Blinking red light or stop sign?

It seems like every day I have something to complain about on my commute, and today is going to be no different! Don't get me wrong though, there are perks to commuting! But my commute in to town was fine, weather was beautiful! No snow (which they called for). But on my way home, the weather was freezing and the wind must have been blowing 50 mph. Every red light was out! And to me it seems like when this happens, no one knows what to do. I know I don't. They say to treat the red light as a stop sign when it is not working, but most people don't do that. Luckly, I got home without witnessing any accidents.

The weather outside is frightful...

Welcome December weather!

I think if I had to pick one thing that I do not like about driving in December is snow and ice. The cold weather I can deal with, but driving on a snow covered road scares me! Now that the weather is getting like that, my mom always tells me to have things in the car just incase something would happen. Here's an article on how to prepare your car for winter. Also, have a winter jacket in your car! Just a few tips for you!

Hope all is well with your winter commutes!

Whatever happened to the 2 second rule?

So driving into downtown today, there was no traffic, which was good! Cars were moving easily through the streets. I was driving the speed limit, of course, not thinking I was going too slow, until a car sped up and got really close to the back end of my car. Like I said before, no traffic, there was no one in the lane next to us. They could of easily just went around me and been on their way. But no, for about fifteen minutes they did this. I didn't do switch lanes, I kept going the same speed and finally they got a clue and pasted me. And while passing me they had the nerve to strare me down, give me a dirty look and speed up. Can someone please tell me why people do this, I would love to know!

Really People??

In this article from USA TODAY, 3.4 million people endure an "extreme commute" every day. This means they commute for 90 minutes or more to work. I see a big problem in that. If you remember reading my post Is Your Commute Killing You?, people would get a clue! I don't understand why they wouldn't try to find a place closer to where they worked? Common sense.

Commute Calculator

Ever wonder how much you are spending commuting?

I found this handy commute calculator. Check it out!

No gas...

Today was the first day back to class after the week long break for Thanksgiving. Needless to say, I was not happy to be driving back downtown and even more unhappy to see that I had no gas. I probably should of checked the night before but that would of made too much sense. So I had to get gas before going to class, which was a pain! But, I made it to class and I was happy.

NOTE TO WISE: check gas before leaving to commute!

Never again....

Well yesterday, I decided to venture out and go shopping on the craziest shopping day of the year. This was my first time ever to go shopping on Black Friday. I was in for a rude awakening. I left to go shopping around 10 p.m., thinking I got a head start leaving 2 hours earlier...boy was I wrong! I was stuck in traffic for a good hour to two hours. Once I got there, I stood in line for another hour to get inside the stores I wanted to go. Needless to say, I'd rather pay the extra $20 dollars than sit in traffic, and wait in line just to get a good deal.

Accidents Happen...

On my way home after class this afternoon, my commute was going smoothly. No traffic, what-so-ever. Fifteen minutes into my commute home, I was stopped behind a huge line of traffic. It was only 1:00 pm when I was coming home. There was no reason, that I could think of to have this much traffic. I was at a stand still for a good 20 mins. As traffic started moving, I could see flashing red and blue lights, and knew that there had been an accident of some type. I understand that accidents do happen...a lot. But that accident was cleared, and a police was controlling the red lights. They only back up traffic more by doing that. I got home an hour later...when I should of been home in 25 minutes. Bummer.

"Commuter Car"

Today's commute was not as smooth as it was yesterday. There was a lot more traffic because of people coming back to work, I'm guessing? But I was thinking about what if I had a car that could just fly over all of the cars in traffic and be at my destination in no time. Think about it, NO traffic, NO red lights...perfect right? I mean I know that there is no such thing and there probably will never be such thing but a girl can dream, can't she? But i did a little research and found this car. A Commuter Car. It's the "fastest urban car". It is so tiny that it can weave in and out of cars like its nothing! Check it out! Let me know what you think and if you would consider buying something like this!

Happy Veteran's Day!

Happy Veteran's Day everyone!

This morning's commute was rough. Since I got an e-mail the night before saying that the parade is going to shut down roads that I take to class, I made sure I was up in time to leave and make it downtown before all the roads were blocked off. Now don't get me wrong I am not mad about the parade just the fact that someone sent an e-mail out the DAY BEFORE the parade. I like to have things beforehand so I can plan. But besides that, I got down there in time...a little early though for my class. But I did not get to enjoy the parade because I had class, but I definetly got to hear it!

Did anyone attend the parade? If so, what things were interesting?

Here's a poll for you, too!

