Last week we wrote about the triple disaster for which a star-studded, all-day Let’s Get Motivated seminar was the catalyst. It began at 8 a.m., in the middle of rush hour, and featured such headliners as former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former heavyweight champ George Foreman _ and more. Stars, rush hour, 15,000 added cars _ all headed downtown.

  Ouch.

  Well a visiting reporter has written a website to extoll our ability to inspire a world class traffic jam just about anywhere in the Bay area. Our fame is spreading ...

    “Anyone been to the West Coast of Florida recently?

    “You can’t drive in the Tampa area at any time approximating rush hour. YOU CANNOT DRIVE IN THE TAMPA AREA, REALLY, AT ANY HOUR THIS TIME OF YEAR. AND I MEAN THAT.

    “While in Florida last Friday to cover a little spring training, I found myself in bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-275 near downtown Tampa ... at 5:55 a.m. That afternoon, driving the 132 miles from Fort Myers back to Tampa took me three hours and 53 minutes. The Red Sox-Phils game that day had to be pushed back two hours because the Philadelphia team bus was stuck in traffic coming down I-75 from Clearwater.

    “I mean this: I am in some pretty heavy traffic at times in the New York vicinity. The west coast of Florida is catching up. Fast.

    “A few times a year I drive from my home in northern New Jersey to Boston—207 miles. It rarely takes me longer than 3:20. Funny, but I’ve always thought people moved to Florida for the weather and the change of pace from the Northeast. All this place is now is a warm Long Island.”