8 minutes, 38 seconds

Every year, the average commuter in Baton Rouge loses 36 hours to congestion.  Working 5 days a week for 50 weeks a year, that comes to 8 minutes and 38 seconds a day.  I couldn't help but wonder: What would I do if I had my 8:38 back?

I could...

Yes I did this and yes it took eight minutes

1. Read a story to my children
2. Water the garden
3. Do some calisthenics
4. Sit quietly and enjoy a warm beverage (tea, hot cocoa, coffee)
5. Floss, mouthwash and gargle
6. Make a mini-sculpture of a bicycle out of copper wire (right)
7. Have an impromptu dance party
8. Climb a tree
9. Prepare and enjoy a light snack of cinnamon toast
10. Learn a new philosophical concept

Look after the jump for more...

Urban congestion in the United States cost commuters $115 billion in 2010 (this includes wasted time and gas).  According to the same Urban Mobility Report at Texas A&M, urban gridlock wasted 1.9 billion gallons of fuel and cost commuters $713 on average.  Of course, the largest populations suffer the greatest, as Washington D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles commuters lose an average of 74, 71 and 64 hours (respectively) annually to congestion.  If these delays remained consistent (which they don't - those three areas alone saw an average increase in traffic delays of 200% from 1982 to 2010), and you live and work in   Washington D.C. for 40 years, you can expect to spend 87 DAYS in traffic delays.  Keep in mind, this is time lost due simply to delays, NOT commute time.  In Baton Rouge, given the same 40 year period, I'll have lost 60 DAYS of my life to traffic.  I for one would rather do something else than sit:

11. Assemble a train set

12. Give my wife a back rub

13. Ask my wife for a back rub

14. Throw a frisbee with my daughter

15. Perform a sun salutation sequence

16. Pray

17. Bike

18. Watch the sunrise

19. Listen (really listen) to Jimi Hendrix' "Little Wing" & Arcade Fire's "Wake Up"

20. Dance in the rain

Cycling, unfortunately, won't get you your 8:38 back (unless of course you were planning to bike that day anyway, in which case I usually get a 90 minute ride that only costs me 40 minutes, after subtracting time that would've been spent driving).  The reduction of congestion is a complex problem that will require a complex solution.  The TAMU study suggests alternate options, such as telecommuting, improvements to bus and rail systems, and the "(incorporation) of bicycle and pedestrian elements" (TAMU).  The US Census Bureau reported in 2007 that 77%(!!!) of us drive to work alone, while 10.7% carpool and only 4.7% take public transit.  Bike commuters, incidentally, make up for .4% of the work force.  So while biking to work won't get you your 8:38 back, it seems that it may make a positive impact on the overall problem of congestion in the US.  In the meantime, I'll keep dreaming about what I'd do if I had that time back!

This.

21. Listen to the birds in the morning

22. Teach my kids about bike safety

23. Work on a Curious George coloring sheet

24. Read a chapter of my favorite novel

25. Write a hand-written love letter

26. Have a tickle fight

27. Cuddle

28. Call my mom

29. Walk on the beach with my girls

30. Laugh

How about you, dear reader?  What would you do if you had your 8 minutes and 38 seconds back?