Open Letter To Missoula Drivers: You’re Right… Driving Sucks Here

Dear Missoula Commuters,

I'm sorry.

This entire article will be about me eating crow, so get your "I told you so"s ready.

When I moved to Missoula a few years back (I am from the Midwest, not California, and don't have any money to take all your land so don't waste too much hate on me) I thought the complaints about how busy Missoula traffic were ludicrous. All I heard was how brutal it was to drive on Reserve Street any time of day or how exhausting it was to head south out of town on Hwy. 93. I didn't see what all the hoopla and complaining was about.

After relocating from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Missoula traffic seemed like a breeze to me. There were no interstate traffic jams or insane drivers buzzing through the city limits streets. I became smug over it, and I'm sorry. I remember multiple times telling people "Oh please, if you think traffic is bad in Missoula try going to Minneapolis/St. Paul or an even bigger city." Not that I was trying to be a big city jerk, because I'm actually from a small town in Wisconsin, but I thought driving in Missoula was nothing compared to a large metropolitan area. The complaining was unnecessary...

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Until a few weeks ago.

One beautiful April evening, I decided to hike Blue Mountain. It was going to be a serene night until I hit traffic on Brooks Street and became astronomically annoyed. I couldn't believe how FLIPPING long it took me to move from South Ave. to Blue Mountain. It took eons. As I was approaching Blue Mountain I had an epiphany. I realized why Missoulians complain about the congested travel in town.

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I get it, and I'm sorry for thinking only large cities had legitimate traffic. It was foolish for me to think your complaints were unwarranted. Especially you lifelong Missoulians who had to tolerate all the out-of-staters moving in and ruining your beloved small mountain town.

My sincerest apologies,

Ace