On my bus ride to downtown Houston this morning, I see a string of cars, miles long, parked on the shoulder of the freeway, waiting.

The side streets along Highway 59 are all flooded, and some cars are stranded with water up to the door. Can’t see if anyone is inside.

I can’t figure out what all the people parked on the shoulder of the highway are waiting for. It could be hours before the waters recede. And there could be more rain coming. Are they going to stay there all morning, talking on their cell phones? Isn’t there a place somewhere down the road to take refuge in?

Why do people do this? Is this the reason flight attendants have to scream at passengers to exit a crashed plane?

Honestly, the whole nation feels like it’s parked on the side of the freeway right now, waiting for the recession to recede.

People, get moving! Don’t stop ‘til you get to the I-Hop!