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Long Commute
5

Long Commute

Long Commute

(OP)
Dear friends,

Sometimes I feel stupid spending the time I spend every day commuting to and from work. I am talking 2 hours each way!
You see I live in NY City and work in southern Connecticut (Fairfield County).
I do not want to move to CT, simply because I'd be depressed there- we all know how depressing suburbs could be.
It'll be somewhat of a relief for me to know that I'm not the only one who commutes so much. Or am I?

cheers

RE: Long Commute

As a CT resident, I'd hate to live in NYC!  Forget suburbs!  I live on farmland.  Anyway, I can understand your plight.  I myself travel 1 hour each way, through Hartford traffic.  I thought I had it bad.  If I were you, despite what you think about "suburban" CT, I'd move.  Gas is at $2.20 minimum, and probably encroaching on $3 in Fairfield county...  Tolls... Time... Traffic... Headaches... Commuter tax?...  I see you saving $300-$500 a month just in gas.  That doesn't include what you might save on rent, assuming you have an apartment in the city. Yeah, no question. I'd move.

Or do you use transit?

ChemE, M.E. EIT
"The only constant in life is change." -Bruce Lee

RE: Long Commute

3 words: "Books on tape"!

RE: Long Commute

Four hours a day? Man, you must either love your job or love your home. I average about 30 mins in and 40 mins out. My longest each way was 65 miles in 58 minutes... That was too much for me.

Any way you could telecommute a day or two per week? How 'bout 4x10's or 9/80's?

Personally, I'd go nuts with a commute that far. Are you riding the train/bus? That's probably a bit better for at least you can sleep or read or veg or whatever (though I see more and more people reading as the drive!!).

RE: Long Commute

(OP)
Actually,

I don't even own a car, which one of the reasons I don't want to move to CT.
It costs me $293.00 per month to ride Metro North.
But otherwise I'd have to agree with you that driving each way would have been a pain.

adios

RE: Long Commute

If you're taking public transit, I could see it being easier.  I'd invest in a laptop so I could wrap up work on the train, and possibly get that pesky paperwork done during my commute, provided the employers go for that.  Much agreed, though, in order to appreciate CT, you'll need a car. $293 per month is not bad when you consider the costs associated with owning a car. (gas, insurance, maintenance, parking, unforeseen weight gain...)  Perhaps this is a good opportunity to evaluate how you are spending your time on the train and if you can use it more effectively.

ChemE, M.E. EIT
"The only constant in life is change." -Bruce Lee

RE: Long Commute

I think it depends on whether you love your existing job and/or your existing home, if you don't want to move.

I used to have a job that I couldn't stand that was about 10 minutes from home.  Loved the commute (through a park), but the job sucked so bad I couldn't stay.

Now my job is 38 miles from home, about a 50 minute to 1 hour commute each way on good days, and sometimes over 90 minutes when we have snow/rain/construction, which is most of the time in the Twin Cities.  But, I love my job now and wouldn't ever go back to the previous one just for the commute.

Also, in an earlier life about 18 - 20 years ago, we lived in Chicago and commuted via train to the Loop every day from the suburbs - about 90 minutes door to door.  I didn't really like the job that much, but it was easier to do when I was younger.  It gave me a chance to read the newspaper, novels, etc.  I even spent some of the time studying to get my Illinois S.E. license while commuting.

Per your question, you're not the only one who commutes so much, Pavlik.  You just need to convince yourself that you're doing it for the right reasons.

RE: Long Commute

I work at home.

My commuting time is about 20 seconds.

Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng

Construction Project Management
From conception to completion
www.kitsonengineering.com

RE: Long Commute

I just traded in a 15 minute drive to work for a 55 minute drive (both ways).  My wife has even more travelling to do, because when we get into the city, she takes the commuter train to downtown, while I work at the airport on the city outskirts.  We did this because of where we want to live - on a little acreage with plenty of room for several horses, fresh air to breathe, and a stimulating environment for my son to grow up in (outside, instead of in front of a TV).
Compromise is required in making this kind of decision: for us we are willing to bear the extra expense, and on days that my wife drives, I can do some reading.