Mappin'

Well today, was a good commute into town. I was actually running late and hit half of the traffic I would of if I was on time to leave. Weird, I know...maybe I should start leaving late and see if it happens again! But as I was sitting in the little traffic that I hit, I was thinking about another route I could take. Now I'm not very familiar with my surrounding areas, so I had no idea where to look. But GOOGLE MAPS, is a good place to search for new routes! Type in the address to where you are going and the address to your home. It is a great tool to help you find new routes to miss out on traffic or even a faster way into work!

Practice Personality Quiz

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Is Your Commute Killing You?

I found this interesting article of CNN.com about a man who needed surgery because he commuted every day. Check it out and let me know your opinions!

Letting Loose!

The only thing that makes my commute go fast when I end up getting stuck in traffic is music. I gave up on the radio because all of the lengthy commercials. I usually have my Ipod or a burned CD. I usually end up listening to country, especially Taylor Swift, because the lyrics are easy to remember. Therefore, it makes it easy to sing along. I probably get a lot of stares when I sing in my car, but who hasn't done that? Now that Christmas is coming up, I'll be listening to that non-stop!

What kind of music do you listen to that makes your commuter faster?

Advantages...Are there any?

The other day I was talking to a friend who lives on campus. We got onto the topic of commuting versus staying on campus and thought that this would be a perfect topic for my blog. I know many people who have different opinions on commuting. Some say you don't get the full effect of college if you commute, others say you have a seperation of home and school life. I honestly agree with both of those statements. I do wish I lived on campus, I would know a lot more people if I did. But living at home, for me, is the best fit at this point in my life. I like coming home to my bed, in my OWN room, not having to worry about a roommate. I have dinner ready for me when I get home. And when I have a problem, I always have my family close by. So, yeah, for me commuting has advantages.

Disagree with me? Let me know your opinion!

Poll and Quiz

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Practice Audio

"Anything but Square"

I'll just start off by saying that my commute was a lot better than it was yesterday. It seemed to go much smoother! Maybe because I ranted yesterday! But after class, I was trying to think of something I could do until my next class. I couldn't think of anything. As I was walking out of class, I looked across the river and saw Station Square. So, I chose to go there because there is a variety of things to do and it was half way decent outside (weather wise). One thing that I think everyone should check is the display of the fountain. It shows every 20 minutes from 9 am to 12 pm. They have many different places to eat, as well as shop. If you haven't visited Station Square, I suggest you make a trip!

Let me know what you enjoyed at Station Square!

Not So Happy Commuter...

It's one of those where I wish I didn't commute....nothing seemed to go my way. I hit every red light, I seemed to get stuck behind someone who was in no rush to go anywhere. I found myself switching in and out of lanes every minute. Also, I seemed to get behind buses. On top of that, I sat in traffic for a good 45 minutes. Now most days this type of thing wouldn't bother me, but today it just really upset me. Days like these make me wish I either lived downtown or in walking distance of downtown. Can I get a break here??!!

A Commuter's Vent...

There are some things I like and there are some things I don't like about commuting. Parking is something I don't like. I shouldn't really be complaining because I have a lease in a parking garage literally 2 seconds away from school (3rd Avenue Garage). But in this garage, if there are no spots left, you have to leave your keys with the person in charge of that floor so they can park and/or move it when they need to. Two things I don't like about that...1) they adjust the seat to their liking, 2) once your ready to leave, you have to press a button to have someone move around cars, so you can leave. This takes and extra 15 minutes. Last year, I had a lease to another garage (Boulevard). I couldn't get a lease because they were doing construction and weren't giving out as many leases. Once the garage was half way full, they closed it off to only people who had leases, so that we could find a spot. But this garage did have 10 floors compared to the 4 floors in the 3rd Avenue garage. I personally liked this one better. I had my keys, no one moved my seat and I could leave once I got to my car....


Anyone have a similar situation? This drives me crazy!

Skateboard or Bike?

Well I must have jinxed myself yesterday saying how nice it was not to have any traffic! The traffic today made up for yesterday . . . bumper to bumper traffic all the way until the Liberty Tunnels. Lets just say I wasn't having a great morning. But I found an article in the Post Gazette about how college commuter students are starting to not drive to class. They are using bikes and skateboards! I would LOVE to not drive my car to school every day, but riding my bike wouldn't be something I would want considering my commute is long. Now if I lived close by, I would!

Let me know what you would take and if you consider not commuting with a car!

Moes, Starbucks and Bruegger's, Oh my!

