The reality is that many employees could stay home every day. Mobile computing and today’s IT environments make it easy for many working professionals to get as much done at home as in the office. The cost of commuting and building an infrastructure big enough to support commuters seems silly in an age when being in the office physically is often not a requirement. I wish more employers would embrace this concept and look at alternative ways to get the job done without creating cubical farms.
I don’t know a single person who was ever “panicked” about the short-term closure of the 405. While it was important to get the word out to stay away from this freeway and not to overload surface streets, this was another case of media overhype. The same thing happened in the run-up to the Olympics in 1984 and 11 years ago for that other non-event, the Millennium computer virus. Since there’s rarely any local news of actual importance, tv and radio stations saw this as another way to deliver an ever-decreasing audience. Pathetic.
I agree with the others– “the populace” did no such thing as panic. The media hyped it up ad nauseum, but everyone else made up their minds to think globally and travel locally. I think the only lesson learned was as Ed suggested below– think of how we might make a stateent about gas prices, government, policy, the environment, etc if we did this now and then….
Forget the two longest wars in US history or our third war in Libya (which Congress still hasn’t voted for despite being 120 days out…way past the 60-90 cutoff).
Forget both parties playing chicken with the entire global economy with these stupid debt ceiling “negotiations”.
Forget the recent overwhelming House vote in favor of a ~$650 billion 2012 budget for the Pentagon (and apparently that’s not including the war funding).
Let’s hear more about Carmageddon and Casey Anthony! I want more stories about twits tweeting pictures of their junk. Let’s see some more Toddlers and Tiaras. News? What news?
The reality is that many employees could stay home every day. Mobile computing and today’s IT environments make it easy for many working professionals to get as much done at home as in the office. The cost of commuting and building an infrastructure big enough to support commuters seems silly in an age when being in the office physically is often not a requirement. I wish more employers would embrace this concept and look at alternative ways to get the job done without creating cubical farms.
Just imagine what kind of economic statement people deciding not to drive could make.
I don’t know a single person who was ever “panicked” about the short-term closure of the 405. While it was important to get the word out to stay away from this freeway and not to overload surface streets, this was another case of media overhype. The same thing happened in the run-up to the Olympics in 1984 and 11 years ago for that other non-event, the Millennium computer virus. Since there’s rarely any local news of actual importance, tv and radio stations saw this as another way to deliver an ever-decreasing audience. Pathetic.
The Valley and the OC stayed home and out of LA… Angelenos were out and about.
I agree with the others– “the populace” did no such thing as panic. The media hyped it up ad nauseum, but everyone else made up their minds to think globally and travel locally. I think the only lesson learned was as Ed suggested below– think of how we might make a stateent about gas prices, government, policy, the environment, etc if we did this now and then….
Just goes to show that we are all at the mercy of Cal Trans and other highway authorities. Wonder what the financial impact was?
File this under “First World Problems”.
Forget the two longest wars in US history or our third war in Libya (which Congress still hasn’t voted for despite being 120 days out…way past the 60-90 cutoff).
Forget both parties playing chicken with the entire global economy with these stupid debt ceiling “negotiations”.
Forget the recent overwhelming House vote in favor of a ~$650 billion 2012 budget for the Pentagon (and apparently that’s not including the war funding).
Let’s hear more about Carmageddon and Casey Anthony! I want more stories about twits tweeting pictures of their junk. Let’s see some more Toddlers and Tiaras. News? What news?