Last Saturday, my boyfriend and I were headed to some friends' home for a dinner party. On the way, we were caught up in a major traffic incident on the Capital Beltway. An RV caught fire (which my boyfriend dubbed RVQ) and the fire reached a propane tank on board. The danger required shutting down all lanes in both directions for almost two hours. (The backup stretched for 6 miles at one point!)

We were in the front of the shutdown, about a quarter mile from the accident itself. At first, everyone was very impatient — honking horns and trying to sneak ahead in the line of cars. But after 15 minutes or so had gone by, it became pretty obvious that we weren't going anywhere for a while. (The numerous emergency vehicles going past and the complete dearth of cars coming the other direction were pretty good clues.)

And then something amazing happened.

People shut down their engines and started getting out of their cars. People walked from car to car, sharing information and checking on people. We alerted the woman heading to the airport that she should try to change her flight. As the delay lengthened, people started waling their dogs, sunning themselves, and even going from car to car sharing food. In a matter of minutes, complete strangers turned into an instant community, bonded by our shared experience. Once the danger was resolved, traffic resumed (though slowly) and we all went on our way, never to meet again.

Instant communities can form over any number of shared experiences — accidents, sudden storms, waiting in a line, attending a concert or sporting event. The communities dissipate as easily as they form, but it is possible to make a new friend while they exist. But even if you never see anyone again, we are enriched by this momentary experience of community.