Ohh, Mondays. It's definitely a challenge getting up after a nice relaxing weekend! I couldn't figure out why there was not a lot of traffic on my commute in, but then I remembered that the Steeler's played at home and won. That explains a lot! Anyway, after class was over I decided to walk to Market Square (someone told me to check it out). Market Square is located at the intersection of Forbes and Market Street. There was a lot of construction going on, which made my visit interesting. I've honestly never been to Market Square, but I was suprised by how many shops and restaurants there are there. Primanti Brothers, Moe's Southwest Grille and the 1902 Tavern are just a few of the restaurants located there. Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks and Bruegger's Bagels are also located there. There is also a nail salon and a GNC. I stopped in Dunkin' Donuts to get a donut because I haven't had one in so long! (Check out the website! It has many discount coupons that you can use in a lot of the shops there as well as other interesting information!)

Button Up!

So today was the same as any other day...woke up, ate breakfast, got ready, packed my things (which i should do the night before but somehow never get around to!), and leave. Now that it's getting colder I had to wait until my windows/car "defrosted". I like warm or hot weather better than cold weather. There is something about getting into a freezing car every morning that I just can't get used to or learn to like, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I got to class ..did my thing and then had some extra time in between classes. and you know me...always hungry! I walked around until I found some place that looked inviting. I chose Fifth Avenue Place. There are a variety of things there from places to eat to places to shop. The food court is on the 2nd floor. Places to eat include Sbarros (pizza and other Italian foods), Charley's Grilled Subs (my personal favorite), and Wok & Grill (Chinese). Places to shop include Laurie's Hallmark and Betsy Ann Chocolates. Check out the following link for more information about Fifth Avenue Place. In addition to a listing of merchants, the site includes information on what's new as well as an events calendar. This is a nice place to enjoy a nice quiet lunch, not too crowded and not too far from campus!

oh...and why do people insist on doing productive things...aka film a movie...during rush hour traffic...ONLY PITTSBURGH. my commute took an extra 45 minutes. Anyone know what movie is filming here?

Oh, Christmas Tree!

Since today was Columbus day, and most people had off (expect Point Park) my commute was smooth! No traffic, and I also hit no red lights. It was wonderful!

After class, I figured since it would start getting colder, I would take a walk. I usually never have time to walk around downtown, so I figured now is my chance. I walked down 3rd Street. PPG Place is located there. They are getting ready for Christmas already! It's only October!! I never noticed there were restaurants and shops inside the buildings. They are spread out between the 6 buildings!

You can even warm up with something from Crazy Mocha!!

Get Fit!

So today I was sitting in my car on my way to class, and of course there was traffic (keep in mind I am going into the city of Pittsburgh at 8:30 in the morning). Since I had a lot of time on my hands, I started thinking about things you can do in your car while sitting in traffic. Not too many things came to mind because there really isn’t anything you can do besides sit in silence or sit and listen to the radio. And we all know that morning radio shows NEVER play music, all they do is talk. To me, I don’t like that, but to you, you may. But here’s a video, I found on YouTube! I never thought to do something like this, but I may have to try. ENJOY.

Monday Morning Blues

Yesterday, my commute into school was....long. For some reason, every Monday, I get stuck behind a truck. If I pass it, I seem to get behind another one. I can never get away from them. On top of that, there was a lot of car traffic too...not suprising being it was a Monday morning. The best thing about my Mondays is that I only have two classes.. I am done by 1:00 PM and am usually very hungy. (Funny, I just realized I talk about food alot . . . guess that's because I LOVE food.) I have heard a lot of students talking about a pizza place they like to go to. It's called R & B's Pizza. Since I was done with class and hungry, I decided to go check it out. I liked it! It's nothing fancy, just a small resturaunt located on 107 Smithfield Street, right next to Smithfield News. They have your typical "bar" food. Pizza, any type of hoagies, gyros...you name it, they have it. They have specials also for college students. You can get one piece of pizza and a drink or one large pizza and a large drink for a reasonable price. That's good new for me because the place where I have worked for three years just closed for business. I recommend R & B's pizza to anyone. They also deliever! My day turned out pretty good after all. I still had my commute back home, though. It was only 2:00 PM when I left, so I didn't hit much traffic. So, this day tripper was happy that she didn't get "tripped" up going home!

Let me know about your commute into school/work today!

