At Least It’s Good For Something

The Times interviews the beleaguered people who live along the Cross-Bronx Expressway:

For the tens of thousands of commuters who pass through the tangled crossing each day, the drive is a grinding torture. But for many of those who live alongside the Cross Bronx, the slow-moving river of traffic provides not only a steady soundtrack, but also entertainment, consolation and even wisdom.

. . .

Mr. Ramirez, a retired police officer, smokes a cigar every afternoon as he walks his dog, Peanut, on a patch of grass overlooking the highway intersections.

“You think you’re the only person on the planet, but you come here and see all the people,” he said, gesturing with his cigar stub to a line of cars. “It clears my mind. I don’t feel alone when I come here.”

“If I’m having trouble with my wife,” he added, “I come here and watch the traffic. I thought I had problems, but look at these poor people. They sit in this traffic every day. These people have it so bad compared to me.”

Here’s an idea for the busybodies at the Department of Transportation — why not throw a bone to the truckers for once and make the Cross-Bronx Expressway trucks only during busy times? Because reducing congestion isn’t just for Manhattan, right?