It was one of those days today, when everyone on the road seemed to be going crazy. Or it could be one of those days when a series of things go wrong, starting with getting delayed while trying to get out the door.

Either way, it just seemed that the ride to work today was fraught with loonies trying to carve out their own way on the highways.

First I got stuck in a traffic jam for no apparent reason. There was no accident, no school bus stopped to pick up kids, no ambulance or fire truck rushing past. Yet it seemed that I would never be able to finish my 30-minute drive.

Then someone cut in front of me without giving any sort of signal - guess they were getting late, too. Then the Altima in front of me started signaling to go right and instead moved two lanes to the left. Needless to say, I was shaken up already, and I hadn’t even taken the exit to the interstate. My bag, and the sundry things on my passenger seat, had gone flying about in the car due to the sudden braking. 

I wasn’t about to strain myself trying to pick up the bag from the car floor. I just hoped no one called. My cell phone was also somewhere on the floor.

The highway, as usual, was a nightmare with bumper-to-bumper traffic - people talking on phones, eating, drinking coffee, fiddling with car stereos or instructing children ready to be dropped to babysitters or schools. I am one of those on the road, too, so I have no right to throw stones. 

As I get to work, the first news report I hear says that traffic fatalities in several Bay area cities have gone up drastically because of inattentive drivers. We hear of hit-and-runs on a daily basis.

Why? Because we are trying to save two or three minutes by cutting someone off, eating our granola bars in the car or, like one of the ads for a smooth-driving car showed, applying makeup flawlessly while driving. 

Two minutes, maybe five. And so many lives cut short. 

Just another day.