We live in the most congested state in the nation. We all know it and we all are somewhat used to it. But are our great little towns getting so crowded that we can't even enjoy them anymore? My attempt at Route 88 in Point Pleasant Boro yesterday was all the proof I needed.

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Yesterday I was pulling out of the strip mall on Route 88 with Starlane Cleaners and Pat's Pizza. No, wait. Let me reword that. I was trying to pull out of the strip mall on Route 88 with Starlane Cleaners and Pat's Pizza. It didn't go well.

I'm not kidding you when I tell you that I sat at the corner of Northstream and 88 trying to cross 88 for 4 minutes. Do you how long 4 minutes is? You can sing Lady Gaga's Shallow and still have half a minute left over.

Thank goodness no one was behind me for the marathon wait. And I have crossed 88 there before (at the same time of the day) many times before and never had a wait like this. I can usually safely do it in under a minute. But this is the second time in the past few weeks that the stream of traffic in both directions is just endless.

So what gives? Is it just because it's summer? Or are we finally bursting at the seams in Point Boro? I'm starting to think it's the latter. Summer is a good excuse for it, and if it is just the season then we know it'll get quieter on our roads soon. But it's getting harder and harder for me to believe it.

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