"I see fewer and fewer people leaving to go to work each day."

[live love laugh]

That is a quote from a coworker. She shared that this is her experience as she leaves her high-rise building for work daily.

Today, as I left my home at 7AM, I noticed how much less traffic there is. I live on a busy street. A few years ago, at 7AM traffic zoomed by at 7AM. For several days now, I walk out and it's quiet, still and peaceful. But it's also frightening.

Where are those cars and the people who drive them? Granted it IS summer time and people are on vacation but I think that I may also be seeing "fewer and fewer people leaving to got to work each day."

This economy is something the likes of which I have never seen--and the scary part is, it hasn't begun to bottom out.

[gatorboy]

1. Soylent Green?

[Gman]

2. School's out including college

The first day of school in August the difference is very noticable. The first day college starts back up the traffic is back to usual.

I've often noticed traffic drops off after the last drop day of college.

[woodsprite]

3. Hubby and I were just talking about this today on our way to work.

College graduation was Memorial Day weekend, so we had a mass exodus of roughly 17K to 20K kids leaving our town. The week after that, high school graduations are over we have a big street party on Main Street with vendors, crafts, things for little kiddles to do. Actually, the townies (local residents) have taken to calling it "Take back the Town" night, but only when not in earshot of some official ;)

We see a similar 'drop off' during xmas/winter break (the Univ. shuts down for 2 wks going into 1 month winter session).

Also, we've noticed that as early as high school sports training starts, most families we know are taking vacation right after school ends. I think my daughter's friends start field hockey training in 2 wks. This is for the next school year, where high school classes start up somewhere around August 23rd.