Who you going to believe?

“Tens of thousands of Northern Californians fought their way through a chaotic commute this morning, a day after a gasoline tanker exploded and sent up a tower of flames that destroyed a heavily used freeway overpass near downtown Oakland.” —
The New York Times

“Officials had braced for terrible traffic jams and crowded ferries, trains and buses, but save for some backup on westbound Interstate 80 and Highway 101 on the Peninsula, the morning went smoothly.” — San Francisco Chronicle

Do you suppose it’s like obituaries and The Times is writing all its news stories in advance?

[Emphasis mine.]

6 thoughts on “Who you going to believe?”

  1. This morning was the easiest commute I have had since I moved here more than two years ago. Everyone going into the city stayed home.

  3. Tobias, this posting wasn’t about traffic. It was about The New York Times getting the most elemental fact wrong in their lead paragraph.

    But, for that matter, the San Francisco Chronicle reported at just before 5 PDT that “evening commuters started off on a surprisingly easy return journey to the East Bay, largely avoiding major traffic tie-ups.”

    But, Tobias, you are probably right about the days to come.

  4. Actually tomorrow will be no worse for me. I commute from the suburbs to Oakland. The people who live near me and commute across the bridge to San Francisco now have their way home closed and are facing a major detour off the freeway. That will lead to many of them to take the BART or find some other way to work. I suspect the traffic on my commute will be lighter during the duration of the closing.

  6. I am now home. I am pretty sure today was the shortest (and most stress free) commute I have had on a work day since moving here 30 months ago. I do not believe I had to hit the brakes once for traffic on the freeway (8 of my 10 mile commute each way).

    I suspect the folks who commute by BART and now will face full parking lots are not so pleased.

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