Inspired by the "Bike to Work Day" concept, I would like to propose a similar event.

On "Drive Yourself to Work Day," people who generally get to work by some strategy other than the Single Occupancy Vehicle (SOV), such as carpooling, bussing, cycling, or walking would instead drive their car, alone, from their home all the way to their workplace, then home again. The record-duration commute would involve sitting in traffic occasionally watching an empty bus ease past them in the diamond lane and upon finally arriving (late) at work, the struggle to find a parking place within walking distance would ensue.

How could this possibly be a good thing?

The primary benefit to "Drive Yourself to Work Day" would be a valuable glimpse into the future of transportation in the area. And not just for the participants either. Any potential lessons would be painfully accessible to anyone unlucky or enough not to have avoided the roads that day. Participants would have signs for their rear window ("Am I driving you nuts? I'm driving myself to work today!" Perhaps the signs would need to be kevlar-coated.) to let the person behind them know why traffic is so bad, with a number to call and URL for more information.
-- jimfl, Jul 30 2002

Ah, but, except, everyone would assume that it would be pointless trying to go into work, and they'd stay at home in bed. Leading to an unprecedented emptiness of the roads, and everyone concluding that it's the pesky buses slowing all the other traffic down, and a consequent enormous rise in car usage.
-- pottedstu, Jul 30 2002


In London we call this a "tube strike".
-- Mayfly, Jul 30 2002


//How could this possibly be a good thing?//

I think this says it all. Just who are you trying to punnish here??
-- Aurora, Jul 30 2002



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