, long straight 442 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:44,280 Speaker 1: streets in Hollywood, and late at night you'll be sitting, 443 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:46,640 Speaker 1: like on Hollywood Boulevard at a red light and you'll 444 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:50,720 Speaker 1: see wink winkink blank, You'll see like eight lights turn green. 445 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:54,400 Speaker 1: All in that New Balance commercial, Yeah, with that woman 446 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 1: running and she pushes herself to make all the lights. Yeah, 447 00:24:57,560 --> 00:24:59,919 Speaker 1: doomed a failure, but still it was a nice effort. 448 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 1: I would I would go longer in l A just 449 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 1: to get off the highway, even if it took me longer, 450 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:08,080 Speaker 1: just to feel like I was moving. And Chuck, I'm 451 00:25:08,119 --> 00:25:13,080 Speaker 1: about to spoil it for all of our British, UK, English, Welsh, Irish, 452 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:18,359 Speaker 1: Scottish friends who are typing an angry corrective email about 453 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:22,199 Speaker 1: Alistair Darling. He is not the Transportation Secretary. He was 454 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:25,240 Speaker 1: the British Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. Lord 455 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:28,080 Speaker 1: Adonis is the Transport Secretary, that is, and me and 456 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 1: your hotel names. We were talking about people um studying 457 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:50,439 Speaker 1: this kind of thing. There's all sorts of really cool 458 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:57,199 Speaker 1: quantifications for traffic. My favorite is the passenger car equivalent. 459 00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:00,880 Speaker 1: Let's hear it. Okay, So you have a passenger car 460 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:03,480 Speaker 1: is say a city at an averag city Anda Toyota 461 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: camera all right, or to be fair, Honda court right. Um. 462 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 1: That is like just an average car that you can 463 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 1: fit four people into and it drives down the road 464 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:18,679 Speaker 1: and it's pretty responsive. And um, an suv or a 465 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 1: bus or a van is not as responsive because they're 466 00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:27,520 Speaker 1: larger and because they take up more space, they're slower 467 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:31,680 Speaker 1: to accelerate, and so they they exact a heavier burden 468 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:37,199 Speaker 1: on a highway during congestion. Right, So what they've come 469 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:41,639 Speaker 1: up with our passenger car equivalent. So an suv is 470 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:46,200 Speaker 1: one point four pc, right, and then a city bus 471 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:50,200 Speaker 1: is like four point four pc. It's like four cars, right. Yeah, 472 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:53,359 Speaker 1: it has the same as far as like accelerating after 473 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:56,600 Speaker 1: breaking and just the space that's taking up. That's the 474 00:26:56,680 --> 00:27:00,399 Speaker 1: equivalent of a passenger car. So one good solution to 475 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:09,600 Speaker 1: traffic is everybody driving smaller car, no kidding, and virtual slots, right, yeah, 476 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:11,440 Speaker 1: what's the deal there. Each car has a certain amount 477 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:13,560 Speaker 1: of space it takes up, and don't try and fit 478 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 1: into a slot that's a bit smaller than your car. 479 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:18,479 Speaker 1: What is that? How you know? That's pretty much virtual 480 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:21,840 Speaker 1: slots like tetris. Yeah, if you just amagement that there 481 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 1: is a basically a rectangle around your car bubble, a bubble, 482 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 1: but not a break bubble. You want to avoid the 483 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 1: brake bubble um, but this is more of a rectangle 484 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:35,639 Speaker 1: and it kind of hugs the sides of your cars, 485 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 1: but it is longer on the front and back. And 486 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:42,120 Speaker 1: if every everybody's car stays in these slots that are 487 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:43,959 Speaker 1: on the highway, you just kind of pull into them 488 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:46,440 Speaker 1: as you're driving, and the slots are going like all 489 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:49,400 Speaker 1: the same rate. Then as long as there's not too 490 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:52,280 Speaker 1: many cars on the road or more more cars than 491 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:55,399 Speaker 1: there are slots, there should be no traffic. Yeah, but 492 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:58,159 Speaker 1: that never happens because all this is pie in the 493 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:00,720 Speaker 1: sky stuff. Well yeah, because when in areably you're sitting 494 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:02,840 Speaker 1: in the lane and you're like that lanes moving now, 495 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:04,240 Speaker 1: and then you get over in that lane you're like, well, 496 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:05,879 Speaker 1: now that lanes moving and you keep going back and 497 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:08,480 Speaker 1: forth where if you stayed where you are, if everyone 498 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:10,400 Speaker 1: stay where they were, you would all get there quicker. 