Opting out of this misery is easy.

Apparently the suburban hinterlands of DC have bad traffic congestion. That’s a bummer.

I say “apparently” because I virtually never experience any of it first hand, since I’ve opted out of the lifestyle that requires people to sit in traffic. Living in the city it’s easier to get around by walking, transit, cycling, and the occasional taxicab than by driving, so traffic congestion is simply not something I ever have to think about. I can remember exactly one traffic jam that I’ve been part of over the last year, and it happened while visiting my family in western Fairfax County.

Traffic jams are a choice. People choose to subject themselves to them based on where they choose to live and how they choose to get around. For me, opting out was an easy decision.