driving during rush hour

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I was wondering as a person with AS, do you get anxious and frustrated when driving during rush hour. I find I get irritated not only in traffic jams but even when traffic is moving but there's a lot of cars. I find I get frustrated easily and some what stressed too because traffic often requires more focus/consentration and also tests my patients when I have to go slow or wait. I generally find my self upset in these conditions and avoid traffic times all together even if it means having to stop at a store to wait. Do you relate?

I'm planning to get a moped soon as my car just died about a week ago. I dread rush hour because this city is not moped friendly. I've actually seen people in cars or trucks (cagers) try to intimidate scooter riders. It's worse in rush hour because the cagers have no patience. None, zero, zip.

I don't get frustrated with traffic, I get frustrated with the large number of people riding the bus during rush hour.

I live in Southern California, so I have gotten used to driving in crowded conditions.

I make myself visible to the best of my ability; throwing the handlebar from side to side for as long as it takes for them to figure out they are too close to me. A messenger bag carrying a big crescent wrench and a ball peen hammer within easy reach will give you a fighting chance should the need arise. I've never had to use them for more than their intended use or an occasional visual deterrent thus far, merely rummaging through the bag with the non-throttle hand often does the trick. I do get a random jackass that gets mouthy every few weeks, but I often catch back up to them at the next light

If you don't want to carry the tools (which is a good idea anyway to save you a tow fee most of the time) try wearing your phone on a strap around your neck to give others the impression that you are filming everything. I've had cops even leave me alone when I do that

Backstory: I consider Christmas, New Years and My birthday which happen within four weeks of eachother as the triple whammy. It is easily the most stresfful and sometimes most depressing time of the year for me and it happens during the winter when the sun goes down at it's earliest. Last year, I had an infection on my ankle the week before Christmas holidays that required me to take two days off work, had my roommates tell me to move out the day before Christmas holidays started, I injured my eye on Christmas Eve and spent all Christmas day in bed as a result, and then I finally had my breakdown just two days before my birthday in the middle of January.

Where I had the breakdown: on my way to work on a cold winter morning and in heavy traffic. Normally, traffic was never this bad, but I could not deal on this day. I was swearing and screaming so loud to the point of having chest pains. I pulled into the parking lot near a Wal-Mart supercentre and called work to tell them I would be late and said that I was breaking down. I then called my mother and told her what was going on. I was crying by this point anyway. I hated this feeling, but I knew that I was losing control.

I personally don't like dealing with heavy traffic and I have a preference to drive a little faster than other drivers and surprisingly I have never been pulled over for speeding (there are lots of others that drive even faster than I do and don't seem to get pulled over either). I definitely don't like taking the heavier traffic routes in this city either and avoid them at all cost.

I like the traffic because I have to focus to drive and there are a lot of factors to consider.

My hours at work are somewhat flexible so I have arranged my shifts in such a way that I miss both morning and afternoon rush hours. I will not drive during rush hour unless it's an emergency or there is a viable alternative route through residential streets to my destination.

It used to piss me off but I got used to it. I hate driving in it if I have to break my routine so I refuse. One time I got stuck in it after I had to take my husband to his meeting about his job and it was at the main building. I got stuck in traffic so I got anxiety about it and I had to work that day and was unsure if I make it home. Never again did I drive at that time of day on the road before work.

I do it all the time as I drive for a living. However, I get irritated when people call me while I am driving during this time a day. It's stressful enough to deal with the brainless zombiez who ply the roads of Florida when I can give the road my undivided attention. People calling me when they KNOW that I am driving during this time drives me nuts. Fortunately, I am in the suburbs and my job is almost at the entrance to my subdivision, so my commute is around 5 minutes long. However, when I have to go into Tampa to go to the junkyards or IKEA, I try my hardest to get out of there before 4pm. Any later and I will be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic for an hour or two. When that happens it's very irritating because of the necessity for constant attention to what everyone is doing.