I think it would be almost impossible to do any hypermiling any near Atlanta. There’s no such thing as the fast lane there, just people weaving in and out of lanes at 80MPH.

Nor in Chicago. I’ve become an overly aggressive driver since moving here. On long drives I’m probably too far in the opposite direction, in that I set the cruise control for a high as I think I can get away with and drive the entire 100, 200, 300 miles with my knee working the steering wheel… Seriously, people, it’s the 2000’s. Aren’t we supposed to have teleportation by now? Haha.

Dale Eltoft says:

Josh,

I used to drive like you. Every day’s commute was high speed combat full of pressure and frustration. My personal life was similarly full of pressure and mounting frustration. Then one day I decided I could no longer live like that. I actually started by simply pulling over into the right lane, backing off the bumper of the guy in front and commuting peacefully. The cost was no more than a few minutes each day and the reward was that I discovered that most of the pressure and frustration in the rest of my life was similarly artificial. It was mostly a result of my approach to how to get things done.

Perhaps you should do a pod cast on the law of diminishing returns. Once you pass the sweet point where the incremental return on investment no longer justifies the additional cost, continued investment is not a rational choice. Then the frustration from diminished returns leads to anger which results in escalating investment in an attempt to get that additional return. But all you get is more anger and frustration which is carried over into the rest of your life.

You’ll know when you’ve backed yourself down to that sweet spot when one day after parking the car you’ll sit there listening to the radio until the news item, song or whatever finishes.

Perhaps you can appreciate how toxic combat commuting is for you when I point out that you are probably pushing yourself into “fight or flight” mode. I know that’s one of your favorite topics.

Bruce says:

I didn’t know there was a name for this type of driving. When you actually practice hypermiling, you usually end up hitting all green lights while keeping it easy on your car.

Daniel W. Simon says:

I work for a company that is kind enough to provide me a vehicle for commuting and work, but with the caveat that they plaster a “how’s my driving?” sticker on it. Knowing that anyone can call in and complain about you tends to make you a much more patient driver. However, I find I drive much more aggressively in my car, simply because I can!