Artificial Traffic

My morning commute is usually not too bad. I go to work pretty early specifically in order to avoid traffic. If I leave home at 7AM, I'm usually at my desk by 7:30. If I leave home at 8AM, I'll be lucky to make it to work by 9AM.

I included the qualifying phrase "usually" primarily due to one thing: Artificial Traffic.
Artificial Traffic is a term that I invented to describe when there are a fair number of cars on the road, but not enough that there should be significant delays in traffic, yet the delays exist anyway.

There are a few causes of Artificial Traffic, such as rubbernecking at a vehicle which has been pulled over by the police, some event off the highway attracting attention, etc...
The most frequent and enraging cause of Artificial Traffic is some cell-phone yakking idiot who has parked in the left lane doing 1.6 Miles Per Hour faster than the Dump Truck in the next lane over.

These idiots are completely oblivious to the 2 miles of traffic which has backed up behind them despite the 2 miles of open freeway ahead of them.

In my not so humble opinion, these bone-heads are the number 1 reason for road rage.
The dumbest road-rage things I see people do tend to take place not when everbody is going slow, but when there is some total jerk causing Artificial Traffic.

A special place in Hell is reserved for anybody causing Artificial Traffic.