You’re heaping a lot of guilt on the shoulders of those that don’t really have a choice.

as if they were some innocent bystanders sucked into an evil black hole of traffic…

That’s honestly how it is in the states. You go where your job tells you to. Even jobs that could be remote (as proven by the pandemic) are making employees return to work.

I don’t need your scorn; the people making me commute should be your target. I’m just trying to pay my bills.