Mars

As a professor, I am lucky to be able to work any hours I please. So, I ride in rush hours only on occasion. However, even when I ride in off hours like, say 2:30 pm, the roads are filled with cars. Who are these people? Don't they have jobs? The cars and SUVs seem nice, so they can't all be unemployed folks just tooling around.

????

Wulfheir

retired, kept men and women, days off, holidays, late lunch, late shift, early shift, doctor's appointment, real estate agent, salesman, business meeting or service call.

timmhaan

sometimes i wonder the same thing. i guess they are retired folks, late shift workers, people who called in "sick", people going to and from doctor's offices, running errands, contractors going between work sites, delievery drivers, kids ditching school, people on vacation, professors with flexable hours, etc.


edit: looks like Wulfheir beat me to it and posted first.

roadfix

they're all self-employed...

boog

..and love to work at nothing all day!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

OT, I normally have Mondays and Tuesdays off, and do notice alot of traffic at times that I wouldn't expect it. After 2:30 or so I notice a big bump in cars on the road, and it keeps going up through rush hour. People get off work early, or start early in the AM, or work nights (like me). What throws me off is cars all over the place at 1:30 AM on a Tuesday.

boog

slvoid

They're just takin' care of business.

blonduathlongrl

I believe they are martians just peaking around at us folks while we're not looking.

blonduathlongrl

Seriously, they are just folks who work night shifts, or people running errands.. i mean the world soesnt stop turning cause some of you work 8 to 5, Im in the running arrands group at 2:30, Im the one you see driving by as I work nights so next time, wave and stop wondering what planet i feel from!

jimmuter

Isn't 2:30 about the time that schools are letting out? Plus, if you ride near hospitals, hotels, etc., a lot of shift workers are coming and going at any given time. Still, I'm always surprised by that too.

greenbreezer

I work 6am - 2pm so often wonder that myself. However that didn't really hit me til I went to Tokyo for a vacation. The subways and buses are packed any hour of the day! Some of the more trendy places are a sea of human madness. And no one loiters around, either. They're all hustling off to go somewhere. Makes me want to shout "Where are you all going?" Seriously, there's always a huge crowd (at least by my suburbia standards) on any street corner waiting for the green light so they can cross. I don't think all the buildings in Tokyo would be able to hold all the people in the city. It's like there always has to be at least 500,000 people out and about making tourists like me wonder what all the rush is all about.

Cadd

You're a professor and you can't figure this out? Damn.

aadhils

They're all Aliens from Mars!!!...

jeff-o

LOL.

Try riding at 2 in the morning... the traffic is much lighter. It's actually quite relaxing.

timmhaan

ah, but that's when all the drunks are out.

jeff-o

Good point. In that case, try 4am, the bars will have been closed for two hours by then.

jur

2manybikes

every day.. takin' care of business, every way......

dogbro

they are government employees. They work from 10:00 until 2:00... taking lunch from 11:30 til 1:30.

Hwy 40 Blue

I laughed out loud at your post, because when I was a newspaper reporter (I edit now) I'd be out and about on stories and see folks all over the place, in parks, stores, strolling along, whatever, at like 10:30 in the morning or two in the afternoon on a weekday, and I'd be thinking, who ARE these people??? I even proposed this as a story idea one time to my editor, who looked at me with pity.

Walkafire

not everyone works Monday thru Friday...

I work 14 hr shifts.... by choice! I get 4 day weekends

Took me 27 years to get to PICK my own schedule... eat your heart out youngster!

CommuterRun

Being semi-retired and self-employed I see these people too, but I always thought they were all professors.

bigbenaugust 

I'm an unassigned consultant with nothing better to do than ride right now...

Tumbleweed

Maybe they're uber cool mountain bikers on recon for some sweet singletrack.

Pigtire

I'm not sure where you are located but I ask that question everyday. Oh, I'm from Los Angeles.

Cadd

Lots of bars/clubs/lounges close around 3am or later here. Then after that people eat. At 5am, that's when the drunks go home.

But I wouldn't want to be riding from 2am - 5am on a weekend. I've seen drunk people crash their cars, hitting parked cars. Then their drunk passengers would come out of the car bursting out laughing. It's really quite a sight to see.