Make him pay for it all...

"While he was scheming
(running through a red light)
I was beamin in the Beamer just beamin
(Hyundai, and honking)
Can't believe that I caught my man cheatin'
(woahh, red means STOP)
So I found another way to make him pay for it all"
(totes narked him out)

My rush-hour traffic patterns have gotten significantly worse since Labor Day hit and everyone is not only back to work, but there are a ton of school buses out there now.  (sidenote: why do parents walk their kids ONTO the bus and chat with the driver, then stand there waving until the bus driver closes the door in their face?!)

I've figured out a few additional backroads to beat the backed up red lights.  On Friday, I used this method and ended up at an intersection I pass through everyday.. but because of my trickiness, I was in a position to go straight through the light rather than turning right onto it as I have done so many times before.

Let me paint a picture for you.

Or describe it, you paint it if you want.

From above...Four-way intersection.  Four traffic lights (12:00, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00).  On one corner(lets call this 1:00), there is a Dunkin Donuts with only 4 parking spots (aka backup). On another corner(4:00), a shopping plaza that doesn't open until later(aka empty). On the third corner (7:30), there is a gas station with convenience mart.  The last corner (10:30) has a no-name gas station with a full-mechanic's bay (always busy).

The road that I NEED to end up on runs through 12:00 and 6:00.  Usually, I am coming from the road on 3:00.  My trick brings me around and I end up at 6:00 to go straight through toward 12:00. (3:00 really does back up nearly a mile).

Being at 6, there are some making lefts and others going straight. Those at 9 tend to only go left or straight also. I was the first car in line to go straight through 6, waiting for my green. 

Once it turned green, the schoolbus coming from 9 that was stuck at the yellow in the middle of the intersection went.  The guy to my left at 6 began his left turn into 9 when the schoolbus waiting at 9(totally was behind the "stop here at red" line), WENT.  Like really just drove into the intersection, slowed a bit and made a left turn.

I have never heard SO much honking at that hour coming from ...OTHER... people's cars.

The bus was full.  VERY full.  Of elementary school sized kids.  I repeated the bus number and license plate in my head all of the way to work. 

Bypassing real work to be done, I googled the street name the bus turned on to (because I had followed him a block and knew it), found the elementary school it was going to.. and CALLED IT.

"Hi, can you please give me the name and possibly phone number of the bus company your school uses?"

"It is [xyz] and their number is [555-8888]."

"Thanks! I'm about to call them and let them know that I saw a bus full of your students run a red light. Should I also report that to you?"

"[deeping surprised sigh ever] HUH AH, no just hang up and call them right now please, make sure to give the bus number"

Done.  BITCHES.

This irked me all day.  And still is now.  Its one thing to mess around when it can only possibly effect you (not that its ok, of course).. but small children!? 

You are very welcome, unnamed small town in MA.