The Peak

There is substantially less traffic today than there was in 2004. '04 was peak SUV, peak wages, nearly peak home values, peak employment, peak consumption, peak pollution, peak dollar, and peak roadway deaths. I typically try to stage my weekly commutes such that I always ride the bike home on Fridays, because historically, that's always been the worst traffic of the week.

No longer. Franklin Blvd. is dead after 5:00. Fewer commuters and fewer people recreationally burning oil driving to see friends, eat at restaurants, drive to the movies, or drive to the gym.

This is good for me. In fact, it's excellent. Fewer cars means fewer chances to die on the bike. When we go out to eat, there's not a crush of people competing for tables. I have the discretionary income to eat out because I'm not blowing my rent money at the casino or on gasoline. I also have it because we didn't buy his and her matching SUVs or plasma TVs for each room in 2004.

'08 can also be described in other peak terms: peak unemployment, peak credit defaults, peak personal debts, peak oil prices, peak Euro/Yen, peak national debt, peak discontent with Congress, peak state deficits, peak worries, and peak food prices.

And to be honest, I am a much more content person now than I was four years ago, regardless of what's going on around me, and regardless of my contempt for it all. I would take 2008 over 2004 anyday.