"Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Detroit has its own version of traffic rules... Hold on and pray." - hilarious article I found when trying to find alternate routes to avoid rush hour at the beginning of the summer

Regardless of where in the USA you are, rush hour will follow you. I drive through the AM and PM installments of it to get to and from work, and it has shown me a side of myself that I never knew existed: road rage is real, people, it is alive and well. Although it has allowed me to listen to a few books on tape, memorize most of this year's Broadway soundtracks, and taught me how control my newfound temper, it is undeniably aggravating. Here are some of the daily emotions I experience regarding the horror that is driving through rush hour. Feel free to comment with some of your own inner-monologues/diatribes during the dreaded commute!

1. Waking up in the morning already annoyed with the people on the road

2. Checking the traffic report on your phone and crying before you even leave your driveway

3. "Merging" (waiting on the ramp for five minutes until some kind soul lets you on) onto the freeway

4. When people ride your bumper like it's going to make you move any faster

5. Telling yourself that taking the side streets instead of the freeway will cut down your commute time but it takes even longer

6. Trying to cheer yourself up by jamming to your favorite tunes while going 10 mph on the freeway

7. Knowing that you could walk faster than you're currently driving

8. Pitying that one person that is attempting to make their way across five lanes to reach their exit and blatantly failing

9. Recognizing other rush-hour-frequenters' cars on the freeway every day

10. Loathing those left-lane exits for always sneaking up on you

11. Envying people zooming past you on bicycles

12. Constantly trying to find newer, faster routes to no avail

13. When someone cuts you off without even having the decency to use their turning signal

14. Asking yourself why you even bother working somewhere that requires driving through rush hour

15. Trying to explain to your non-rush-hour-frequenter friends why you had no choice but to yell at the person in the lane next to you through your window

16. Calling your friends and family in the car because you have some serious time to kill

17. Sitting at work and then remembering that you're going to have to drive through rush hour to get home

18. When your boss says you can leave half an hour early and you have a chance of avoiding rush hour

19. When there are three accidents and it's raining and there's construction and it's rush hour

20. Finally getting home at the end of the day after sitting through rush hour not once, but twice