One Lucky Commuter Gets a Morning Rush by
Participating in Dodge "Avenge Your Commute"
From the bumper-to-bumper traffic and
unnecessary horns to the screeching tires and continuous break
lights, many Americans are stressed out by the 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.
rat race. A recent Dodge survey revealed 51 percent of Americans
who live in major markets find their daily commute stressful. Of
those, 62 percent experience feelings of frustration, 52 percent
get in bad moods, 37 percent suffer from headaches and 28
percent experience back pain.
Joel Schneeberger of
Chicago is one of those commuters. In recognition of National
Stress Awareness Day on Tuesday, April 17, Dodge launched the
“Avenge Your Commute” campaign, inviting frustrated commuters to
write a 250-word essay answering the questions – “What makes
your commute so stressful?” and “How would owning an all-new
2008 Dodge Avenger relieve your stress?” The 27-year-old’s essay
about his daily commute to work with his mother-in-law was
chosen as the worst commuting story from more than 1,600 entries
received from around the country.
For his winning essay, Schneeberger was awarded a trip to Los
Angeles, a chance to avenge his commute and a Dodge Avenger. All
entrants were asked to register at www.DodgeAvengeYourCommute.com.
In addition to the essay contest, Dodge
partnered with Dr. Martha Beck, internationally-recognized life coach,
to help commuters minimize the stress caused by the daily commute.
.
“When things are out of our control, such as
congested, standstill traffic, our immediate reaction is to stress out.
Some commuters even become more aggressive on the road when faced with a
stressful situation,” said Dr. Beck, a best-selling author and columnist
for O, The Oprah Magazine. “To help everyone de-stress and avoid
accidents on the road, there are simple techniques commuters can do
while behind the wheel, but the first step is to channel your stress
into positive thoughts and take deep breaths.”
“Avenging his Commute” To avenge his commute,
Dodge set up a safe environment – near Los Angeles’ I-101 morning rush
hour traffic – for Schneeberger to relieve his commuter stress in a fun,
therapeutic way.
From throwing balloons full of mud and firing a
paint gun to lunging shopping carts and running over the vehicle in a
Monster Truck, Schneeberger had his chance to blow off some commuter steam.
“I got such a rush when I received the phone
call telling me that my essay was selected, but the greatest part was
having the chance to vent my frustrations and demolish a vehicle,
knowing I was going to get an all-new Dodge Avenger,” said Schneeberger.
“I can honestly say I will never think about my commute the same way
again, especially since I’ll be doing it by myself from behind the wheel
of this cool new car.”
