Expect Delays

We all love to travel to different places, but not many of us like the stressful, banal process of the journey. This week, stories about delays—including a town known entirely for its speed trap, and a woman who comes up against bureaucratic nightmares every time she wants to go just a few blocks away. Prologue: Ira talks to JetBlue pilot Anne Aldrich about the unusual speech she gives before take-off. (11 minutes) The Most Expected Delay in Northern Ohio: Linndale, Ohio, is a town known almost entirely for its speed trap. Producer Sean Cole explains. (23 minutes) Asleep at the Wheel: Traffic jams that last days are not uncommon in China. Producer Stephanie Foo talks to two people about how they pass the time. (10 minutes) The Longest Distance Between Two Points: New York City has a paratransit service called Access-a-Ride for passengers who are disabled and elderly. But people who rely on the system refer to it as Stress-a-Ride. We hear from Britney Wilson, who uses the service every day. A version of Britney’s story first appeared on Longreads. (11 minutes)