America's traffic sucked today because of that total solar eclipse thing
Well, everyone, it happened. The 2017 solar eclipse has come and gone, and it was truly a sight to behold.
Those lucky enough to be in the path of totality witnessed a few short minutes of complete darkness in the middle of the day -- something that hasn't happened since 1979 and won't happen again for another seven years.
Leading up to the big event, some set up camp in streets and lots along the eclipse's path to see the phenomenon in its full glory. And, according to Google Maps, these setups, along with everyone who stopped their cars to sneak a peek, caused A TON of traffic from people trying to get out.
Compare that to the path of totality:
That sweet path of totality, a 70-mile swath in which the moon completely obscured the sun, kept everyone there, but once it was over, people booked it to get out. And judging from the map data, everyone had the same idea at once.
Areas with the best view of the eclipse, including spots in Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina experienced a heavy influx in street traffic after the big show, evidenced by the yellow and red traffic markings on the map.
Starting in Oregon, it looks like the showdown between the moon and sun literally stopped traffic, and it's amazing to see just how many people across the country took time to witness the occurrence.
If you were on the road in any of these areas and somehow had no idea there was an eclipse, well, now you know what the hold up was.
If our county had to unite and purposely create bumper-to-bumper traffic for one thing, it might as well be to see the moon take on the sun.
Topics Google
Samantha was a Watercooler Web Culture & Lifestyle intern at Mashable. Follow her on Twitter @samiscelz.
