A Detroit-based TikToker who goes by Mitchenzo (@mcdouble_deez) shared a rush hour PSA. In a viral clip that’s accrued over 175,000 views on the app, he urges folks to leave just five minutes earlier. Doing so, he says, can help you avoid certain types of drivers, which can potentially get you to work faster.
Furthermore, folks can also bypass the frustrations of sharing the road with these types of commuters. TikTokers who replied to his social media clip, however, had varying opinions.
So, does his rush-hour trick work?
5 minutes before rush hour
Mitchenzo begins his video by speaking directly into the camera. “Did you know leaving your house at a different time for work. By as little as five minutes can change your entire day?”
Next, he explained why this is the case, and it boils down to the types of commuters you traditionally find while on the road. This is especially true during rush hour times. “There’s different classes of people that you run into on the freeway.”
First, he details the types of early bird drivers he comes across in the wee hours of the morning. According to him, there’s a massive disparity between the speeds in which these commuters drive. However, they can almost always be seen in the same type of ride.
“If I’m driving down the highway between 5 and 6 in the morning. You run into what I call like the bougie blue collar workers, right? These are the guys with the brand new Denali pickup trucks. And they’re doing 85 or 50—there’s no in-between.”
“These are the guys that, you know, they get to work and they sit in the office all day. And they just, they feel important. You can sense this while you’re driving down the highway.”
Get ahead
Being surrounded by drivers with such odometer discrepancies can be a frustrating experience for some highway commuters. They’re either zooming by at an alarming speed, forcing you to switch lanes. Or, going even faster yourself, which could put you in trouble with the law.
On the other hand, if you’re stuck behind someone maintaining 50 miles per hour, that can be grating as well. Having to constantly merge into the left lane to pass these drivers is an annoyance for some. Furthermore, if you’ve got a string of speedsters in the passing lane, finding an opportunity to do that may prove difficult. Not to mention, there’s always a possibility you could be stuck behind these 50 mile per hour drivers.
However, Mitchenzo says that there’s a simple solution to being stuck in this highway purgatory. According to him, hitting the road 5 minutes earlier can get you out of this predicament. “But if you were to leave your house 5 minutes earlier. Those guys are still in their sleep number bed waiting for Starbucks to open.”
Data backed
And while Mitchenzo takes humorous pot shots at the “bougie blue collar” workers who love their Starbucks, he’s speaking truth. According to analytics provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, leaving at strategic times could save drivers serious time.
The above-referenced study indicates smart commute time choices can save individuals living in high traffic areas up to 34 hours per year. Specifically, the study references New York, which has been ranked the worst city in the United States for traffic.
Moreover, the study indicated that the 3 out of 5 Americans leave for work between 6am and 9am. The “rush half hour” during this time, i.e. the most densely packed driving time on average is between 7am and 7:29am.
Again, New Yorkers who leave for work after another busy interval, which is 8am-8:29am, can save themselves serious time. Government mandates implemented in response to the fervor created over COVID-19 saw a dip in commuting times. Additionally, more employees worked remotely during this time. Despite many businesses maintaining remote work schedules, commuting times have calibrated back to pre-pandemic levels for laborers.
Few minutes early, or late
According to the same research, the busiest rush hour time is 7:00am-7:29am. Following that, 7:30am-7:59am and 8:00am-8:29am are the second and third busiest mass commuting timeslots. So if you’re typically on the road at the start of these time slots, getting on your way a few minutes earlier could help you hit less dense traffic pockets.
Also, if your job’s schedule allows, amending your schedule to arrive and leave earlier could save you commuting time. This way, you’re stuck in traffic for less time, and you can avoid the types of driving situations Mitchenzo mentions in his clip.
‘Going to the office’
Several people who replied to Mitchenzo’s video shared their thoughts on his traffic PSA. One had some thoughts on the types of people the TikToker mentioned in his clip. “The ones doing 85 are going to an actual construction site. The ones doing 50 are going to the office.”
Someone else echoed his advice, however, stating that their personal experience corroborates it. “Yup just 10 minutes late and the gas station is full.”
Another person on TikTok, however, thought differently. According to them, no matter what time they’re in their car, they’re always at work at the same time. “There’s a time paradox to work. No matter how early or how late I leave I always arrive at the same time.”
For one user, leaving early results in them being stuck in an unenviable position. “I leave 5 minutes late and I am stuck behind that city bus.”
Someone else, however, enjoys getting to work early. The way they see it, hanging out in the break room is better than idling in their vehicle. “I would rather leave earlier and rest in the break room vs sitting in bs traffic.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Mitchenzo via TikTok comment for further information.
@mcdouble_deez Accurate depiction. #commute #work #bluecollar #earlybird #driving #tips #5min ♬ original sound – Mitchenzo
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