499 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 1: Or if everybody just stayed at home. Yeah, yes, good point. 500 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 1: Put your jobs stay at home. Right. So that's uh, 501 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 1: that's our two cents, And uh, if you want to 502 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:22,960 Speaker 1: learn more about traffic, we we've been killing the articles 503 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:26,320 Speaker 1: with cool flash animations, haven't we did? The one it 504 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:29,920 Speaker 1: has a flash animation about a traffic wave. Cool no 505 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:32,600 Speaker 1: break bubble. I'm going to see about having somebody add 506 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:34,640 Speaker 1: one of those. Coined the term my friend, you can 507 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:37,000 Speaker 1: type in traffic. I think it'll bring up a bunch 508 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 1: of stuff in the handy search bar how stuff works 509 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:42,920 Speaker 1: dot com, which means it's time for listener questions. It's 510 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:49,440 Speaker 1: time for Facebook questions. Yes, as we said in that 511 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 1: other podcast on quicksand we took, we post on Facebook. Hey, 512 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:55,000 Speaker 1: give us some questions. We'll answer like ten of them 513 00:28:55,000 --> 00:29:00,440 Speaker 1: really quickly. We got them in an hour. This comes 514 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:04,400 Speaker 1: from Chelsea. What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? Uh? 515 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:11,160 Speaker 1: Tripe for me, which is intestines? Go ahead, what's yours? Um? 516 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: I've had fried chicken hearts, I've had beef tongue. My 517 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:22,240 Speaker 1: favorite is um bone marrow really highly highly recommend. Anywhere 518 00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 1: you can find bone marrow, just eat it. The only 519 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 1: place down here is rathbuts and it's okay, yeah, yeah, 520 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:31,680 Speaker 1: you gotta wrath buns. You gotta get one of the steaks. No, 521 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 1: not not rathbunds, steaks, regular wrath buns. Yeah. Strangely he 522 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:39,520 Speaker 1: doesn't have bone marrow there, but yes, those weird stuff. 523 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:42,200 Speaker 1: All right, what I got you questions right there? You 524 00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:45,760 Speaker 1: want to read one? Yeah, I guess this one's from Jacob. 525 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:47,960 Speaker 1: If a tree falls in the forest and no one 526 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:52,240 Speaker 1: is around here, and Jacob hyphenates no one, which frankly 527 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:56,560 Speaker 1: I find like flourish nice. Yes, except for a tape 528 00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:59,600 Speaker 1: recorder which absorbs the radiant vibrations and can later play 529 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:01,640 Speaker 1: them back because audible waves. Did the tree really make 530 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 1: a sound? The answer is yes, yes. Uh. Kristen says, 531 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:08,920 Speaker 1: where are christ and Candice now? And who does the 532 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:12,640 Speaker 1: intro for the podcast? Chris Palette is um co host 533 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:15,480 Speaker 1: of Tech Stuff Now and has been for quite a while. 534 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:18,840 Speaker 1: He's made it hometown boy made Good. Candice Gibson Keener 535 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:21,520 Speaker 1: has gotten married and she stepped out of the limelight 536 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 1: to concentrate on just being an editor, but she's still here. 537 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 1: Sits right next to Josh and uh. Roxanne does the 538 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 1: intros for the podcast. She's our head of video. There 539 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:33,600 Speaker 1: you go. That is not Jerry. A lot of people 540 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:36,800 Speaker 1: think it's Jerry. There's some comprehensive answers right there. Rachel 541 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:41,719 Speaker 1: says she currently lives in Athens, g A. I'd love 542 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:43,760 Speaker 1: to hear more about your experience living here, where you 543 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:46,120 Speaker 1: hung out your favorite bands, to see what other fond 544 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 1: or not so fond memories you might have of Athens 545 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:50,920 Speaker 1: she says, we have quite a following there. Did you 546 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:54,280 Speaker 1: know that? I didn't either. My bar was Roadhouse. I 547 00:30:54,360 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 1: hung out of Roadhouse all the time. I was a 548 00:30:56,320 --> 00:30:59,080 Speaker 1: Georgia bar guy, did you Yes? And we should point 549 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:01,320 Speaker 1: out though the Georgia Bar, the Globe, and the Roadhouse 550 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 1: made up the bar Muda triangle, and you could access 551 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:06,680 Speaker 1: them all through the alley to get to the next 552 00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:09,440 Speaker 1: so most decidedly could. Quite often you would hop around, 553 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:11,960 Speaker 1: depending on just stayed at Roadhouse. I hope Roadhouse still there. 