You seem to be travelling the opposite way - you want to live in the hustle-and-bustle, and keep the job you like.
Does the company you work for have branches, other offices, or different departments closer to home to which you could transfer?  I see many others have suggested the tele-commuting option, but I for one work for a company that wouldn't tolerate this, and it would be pointless, for me anyway - my job requires me to be there, to see, touch and do.

If you wrote a "balance sheet" of the advantages and disadvantages in your current lifestyle, where would the 4-hours-per-day stand?

Steven Fahey, CET
"Simplicate, and add more lightness" - Bill Stout

RE: Long Commute

I left NYC after the frustration of driving in traffic. The best move I made was to Cincinnati, where three of my four children were born and raised. Make the break!

RE: Long Commute

I went from a 2 hour commute (total time) to a 20-30 minute commute (again, total) and am looking at going back to a 1-2 hour commute.  I'm not looking forward to it, but as others in the same situation, I love my current commute but hate my job. Moving to the big city has its appeal, but I will have to sacrifice some of the quality of life for the almightly dollar and chance to attend a good graduate school.

If you like your job, don't mind the commute, and your family life doesn't suffer, then why make the move? $300 a month won't touch a decent car, insurance, gas, and maintenance! The fact that you don't have to *drive* the four hours a day is nice.  From my viewpoint, the job, benefits and pay would have to be top notch or perhaps I'd just have to have a desire to NOT spend time with my bride and new baby to make that kind of commute each day!

E-

RE: Long Commute

I went from an hour plus driving through bumper to bumper traffic to a 15 minute drive of 12 miles to work.  I now live in the middle of 240 acres of trees that I own, have draft horses, dogs, and only one neighbor.  There are things I miss not living in the city - Burger King being at the top - but on balance country life is way better.

RE: Long Commute

I commuted 55 minutes to and hr and 10 minutes in the morning, and on the way home it was like 1:10 to as much as 3 hrs depending on accidents!

I got used to it. Started listening to more talk radio, and learned a foreign language.

But I have to admit, I don't plan on commuting so far for the next job.

Overall, I liked the commute on the way in, it was a time to listen to music, and get ready for work.

I ABSOLUTELY HATED IT ON THE WAY HOME THOUGH.

If your boss is cool, seriously considering working different hours for those of you who have to drive. You must avoid the night time traffic jams.


RE: Long Commute

Buy a motorcycle!

Zip in and out of traffic.
Take the HOV lane.
Easy to find parking.
Good gas mileage.
Fun!

Riding a motorcycle doesn't always shorten the commute, however. You end up riding out of the way, just for the enjoyment. . .

Yeah, yeah, winter can be a b*tch tho.

RE: Long Commute

ICman

How do you take the HOV lane with a motorcycle? Unless I'm misinformed, HOV is for High Occupancy Vehicle.

And, zipping in and out of traffic may save you time, but can be extremely dangerous, especially if you zip around someone with serious road rage.


RE: Long Commute

"Buy a motorcycle!"

I like the concept of a motorcycle, but while working in the ER, there is a reason we called motorcycle riders "organ donors". Even a 2000 lbm car versus a motorcyclist is no contest, but risk my life in a daily interaction with the 5000+ lbm SUVs driven by some who can barely see into the mirrors and insists on talking on their cell phones and eating?  No, thank you!

The Italian intersections are comical to watch as the scooter/bike riders creep up to the front of the line around the cars at each light.  It's like the start of a Formula 1 race at each red light! I'm amazed that in the two weeks we were there, we never witnessed a traffic accident even in those conditions!

E-

RE: Long Commute

Many, if not most, states allow motorcycles in the HOV lane. They are at least 50% occupied and move very well in traffic. In other words, if a motorcycle breaks down, it will not usually block other vehicles from coming thru. Two motorcycles can ride side-by-side, as well.

As for the risk - it all depends on how much you will accept. There is obviously more risk, since there is no protection from impact built into the design. Safety gear may reduce the consequences somewhat.

The big advantage is accident avoidance. A motorcycle can often swerve around problems very quickly and easily, while the 5000+ lb SUV must take it straight on.

At least you would stay awake during the commute!

RE: Long Commute

(OP)
Guys,

I don't know how it is where you are, but owning a car in New York City is an expensive priviledge.

A comprehensive coverage for someone my age (25) is around $ 4,500 per year, on top of that there are tolls (typically $ 4-6 on most bridges), parking in Manhattan ranges between $ 200-600 per month, gas at $ 2.25 per gallon, etc.
Not to mention your car gets constant dents from someone parallel parking into you. Your mirrors get knocked off by FDNY trucks or some other jers in an oversized car if you forget to flip them in.

I appreciate all of your kind suggestions, but buying a car here- forgedabaoutit.


RE: Long Commute

pavlik,
If you are commuting on the public transit, then you can use the travel time productively and should not feel stupid at all.

I'f you have a family, you might want to calculate how much of your children's childhood you are missing.

Otherwise, lifestyles are not textbook, sounds like you are saving money, no car payment, no parking, no insurance....

BURGERKING: God I miss Whoppers....

RE: Long Commute

In response to the original question...

I once worked for Toshiba, with a lot of Japanese engineers and managers. Their average commute was over 2 hours. EACH WAY! One manager I worked with in the U.S. told me that he spent 8 hours commuting to and from work every day in Japan. I worked in their factory offices for a week, and walked, took the train, then a bus, then walked some more for about a 45 minute commute. And I was close by.

When I worked in London, I had a 1 hour commute that included walking, tube (subway), and bus, again for a fairly close distance (maybe 15 miles).

Living in a Houston suburb and working downtown took me about an hour each way (25 miles). That's probably average for a large city in mid-America, too (e.g. St. Louis, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Dallas, etc.).

You're still young, so things like public transit, suburbs, family functions, and so on are all kinda boring. That's one reason I suggested a motorcycle, for it's something you might enjoy that isn't so boring, and you can have fun when you're not working.

However, each person must either accept his/her lot in life - or change it. Don't feel it's stupid to spend so much time commuting IF you enjoy what you're doing when you reach your destination.

RE: Long Commute

Every hour spent commuting is an hour wasted from your life. I can't think of a worse way to use up your remaining hours left to live. Rick's 20 second commute sounds good to me.

RE: Long Commute

It would make a good economic study to determine how much a short commute is worth. Decide what your time is worth. Then determine how much less you can afford in salary for a favorable commute. Your car's total cost to you is approx $.40 a mile. Enter that into your calcs. Look at the reduced aggravation, more net personal time, reduced income tax, etc.

RE: Long Commute

Guys,

When you look at the cost of $2.25 per Gallon try the UK at 0.79 pence per litre, ouch!

Great idea the balance sheet idea, but get your family (wife/partner kids etc) to add their pro's and cons.


Work to live don't live to work!

R

NOx

RE: Long Commute

When considering a new job offer I always count commute time the same as overtime then add on travelling expenses. Saying that though in the end my career takes priority over salary anyway.

RE: Long Commute

Hi all,

I have lived outside LA and Boston. Typical commutes in LA are 1-2 hrs (one way). Boston is about 1 hr if you are outside the beltway. But both cities had their advantages

I concur with the suggestions on books , laptops newspapers. Living in NYC is worth it.

RE: Long Commute

(OP)
Thank you for all your insightful suggestions, but my dilema had been solved. I was laid off!
No more commute, no more worries except finding a new job in Manhattan.

adios

RE: Long Commute

Definitely not the best way to solve a problem, eventhough this would not have been in your control.  Nevertheless, I've always believed that there's something good awaiting round the corner whenever something unpleasant happens - call it optimisim or positive approach or whatever.  

pavlik - Good luck to you

HVAC68

RE: Long Commute

ProEpro

In many cases they are more than happy for you to work 5 10 hour days as well .

Regards

RE: Long Commute

I feel your pain.  I commute 2 hours each way from NJ-NYC.  It's hell out there!  Commuting sucks, I will agree and it does take a lot out of your day.  

Mr. TransitHell.com
http://www.TransitHell.com

RE: Long Commute

Hi guys (and gals)

my first post

i just stopped working in Yonkers from South Jersey (2 hrs on a good day) 3.5 last tuesday when it rained like cats and dogs

i called it quits, supposed to start in central jersey next week

but just to say, i know the feeling

RE: Long Commute

Nope, can't say I know the feeling.  There are people who commute in Montana, but not many.  And the traffic isn't very bad either.  I can't say that I understand why people live in NY or LA, but you'd probably say the same thing about Eastern Montana.  Good luck finding a job.

RE: Long Commute

Dwedel,

Is that you ME 2000 MSU??

APH

RE: Long Commute

Going to have to agree about where you live and where you work.  Both have the impact since you want to live in a good place AND work in a good place.  I live 40 miles from work but with ZERO traffic and sppedlimits at 70 mph I make it in about 45 minutes door to door with traffic lights etc.  But because there is no real alternative places to live newar work the managment has gone to 4/10 hr days and the top personnel just switch MON/FRI so that there is someone in charge here 5 days a week.

Other than that, hope you are able to find a new job closer and quick.

RE: Long Commute

I currently commute 2:15 minutes going and 2:30 coming from work. Fortunately, I only do this 3 days one week and 4 the next, but it does take its toll.  I think the rest of the civilized world handles long commutes better, owing to the fact of bettered developed mass transit systems.  

Bigbillnky,C.E.F.....(Chief Electrical Flunky)

RE: Long Commute

Long commutes are unethical both to the familly, employer, and your own body.  MOVE!!!!

Find a job where there is fun stuff to do after work such as snow skiing, hunting, fishing, or playing a sport such as baseball.  Enjoy life and live it.  What good are the $$ if you aren't living.

Just think, those two hours you are commuting to work, I am fishing, duck hunting, sleeping, or playing on the play station.  Those two hours you are heading home, I have already hit the grocery store, cooked dinner, trained the retreiver, and played with the kids.

RE: Long Commute

From my uncle's home in Cracow, Poland, the commute to downtown is roughly 40 mins on foot, one way. Most European cities, with some exceptions (London, Paris etc.) are so closely packed that commutes can be done on foot for the entire trip. In Vienna a trip on transit to the city centre from the outskirts is roughly 40 mins, (1 and a half hours on foot) Personally I prefer to walk to wrok, I don't have that luxury here in Canada though (lousy Canadian weather), you save on gym fees and you don't have to worry about traffic jams, accidents or broken down transit.

RE: Long Commute

I cannot imagine commuting two or more hours each way to work.  THe last job I had was a ten minute commute, tops.  My current job is 40-45 mins now and it sucks in comparison.  I agree that moving seems like the best alternative.  THe ONLY reason I do not live closer is that the housing costs are a joke.  You can either buy an absolutely cramped dump for what I paid for my house or spend an extra 30-40%+ for something about 15 minutes less of a commute.  

We live several hours away from a much larger city and were just there this past weekend.  The old saying always went that "the bigger city paid more but housing costs and traffic were a headache".  After being there this weekend and "looking around" we decided grass really is greener on the other side!  Housing in the big city was actually less and my commute would be almost half of what it is now!  The bottom line is if you think you can improve your situation, if you spend the time and effort to educate yourself, you probably can.

RE: Long Commute

4 minutes one way, 5 in case I have to wait at the railway crossing. Short enough to have lunch at home. Once used to this I guess one can never live far from work anymore.

RE: Long Commute

When I worked at Harley it was 42 miles each way - not bad in the summer at 40mpg but "interesting" during winter considering I started at 6am.

Presently I'm 6 miles door to door but it takes about 15 minutes since it's all back roads and there are 2 stop lights now.

"If A equals success, then the formula is: A = X + Y + Z, X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shut."
-- by Albert Einstein

RE: Long Commute

I'm on an equal time shift - 15 days work, 13 days home.  Site camp is 1km from plant.

The drive back home at end of shift is 200km of dirt road through national parks and state forests.  I can stop at a river crossing and have a swim or throw in a yabby (Australian freshwater crayfish) pot.  Roasted on coals, they are the best bush tucker you can get.  Drive home should take me 4hrs but I could take all day and consider it well spent.

Wouldn't have it any other way.

To get me back to an office based job in a capital city, they would have to promise me things that aren't quite legal in Australia.

LewTam Inc.
Petrophysicist, Leading Hand, Natural Horseman, Prickle Farmer, Crack Shot, Venerable Yogi.

RE: Long Commute

Interesting observation: a very long commute is not necessarily a waste of time!

I made a similar observation yesterday. My wife had ordered a truckload of wood for the fireplace (10 m3, yes she thinks big), that had been delivered and dumped on the driveway yesterday. I spent the whole evening picking up the wood and stacking it in the shed in the garden. During the first half hour the work started to annoy me, I calculated how much time=money I spending as an engineer doing this kind of job that any monkey could do. Then after 1 or 2 hours the monotonous picking up of two pieces of wood and arranging them nicely in a stable stack of wood 2.5 m high started to work as a therapy. My head went empty, gone the stress of the day, and I suddenly saw a homo sapiens (didn't know anymore whether it was 2005 A.C. or B.C. and it didn't matter) collecting wood to keep himself and his family warm. Time and money didn't matter anymore, there was only the wood that smelled nice and the promise of the fireplace heating up the living room...

Anyway, I hope you see the link between the two. There is no such thing as a "long" commute, there are only high quality commutes and low quality commutes. Only the latter are a waste of time.

RE: Long Commute

My wife now walks out of our apartment (about 50 feet) and boards a train.... she knits for 40 minutes, ( I've gotten a scarf, and a hat & for christmas will have a sweater... hopefully she'll get better at it by then ), gets off the train and walks about 25 feet to her office.

My Dad walks through 3 blocks of city, and across a beautiful campus (all told about 15 minutes)

My commute (starting monday)...

sunday, i take the train from my apartment to D/FW airport and boared an airplane. 2 hrs later arrive in Atlanta, take the train to miserable little room, sleep... get up... work for 5 days... Friday night, get on airplane in Atlanta, fly for 2 hours, take train home, kiss wife, fall asleep... door to door: Approximately 6 Days...

Makes me feel like my 1 hour each way commute in Los Angeles was pretty easy...   

Wes C.
------------------------------
When they broke open molecules, they found they were only stuffed with atoms. But when they broke open atoms, they found them stuffed with explosions...

RE: Long Commute

I think a commute spent driving all alone is not the best way to spend ones time.  However, public transit changes things immensely.

I went to high school across the county, we had a 90min. bus ride one-way.  I was on the bus before 6am for four years.  In the mornings I slept, and in the afternoons I talked, or read, or did homework, or listened to music, or slept more.  Now I live 5min. from work and wouldn't have it any other way.  

For me at least, dragging yourself through traffic is a waste of time, talk radio and books-on-tape nonwithstanding.

Aren't they working on cars that drive themselves?  Once the bugs are worked out what a grand thing it will be.  All time spent getting from A to B becomes Free Time!

RE: Long Commute

Addendum:

By "they" I of course mean "we" as engineers.  Represent!

RE: Long Commute

jabberwocky,
your schoolyard commute sounds similar to mine, except that the school was across town, our bus ride took 1 and a half hours, that doesn't include the 1 hour wait after school b/c the bus was dropping off the junior grades first. To be honest the 1 hour wait and the bus ride were always enjoyable. The wait allowed us to involve ourselves in such intelligent pursuits as rugby or british bulldogs on a narrow field comprising of a brick wall on one side, rocks and dirt on the other side and a tree in the middle....I'm surprised that no one was seriously hurt actually, although the tree did take its fair share of victims.
The bus ride allowed us to laugh, joke and participate in fights which were left over from the field.

Ahh the good old days :)

RE: Long Commute

pavlik - I feel your pain.  My wife and I lived in SW CT (Milford) in 2002.  I worked just south of Hartford (40 minutes on a good day) and she worked in the city - the exact opposite commute you had.  We lasted all of 8 months.  The commutes drove us both nuts.  She has sinced convinced me to move completely out of New England (Love that dirty water, Boston you're my home) and we now reside on Long Island.  Her commute to the city is roughly 45 minutes and I have a 25 minute drive opposite traffic (away from the city in the AM, towards it in the PM).

We just came to the decision that our non-work time shouldn't be filled with work-related activities (i.e. commuting).  We've never looked back.  I'd give my right arm to move back to MA, though I won't do it if it means my commute is largely increased.  To me, that lost time just isn't worth it.

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