Road Clots and Chat Bots

I've got a pretty benign commute.  Only about 17 minutes from home to office.  Too much more is pretty close to intolerable on a daily basis, particularly the stop-and-go part.  Many suffer much worse than stop-and-go, i.e. stop and stay there.  The answer our brilliant 21st Century civilization has come up with?  Wider roads and more cars, which begets wider roads and more cars, which begets wider....etc.

And then there's the complaints about gas prices.  Biden and his evil Liberals inflating gas prices, the communist conservationists worried about drilling oil in "fragile" environments, and worst, the Climate Nazis who are concerned about CO2 emissions and global warming.   Patriotic Americans ask: "Wha cain't ah drive mah massive pickup fast as ah want and wherever ah want, when ah want!"

Well, there's still something called logic and reality out there, both of which are critically endangered species in the US in 2024.  But if we take a chance with them there are a few simple facts staring everyone in the face but as usual with scientific reality, easily dismissed.

1. It is not necessary to ram the nose of your car a few inches away from the preceding car.  This creates clots (which slows down all traffic) and results in endless crashes (which stops all traffic).  Tailgating is great at football games but is idiotic on the highway.  I have seen perfectly clear stretches of highway both preceding and following clots of about 20 cars creeping along, noses firmly embedded in the derriere of the car in front.  Neither fragrant nor pleasant.
   
2. Regarding gas prices, remember that Gravity is our Friend, and so is Momentum.  The accelerator does not have to be constantly in action. A car in neutral rolling down a steep hill will get there just as fast as one blowing the day's fuel price out the tailpipe.
3. Driving a Gigantomobile SUV or a Tyrannocrusher Pickup may be psychologically good for people with underdeveloped genitalia, but it also wastes gasoline like mad, adds to the ease of clot formation, and is still a poor stand-in for desired Hummer or M1 Abrams tank (Both of which seem to be getting pretty rare on American roads lately).

So, just a few ideas to keep your mind on driving rather than on that AI chatbot masquerading as "Nadya" while asking for a few dollars to help her emigrate from Romania.