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Some Tips to Beat Traffic Boredom

DUBAI — You need to beat the traffic, so you rush out of the house. Others, too, do the same. Sadly so, like the others you, too, end up getting stuck. But the time wasted in the traffic could well be utilised for catching up on things.

While waiting for the road to clear, you can indulge in a plethora of activities. But when your hands are on the steering wheel and eyes on the road, what can you do?

Regular motorists have now altered the slogan ‘Keep your eyes on the road’ to ‘One eye on the road and another on a book’.

Engrossed in a nail-biting thriller or keeping track of the latest happenings may be the perfect solution to traffic boredom.

“I don’t get time to read the newspaper at home, so I catch up on the news when stuck in traffic on my way to work,” said Deepa, who works in Dubai.

Maitri’s trips from Abu Dhabi to the Media City in Dubai may not be smooth but have certainly helped her hone her mathematical skills. “I add the digits on the number plates of vehicles and then try correlating it as math sums.”

A companion who will never stop talking even when you stop driving is the car radio. With the RJ playing your favourite song, sway in your seat or test your vocal abilities. “A friend of mine practised her singing in the car but stopped doing so because other commuters would stare,” said Maitri.

Joseph, marketing manager in Dubai, hooks up his MP3 to the radio and blasts it to keep out the noise of the honks on the road.

You can’t change the traffic situation but you can improve it for yourself.

Ravi, a real estate consultant in Dubai who thinks it’s pointless to get exasperated in traffic, relishes observing the enraged expressions of fellow commuters.

“I notice hands up in the air and the faces turning red in anger. I roll down my window and enjoy adding fuel to fire by picking up a conversation with other commuters,” he said.

And just like in the movies he wishes he could also get out of the car and do an ‘item number’ for the crowd.

Commuters are warned against the use of mobile phones while driving but when crawling for hours in traffic, people can be seen chatting or typing away on their personal digital assistant (PDA) and phones.

“It’s a good time to catch up on all my important calls and appointments,” stated Avi.

Some commuters feel that it’s advisable to stack the car with munchies. With long queues and no gas station in the vicinity, hunger pangs are inevitable in traffic jams. “I eat a lot when stuck in jams. Those burgers and fries keep my mind off the distressing situation,” stated Deepa.

Women utilise the time by applying their make-up when stuck in traffic jams. “I’ve seen women apply their make-up looking into their small rear-view mirrors,” exclaimed Maitri.

She, however, said that she refrains from doing so for fear of bumping into another vehicle in the process.

However you choose to recreate behind the wheel, either by counting the number of nose pickers, enjoying a family fight in the vehicle next to yours or sending that necessary SMS to your boss, being alert and conscious of the environment around you should be the golden rule.

afshan@khaleejtimes.com