The Golden Triangle

Today after class, I decided to take a walk to Point State Park. From Point Park University, it is a 10 minute walk. Wow, what a beautiful view! I ran in a race there with my dad when I was little . . . but didn't remember much about the park itself. What a sight to see. Many people were there, which was surprising to see because the weather is starting to get colder. Although, luckily, today was a little bit warmer than it has been so far this week! If you are planning to visit, I'd suggest you go sooner rather than later because the leaves are starting to change, and it makes the park and the view even more beautiful. If you aren't familiar with Point State Park, there is a 100-foot tall fountain at the "point". There are many paved pathways that you can walk on, and while doing so get a close up look at where the three rivers meet! There is also a huge grassy area there where people lay blankets and hang out. For all the bikers out there, you can enjoy bike routes that connect to other bike routes. Some go to the North Shore Trail, the South Side Trail and the Eliza Furnace Trail. And for those interested in history, there is also the Fort Pitt Museum, the Fort Pitt Block House, plaques and markers that show historical facts and explain the significance of the park. I recommend a visit!


Interested, here's the information!
Point State Park
c/o Park Region 2
Prospect, PA 16052-2013
724 865-2131
Manager: Frances Stein
E-mail: parkregion2sp@state.pa.us

What would you like on that?

good afternoon commuters!

Today, I am happy to report, my commute went without incident. no random stopping because of rain, no traffic..oddly enough. I got to class on time, and happy! When my classes were done at 12:50, I had to rush to a doctor's appt. with my mom to get flu shots. As I was walking to Sixth Street, I saw many places I hadn't noticed before where I could go after classes! (I'll keep you posted). After the doc, my mom treated me to lunch. We chose Bruegger's Bagels as the place to go. Some people think that Bruegger's only serves breakfast [because the word bagel is in the name], but they have many things to pick from for lunch. ( Click here to see the menu! ). I chose to get a plain bagel with turkey, cheese and mayo! Their salads and paninis looked pretty tasty as well! They also have excellent soup . . . the chicken spaetzle is one of my favorites!
check it out, 3714 Forbes Ave - (412) 682-6360.



Anyone have a favorite Brueggers "sandwich"?

Rain, Rain Go Away....

Well, today my commute was -- how should I put this?-- interesting. Rain plus Pittsburgh drivers equals TRAFFIC! LOTS OF TRAFFIC!! I don't know what is with drivers when it rains (especially since we gets lots of it here in the Burgh). It seems like they hit the break for no apparent reason.

Anyway, my day went smoothly after I got to school. I got done with class at 12:50 and I didn't have anything to do until 4:15. What did I do? I heard about Mellon Square (located at the corner of Smithfield Street and Oliver). Since the rain stopped and the sun came out [Pittsburgh weather at its finest], I decided to venture there. I would advise you not to eat there because there are pigeons everywhere (poop also...GROSS!). Other than that fact, it was very relaxing. There is a fountain and a neat structure in the lawn area. No matter where you sit, you can look at the differnt architecture on the buildings..which I never noticed before..pretty neat! Also, if you are into people watching, you will love Mellon Sqaure. Lots of different types of people hang out there. Go check it out! Let me know if you enjoyed it!

Pumpkin Spice Latte

So today, I got to school really early, which is a rare occasion since my classes start so early! I usually get here 10 minutes before class and have to run up the steps! Which if you are familiar with Point Park steps will know is NOT a good thing! Having 40 minutes before my class, I didn't know what I should do. I already ate breakfast, so I ruled that out. Then I remembered that Starbucks was right down the road (7 Wood Street, right across from Kaplan). I usually don't know what to get there because they have so many different choices. Its overwhelming! But, I decided on a pumpkin spice latte. I HIGHLY recommend it! The setting was very comfy. I found a soft chair and read Twilight until I had to leave for class.

Starbucks . . . something to do between classes if you have extra money to spend!

Nothing on but the radio

Today my commute was quite boring. I usually listen to my iPod but of course, I forgot to charge it, so I had to resort to the radio. As I was flipping from station to station, I came across Froggy 104.3, which they recently changed from 98.3. They had a count down of country music with barely any commercials!! By the time I got home, I heard of 2 commercials. You can't beat that.

So I leave you with this, does anyone have a certain kind of channel they like to listen to on their commute to and from school?

Here's the link to Froggy:
http://www.froggyland.com/

This is a start of something new...

As a sohomore in college, I have met new people, been to a lot of new places and done a lot of new things. Being a commuter student, I see and experience different things than a student that stays on campus. Now that I am more familiar with my surroundings at an urban university, I am ready to explore new places and learn new things about the city where I go to school. So, sit back and enjoy the days in the life of Day Tripper.