Rubbernecking

If you are on a highway
And the traffic starts to slow,
There may be several explanations
Why this might be so.

It could be some construction
Or an accident, perchance;
More likely, though, the traffic jam
Is caused by just a glance.

‘Cause every single motorist
Must hit the brake and gawk.
A wrecked car’s as enticing
As a rodent to a hawk.

So one by one, each driver lets
His speed drop to a crawl,
Just savoring some other sucker’s
Automotive fall.

We call this rubbernecking
And the metaphor is apt,
Since every driver’s neck that cranes
Leaves other drivers trapped.

As Freud would say, whoever
Sees a situation grim,
Just feels relieved to know
The sorry victim isn’t him.

Unfortunately, traffic stops
Or moves just like a snail.
Wherever you are going,
Lateness surely will prevail.