554 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 1: It's gotten to be, Yeah, it is. And then of course, um, 555 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:19,160 Speaker 1: I always liked wilson Soul Food and Guthrie's, which in 556 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:22,440 Speaker 1: my opinion is superior to Zaxepiece, even though it's the 557 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:25,720 Speaker 1: same thing. Yeah, I was Automatic for the people. Well, yeah, 558 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:27,640 Speaker 1: I lived right around the corner from there. So remember 559 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:29,840 Speaker 1: what was the name of that restaurant. I went to 560 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:32,520 Speaker 1: Weaverde's Automatic for the people. Yes, that was good too. 561 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:34,960 Speaker 1: I liked Wilson's because the owner walked around and he's 562 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:38,080 Speaker 1: like four ft tall and he shook hands with everybody, right, 563 00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:41,480 Speaker 1: nice guy. Um, And of course Harry Bassett's. I never 564 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:43,320 Speaker 1: went there. Oh my god, that was a frat bar. 565 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:45,640 Speaker 1: You went there, I could go. It wasn't just the bar, 566 00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:48,000 Speaker 1: like the food was amazing, wasn't I put the food 567 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:51,680 Speaker 1: up against any in Atlanta? Euro wrap? Nanna a lot 568 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:57,280 Speaker 1: of e rose in college. That's good alright? Uh? Kristen, No, Randy, 569 00:31:57,440 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 1: who's the cat who won't cop out when there's danger 570 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:03,920 Speaker 1: all about out? I think we both know shaft nice 571 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:06,880 Speaker 1: who's the cat that won't cup out? That's one of 572 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 1: the lesser quoted lines from that song. Yeah, I've got 573 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:13,760 Speaker 1: one from chavon. How do your significant others feel about 574 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:17,840 Speaker 1: your legion of man crushes and equally strong lady crushes? Chuck, 575 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:20,280 Speaker 1: I wasn't aware that anyone had to crush on us 576 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:23,400 Speaker 1: where you I didn't know that I've seen that before. 577 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:26,840 Speaker 1: But Emily thinks it's funny. Sure, yeah it is funny. 578 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:28,760 Speaker 1: She's now I'm not going it is. I mean, if 579 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:32,960 Speaker 1: you if only people can see our stomachs so much hair? 580 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:35,920 Speaker 1: And Laura, how many emails do you get per podcast? 581 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:39,480 Speaker 1: We get about three d a week. Laura, Alan who 582 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:42,400 Speaker 1: put the bomb in the bomb? Sha bomp shabomp um. 583 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 1: The only reason I read that it's because he stressed 584 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:48,760 Speaker 1: his mill house and his picture nice And who is 585 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 1: your most surprising celebrity fan. We've only got a few 586 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:53,640 Speaker 1: that we know of, and they're all surprised. This one 587 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:57,400 Speaker 1: is more surprising than I've got one. Um oh, I 588 00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:00,959 Speaker 1: can't remember her name. There's a girl who stars in 589 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:05,000 Speaker 1: Secret Life of the American Teenager Is. She's a fan 590 00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:07,680 Speaker 1: of the show. She tweeted that she was on set 591 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:11,400 Speaker 1: like in between um, shooting and listening to stuff you 592 00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:14,400 Speaker 1: should know. Yeah, John Hodgman, I was pretty knocked out 593 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 1: by that. That's pretty cool. Bradley Cooper, Yeah, Will Wheaton, Yeah, 594 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 1: Rene's l Wager, Aisha Tyler Yes. And the couple of 595 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:25,520 Speaker 1: The Daily Show guys why Senec Yeah. Joe Randazzo, the 596 00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:28,560 Speaker 1: editor in chief of The Onion. If you are a 597 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:30,960 Speaker 1: celebrity that we did not mention, we would love to 598 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:33,080 Speaker 1: know that you listened to us, because we're just kind 599 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:35,520 Speaker 1: of thrilling. We're like, we're nobody, So when we hear that, 600 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:39,760 Speaker 1: I think it's cool. Yeah, uh yeah, I got one more. 601 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:45,960 Speaker 1: Pirates Shelley says pirates are Ninja's Ninja's clearly definitely that's it. Okay, 602 00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:50,640 Speaker 1: Chuck's given the He's out isn't that called Vegas. Yeah, 603 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:52,720 Speaker 1: it's like when the dealer finishes there around or whatever. 604 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:54,240 Speaker 1: There's gotta be a name for it. If you know 605 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:56,360 Speaker 1: the name for that, we want to know. Send it 606 00:33:56,360 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 1: in an email to stuff podcast at house stuff works 607 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:08,120 Speaker 1: dot com. For more on this and thousands of other topics, 608 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:11,920 Speaker 1: visit how stuff works dot com. Want more how stuff works, 609 00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:14,359 Speaker 1: check out our blogs on the how stuff works dot 610 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:15,160 Speaker 1: com home page.