Americans get around. It’s because we like to get around, to be on the move, to hit the road. We may be the home of the brave and land of the free, but we’re also a nation of migrants. We go by car, plane, boat, scooter, train, rail, camper or bicycle. We bus to work or commute on Metro, we jet to Cali, we jeep to the beach, and we caravan bumper-to-bumper with campers on the Skyline drive when autumn leaves change color. We invented powered flight and we put humans on the moon. We didn’t invent the motorcycle but we invented Evel Knievel. We live for the Road Trip. We yearn to breathe free.

But that carefree, have-car-will-travel spirit is also easily inflamed when things go wrong, or when we find barriers blocking the way, or when the journey is complicated by endless detours or breakdowns. We want to get where we’re going. When we don’t, we want answers.

Why is this road (bridge, street, etc.) in such bad shape if I am paying nearly $400 a year in state and federal fuel taxes? Who gets to keep the parking spot I spent three hours shoveling out after a blizzard? What kind of idiot runs a motorcycle off the road in a fit of road rage? What kind of sadist designs seating for commercial airplanes — and is it legal to use a device that prevents the passenger in the seat in front of me from reclining? Why does a single snowflake bring the Capital Beltway to a halt? Why does that guy on Metro have to talk so loudly about such an annoying topic?

Is there anything we can do about it?

Yes: We can write about it.

Welcome to Tripping, a venue for ticked off, road-raging, world-weary travelers. We’re here to be a voice for the tired traveler, the angry commuter, the scornful sojourner, the impatient passenger who wants to know, “Are we there yet?” If you commute by Metro, this blog’s for you. If you commute by car, motorcycle, or kayak, this blog’s for you. If you feel as if you’re ready to lead a march with pitchforks on Metro headquarters or the people who run the traffic cameras, we hope you’ll find – or share — your story here.

We’re also interested in much more. We want to write about what’s new, what’s quirky, what’s fun about getting around. When the Iowa Department of Transportation decides to use “Star Wars”-themed roadside messages to remind motorists to drive safely, let’s write about that. When fed-up Metro riders form a union, let’s write about it. When “walking while black” becomes dangerous — let’s write about that, too. We plan to showcase work by other writers as well, whether they want to take down a transit agency or sing of the open road.

So please send us your tips, your pitches, you gripes, your videos, your photographs, your Instagram feeds, and let’s roll.