I Forgot--and I got Stressed

Baltimore Looks Serene
Baltimore, MD
December 3, 2024

 I drove across Baltimore yesterday for an appointment. When I checked my mapping app, the drive was 42 minutes, BUT because of trouble on the beltway inner loop I was being routed through Baltimore City. 

I never like going through Baltimore City. The streets are a mess and the traffic is unpredictable. I padded my travel time because I have been through this before. 

Well, yesterday my travel time suddenly gained an extra 10 minutes due to an accident and a school program involving 10 buses. Ugh! It was then I remembered an earlier vow to never drive through Baltimore City to access I-83 and avoid beltway traffic. 

My stress level went up as at each turn it seemed I was confronted with a new unplanned traffic disaster.

I made it to my appointment later than the suggested arrival time, but still earlier than the actual appointment time.

Note to self: Driving through Baltimore is never an option.

As I was leaving my appointment about 2 PM, my mapping app again suggested driving through the middle of Baltimore. I decided instead to use the beltway and drive the long way around using the east side because thew west side was still bound up. I was much happier with this decision. The app said it was a. 2 minute longer route--but I am sure I would have lost a lot more than 2 minutes driving through the middle of Baltimore!

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD