Traffic is a pain.
Were there traffic jams before automobiles? Did horse carts line up and get stuck on the road after an accident? Any record of people complaining about such a thing?
NB: Not typing this while stuck in traffic.
Yes! there's lots of room for people to contribute more on this topic, but FYI, there are a couple of posts mentioning traffic issues in ancient Rome in this section of the FAQ*
*see the link on the sidebar or the wiki tab
Yes - I thought of this one immediately. Check out image 5 in the link. It's a pic of early twentieth century Chicago. Hard to tell if there are any motorized cars, but you can see what a jam was caused by the mix of streetcars, horses, carriages, people, etc...
Yes, In fact there were traffic jams on the Overland trails during the 1840s and 1850s, with covered wagon trains and pack horses. Here, wagon trains would have difficulty passing over certian parts of terrain, crossing rivers, and could not advance due to thick road dust. In turn, traffic jams certianly did occur, as wagon trains became backed up and clogged on the trails. Dairists would complains about traffic during their overland journeys. See the diary of William Swain, in the Book "The World Rushed in" by J.S Holliday.