Today's Traffic

Just a snapshot of where I sat for awhile today! I posted yesterday on FB that I felt very American as I had driven 3 times in 2 days and was going to drive again today! Lets see, where have I been-- Embassy compound, orthodontist, school, vet-- all places we walked or metroed to in Moscow. But it wasn't until today that I hit the traffic really. It took me about an hour to get about 2 kilometers. But this can be expected any day of the week and especially on Friday! This is why we didn't own a car the 2 years we lived in Moscow. But in Moscow the public transportation was massive, efficient, and reliable and could get you to or at least near any place in the city you needed to be and in good time. Rush hour the metro was quite crowded but still doable. I actually mistakenly (lost track of time) took my mom and dad(with walker), and Aunt Clara on the metro during rush hour in Moscow and lost my mom---but that is another story! But we found her and made our way. The metro rush hour here in Kyiv is a traffic jam of its own. A sea of stinky sweaty tired people inching their way from platform to platform. Squeezing even closer together into trains holding your breath until that door slides open again and the sea rearranges itself only to hold your breath again for the next stop. All the while carefully protecting your bag so not to be pic-pocketed. It is better to avoid all means of transportation at rush hours.  Given the choice in Moscow I preferred the metro no question! Here I prefer to drive!