America is stuck in a never-ending rush hour

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

"Who are all these people? Why are they not at work?"

That's typically the first thought that crosses the mind of Erika, a 36-year-old attorney in New Jersey, when she commutes mid-day or runs an early-afternoon errand, only to find the sidewalks stuffed with people. Then comes the sobering realization: "I'm like, 'well, you're also not at work.'"

The 3:44 pm express train she catches from New York City back to Jersey should be a fairly breezy, off-peak commute. Instead, she often finds herself shoulder to shoulder with other supposedly savvy workers. Across the country, there's been an influx of commuters like Erika: Folks who, pre-pandemic, would be chained to their desks until 5 p.m. (at least). Now, these workers are far more flexible — able to head home a little early to handle childcare pickups, errands, or pets, and then pick up work remotely — which means a better quality of life for many.

It also means we're all commuting in really weird ways. If you've decided to drive home at 2:17 p.m., or hop on the subway at 10:08 a.m., you've probably noticed you're not alone — even if you thought you would be.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/america-stuck-never-ending-rush-083802070.html

[maxsolomon]

1. "Stuck"?

I don't know if this is a problem. It's more like "Life in the Big City".

[Bluestocking]

2. She is in New York City

Not typical situation. In addition the 3:44 pm train would be all the medical personnel going home to NJ. Medical personnel work 7 am to 3 pm. This is yahoo click bait.

[mwmisses4289]

3. Also, over the last decade or so, the number of people working 9-5 has dropped.

People now work what would once have been considered odd hours.
At my own place of work, people come in as early as 7:30a.m to as late as 3:30p.m., depending on what events are scheduled that day. Many of the people Erika are seeing are probably on their way to work, getting off of work, or as suggested running errands.
9-5 as a typical workday is getting to be an anomaly, I think.