I don’t know if you’re ready for this one, New Jersey.

A nationwide poll was taken recently asking which route to work in various states was the one that had people most questioning their life’s choices.

This spoke to me.

Canva (Townsquare Illustration)
Canva (Townsquare Illustration)
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I love that it wasn’t which work route made you the most “stressed” or even “homicidal.” It was a quieter, deeper reckoning they asked about that lead to commuters doing some soul searching.

Who did this poll? A car dealership in Miami, Florida — Potamkin Hyundai. It was an online panel survey of more than 3,000 drivers that apparently were lead to look inward.

Canva (Townsquare Illustration)
Canva (Townsquare Illustration)
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Shocking no one, it was New Jersey that had the absolute worst in the nation. Would you expect anything less?

The most hellacious stretch of highway in the entire nation that will make daily commuters reevaluate all their motives and choices is the stretch of the New Jersey Turnpike from Newark to the George Washington Bridge.

Exit 14b of the NJ Turnpike (Photo: NJ Turnpike Authority)
(Photo: NJ Turnpike Authority)
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It’s bad enough as you creep along fighting for every square foot at Newark where the car and truck lanes come back together until you’re then left in a jam feeding inch by inch onto the GW Bridge.

I cannot imagine the mental crisis that one faces each morning listening to New Jersey 101.5’s Bob Williams suggesting either taking the “upstairs” or “downstairs” level knowing either way your life is going to suck for the next agonizing 45 minutes.

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Credit: -goldy-
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But don’t worry… you get to pay a ridiculous toll for this torture!

New Jersey is represented again on the list at No. 5.

The drive from the New Jersey Turnpike into the Lincoln Tunnel is short but it is painful.

Manhattan Tolls NJ Lawsuit
AP Photo file
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And there’s another stretch of misery from the Garden State that also made the dreaded list.

That’s the Garden State Parkway from East Orange through Bloomfield into Clifton. It straight up sucks.

Parkway Accident
AP Photo file
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We’ve all been there - stuck in traffic, staring at the same license plate for way too long, and suddenly you’re rethinking everything,” says the owner of Potamkin Hyundai, Frank Pena.

Windshield view of an angry driver man. Negative human emotions face expression
SIphotography
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Our poll shows these gridlocked highways aren’t just a hassle - they’re where people wrestle with life’s big moves. Maybe these rush hour routes will inspire a lot of drivers to shake things up and make changes for the better.

While still not crazy about the deer on 195, seeing this report made me a bit more grateful for my 45 minute commute to and from work each day.

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The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.
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