Merli: Telecommute vs. Gridlock

They say one sure sign of insanity is when we do the same thing over and over again… and expect different results. If that’s true (and some slot-machine gamblers may beg to differ), then our build-it-and-they-will-come approach to transportation places all of us firmly in the insanity category.

Therefore, maybe we should really start to consider telecommuting as a practical alternative (for many, at least) beyond the obligatory lip service it’s been given in the past few decades. Unless, of course, we’d rather continue to spend billions of dollars and endure years of road construction tie-ups attempting to ease traffic, as was partially accomplished at the infamous Springfield mixing bowl.

I say “partially” because anyone who’s been paralyzed in gridlock during rush hour on I-95 on a typical weekday here in 2011 knows that there’s no such thing as “enough roads.” There never will be.

Earlier this month the federal government revised its ever-changing plans for those so-called HOT lanes that were to run from Appomattox – through Prince William -- all the way up to the Pentagon. Thanks to some balking by Arlington County, those high-occupancy lanes on 95 are now set to run from Garrisonville to Springfield. (So once again -- after Springfield, all bets are off.)

The federal plan also calls for widening those current HOV corridors from two to three lanes from Prince William Parkway to Springfield -- and adding HOV/HOT lanes from Garrisonville Road in Stafford County to Route 234 in Dumfries where the HOV lanes currently begin). HOT lanes also will be built on I-66. In other words, our “solutions” usually involve simply paving over more of Northern Virginia.

But Telecommuting with a capital “T” most days -- leaving perhaps one day a week for those obligatory, totally useless meetings -- does take vehicles off the road and keep them snug in the garage where they belong. (And it’s “green,” too, of course.)

I know a little of which I speak (not that that’s a necessary prerequisite for newspaper columnists, as some of you remind us on a weekly basis). I’ve been, in effect, telecommuting for several years in Prince William. Admittedly, it’s easier when all you really need is a desk, a computer, e-mail, and a phone. But I’ve found that’s all most of us really need, anyway, in most jobs – especially most government workers.

True, there are some drawbacks to working from home, although none of them are deal-breakers. If I were to stroll into one of the firms for whom I write on Edsall Road in Alexandria (or, for that matter, the Manassas office of this newspaper), almost no one would know who I am. (I suppose that’s a drawback, although maybe not always!) And we telecommuters no doubt find ourselves communicating far more by e-mail than in-person at the office. While that might not do wonders for honing one’s socializing skills, you’ll probably find you get a lot more work done without the myriad distractions of a typical office environment (if actually working still counts for something).

But beware, there are those among us who will assume since you are working at home, they’re free to call you any time of day to “catch up” and just generally chat. Friends and relatives who wouldn’t dream of calling for no good reason at the office at maybe 2 p.m. on a Tuesday, don’t give it a second thought if you’re “at home.” (With the help of Caller ID, I find myself not answering a lot of calls until the “workday” is over).

Incidentally, there is a way to get even with some folks in this call-anytime category. Some friends will call during the middle of the day on purpose to simply leave a voicemail – not realizing (or forgetting) that you work from home. You can hear the genuine shock and surprise in their voice when you actually answer their call. “What are you doing home?” they ask, almost alarmed. “Working,” I usually reply. “Oh yeah, that,” they say, settling in. “So now, tell me, how have you been? Tell me everything…”

John Merli has been a Prince William County resident since 1984, and a Potomac News columnist since 1985. He has worked in the media for more than 30 years. E-mail him at: j.merli@comcast.net