Long Commute 5

[pavlik]

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

 

[chris9]

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.

 

[plasgears]

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.

 

[NOx]

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

 

[chris9]

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.

 

[medengr]

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.

 

[pavlik]

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

 

[HVAC68]

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

 

[ProEpro]

If you get stuck commuting aghain ask about flex time. Some places let you work 4 10 hour days instead of 5 8 hour days.


ProEpro

http://www.whitelightdesign.com

Pro/E FAQ

http://www.whitelightdesign.com/servicestips.htm

 

[PSE]

ProEpro

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

Regards

 

[TransitHellcom]

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

 

[Raafi]

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

 

[dwedel]

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.

 

[APH]

Dwedel,

Is that you ME 2000 MSU??

APH

 

[EOIT]

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.

 

[bigbillnky]

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)

 

[Slugger926]

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.

 

[ziggi]

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.

 

[CarolinaPE]

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.

 

[epoisses]

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.

 

[sprintcar]

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