Warning: my shortcut through the alley off 5th Street cost me $60

I thought I found a clever way to skip the traffic by cutting through that alley behind the old bakery. Turns out there's a pothole the size of a toddler back there and I hit it doing maybe 15 mph. My front tire went flat right there and I had to call a tow truck out of my own pocket. So if you see that alley near the train station, just don't. Anyone else blow money on a bad route choice?

3 comments

3 Comments

jordanblack12d ago

Hate to say it but you just learned a lesson I swear everyone has to learn the hard way once. It's like the universe charges a hidden tax for trying to save five minutes. I've lost track of how many times I tried a shortcut through a subdivision or a back road only to end up spending an extra half hour because of construction or a dead end. Same thing happens with those fast food drive-thrus that look empty but the guy in front of you orders for his whole office. There's just no such thing as a free lunch or a free shortcut in this world.

josephmartin12d ago

Jordan, you hit the nail on the head with that one. I swear the universe has a built in rule that the moment you try to get ahead, something comes along to set you back. I've done the same thing with drive thrus more times than I can count. You see the line is short, pull in, and then watch the car ahead of you sit there for ten minutes while they figure out their order. It's almost like the universe is saying, nope, you're not getting out of here faster than everyone else.

the_joseph12d ago

Man you nailed it. I tried to save ten minutes last week by cutting through a neighborhood I used to know from a job site. Turns out they put in a new roundabout and blocked off the old exit. Ended up stuck behind a school bus for fifteen minutes. Same thing with grocery store lines. You see the new cashier open up and think you're smart hopping over there. Then she has to call a manager to check a price and suddenly you're watching the self-checkout line three people deep breeze past you. There's always a hidden cost to trying to beat the system.