Life — April 19, 1929 — page 19: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a photograph rather than a cartoon, showing an overhead view of multiple delivery trucks or commercial vehicles parked closely together, with what appears to be cargo or goods loaded on them. One figure is visible among the vehicles. The caption reads: "Traffic jams are some good." The satirical point appears to be ironic commentary on traffic congestion. Rather than treating traffic jams as purely negative (as most would), the caption suggests they have some benefit—likely implying that the congestion forces vehicles to slow down or stop, preventing worse accidents, or perhaps commenting on how gridlock inadvertently creates employment or economic activity for delivery services and traffic management. The humor lies in finding an optimistic silver lining to an otherwise universally frustrating urban problem.