Washington, D.C. Traffic Isn't Just Annoying. It's a Masterclass in Human Behavior
I made a tactical error today o r at least my sat nav and I made one together. It cheerfully informed my driver that cutting through Dupont Circle would save a few minutes. As navigation systems often do, it was technically correct in the same way that saying "Everest is just a hill with ambition" is technically correct. A few minutes later I found myself orbiting Dupont Circle with what felt like several hundred of my newest acquaintances, all of us participating in an elaborate choreography that nobody seemed to have rehearsed. Eventually I escaped.... Only to drift onto Embassy Row. I hate that place when my ex is around... Now, under almost any other circumstance, Embassy Row is magnificent. Grand historic homes. Flags from every corner of the world. Beautiful old trees. Architecture that quietly reminds you Washington has always had one foot in diplomacy and the other in theatre. It's difficult to appreciate any of that, however, when you've moved approximatel...