Traffic chaos

Out in the open field the sun shines brightly across the gleaming grass with every blade reflecting off the glimmering brightness. The wind fills the area that brushes against my skin, forcing my nerves to feel a tingling feeling. Sky is clear, sun is shining, oh such a wonderful place to be. Nothing could ever take this all away; no one can persuade me to leave. Paradise may be close by but the very thought of moving an inch already gets shot down by your ever relaxed body and mind.

Now wouldn’t all of that be great? Apparently it’s the total opposite here in Shah Alam. Dark clouds fill the sky and the sounds of rumbling thunder fills the deafening cries of commuters stuck in a massive traffic jam. As more and more rain fall down from the heavens, water level rises steadily until the inevitable happens, flash floods.

As more and more people tries to scuttle back home from their workplaces ala factories here in Shah Alam, the jam grows at a rate greater than the floodwaters and rain. It started before quitting time and it most definitely ended in the wee hours of the night.

This is my story:

Me [5.35pm]: (Calls a colleague who left work at 5.30pm) Hey man, where are you now? How is the situation outside?
Colleague C [5.36pm]: I am still outside leh, it’s pretty jammed up outside of JVC, I am even stuck in the parking compound. I haven’t passed the guardhouse yet.
Me [5.40pm]: Okla, looks like I will go back a little later.

Me [6.09pm]: Hey man, where are you now? How’s the situation at the highways?
Colleague C [6.10pm]: I haven’t reached the highway yet, still stuck at the roundabout outside the office.

By this time another colleague of mine has convinced me to join him and some other people for some free pizza at Pizza Hut. That was 6.30pm and the plan was to take a 10minute walk to the local Pizza Hut located outside my office.

Me [6.40pm]: Wow, the place is crazy man, the jam is so massive. Why do I not see any cars moving at all?
Colleague A: I think they closed off all of the major roads due to the flash floods.
Me: Darn it, how am I going for cell group later?
Colleague B: I guess you will definitely miss it.
Me: Oh man....hey wait a minute, isn’t that Colleague C in his car over there?

I walked closer and started knocking at his door.

Me [6.45pm]: Hey man, looks like I am overtaking you right now.
Colleague C [6.46pm]: ……………..
Me [6.49pm]: I think if you leave your car where it is, join us for dinner and come back after that, the cars around you wouldn’t have moved any further than 10metres.
Colleague C [6.51pm]: You think so?
Me [6.52pm]: Of course, come on. Let’s go and grab some free pizza. If you don’t believe me, remember the license plate of that car in front of you. The light blue Proton Waja with the license plate WJA 2991.
Colleague C [6.53pm]: Alright. (gets down from his car and leaves it at the roundabout where we met him)

After dinner....

Me [7.40pm]: Man that was some great pizza.
Colleague C [7.41pm]: Yeah man, thanks for asking me to come along.
Me [7.43pm]: You are most welcome. Oh look, that’s your car over there. And hey, the Waja (WJA 2991) is not that far away, only about 2 cars ahead of you. Wasn’t I right?
Colleague C [7.45pm]: Yeah you are right. Thanks for the wonderful advice!

Ok, it didn't really happen like that but it did give you a clear picture of how the traffic situation was in Shah Alam yesterday. It was one of the worst traffic jams I have ever encountered. Now wasn't that more fun rather than me explaining to you the nitty ditty details of what happened instead?