Commute to work?

On the last UPF I heard jeff say he commutes 80 miles to work. That sounds insane to me or he must make alot of money. I commute about two miles to work. its a 5-10 min drive. I couldn't imagine driving any farther(without a serious pay increase)

and being in the job market again(as i'm being laid off or what ever its called when you get fired and it isn't your fault.) I'm trying to decide how much of a commute is even worth my time. I live in a smallish city with not a ton of jobs and little real professional work.(not that I have enough education or experience for a "professional job")

I don't know I just thought it was interesting.

Most people who work in San Francisco commute here because they either can't afford to live in the city or don't want to, and there are few jobs out in the suburbs where people can actually afford to buy homes. The last statistic I saw was that the population of the city increases over 35% during business hours. I don't presume to know why anyone chooses to commute, but cost is typically the deciding factor. Rent and home prices in the city are astronomical like you wouldn't believe...average rent for a one bedroom apartment is $2,800 per month. An apartment within walking distance of the CBS building would be around $3,500 per month or higher. That's why people commute.

80 miles round trip is not uncommon at all around here. Oh, and that's one bridge toll per day at $6 a pop for the Golden Gate.

I have a 30 minute bus ride each way for a shitty retail job. In the current job market, you've got to take what you can get. That might involve a relatively significant commute. Or you might get lucky and find a job next door. Either way, a job is a job even if you have to travel a fairly significant distance.

Also, it's worth noting that I'm pretty sure that Jeff's 80 mile figure is the round trip, not each way.

@mattyftm: hey I am with you on the whole take what you can get thing. I'm losing my job next month and I will still have rent to pay. God I will take the shittiest job as long as its not in retail again. which is where I work now, I would rather swing a pickaxe.

I commune by train, it's a 8 minute ride by bike to the station and a 20 minute ride by train.

My previous job was 50 minutes by bus, so 100 minutes in total.

I don't mind traveling an hour as long it's for a decent job, I have been unemployed for over a year and just recently found a job for two days a week , I work for free and do it to close the gap in my Resume and gain experience. Because that's all companies care about these days.

An 80 mile round trip commute really isn't as bad as it sounds, but if your current 10 minute drive is all you've ever known, I can understand how it probably sounds crazy.

When I got my first job out of college, I moved into an apartment very close to where I worked (~5 minute drive), but of course within a month of starting they told me that they were moving me to a different office campus about 40 minutes from my apartment. A bit of a bummer, but it wasn't anything I'd never done before. I had a summer internship for several years in college that I lived over an hour away from.

So, don't let commute time limit you to a huge degree. You'll be surprised what you can get accustomed to over time, but on the other hand, there's definitely an upper limit to what you'll be able to handle. In particular, if you have a family that you're going home to, a lengthy hour or more commute is probably going to hurt a lot more. Also, the more you like your job, the longer you'll probably be willing to commute.

Current employ is a ~20 minute walk, previous was ~30 minute drive.

Great time to listen to podcasts.

but you aint gettin paid....

I work at a branch office of our company and it takes me about 15 minutes to get to work by car each day. I'm good with that. If I had to work at the corporate office, I'd be pulling an 80 mile round trip, too. Let's see, 80 miles per day, 5 days per week, 52 weeks per year...that's about 20,000 miles per year on your car. You'd have to replace your vehicle every 4 years or so. I guess if you lease it wouldn't be too bad. I can't fathom what Jeff pays for gas every month.

It is mostly on the motorway (freeway) and he goes late/stays late to avoid rush hour traffic. From the commute streams it seems to take about an hour on a good day. I have seen worse commutes.

I currently drive 25 minutes each way to get to my retail job, but its a pretty good job and the area I live in has very few jobs available, I was only able to get the one I got because I am older than most retail workers here and had a fair few years experience in retail. The drive is easy tho seeing as its all highway and rarely is there a ton of traffic.

If I move back in with my parents next year (no rent, free food, etc etc) I will have to commute and hour and a half each way to get into the state capital for University in the CBD. But the way I see it is that I will be saving so much money that it will be worth it. Can always do readings/assignments on the train at least. Unlike driving.

This summer I've worked in an office 5 minutes from where I lived and, having previously worked 20/25 minutes from home, I must say that I preffer the latter to the former. You get more time to listen to podcasts, music, read a book or play handheld than you would get otherwise.

Being currently in the job market, the prospect of even a 45/50 minutes commute does not bother me as I'll probably just buy a 3DS and play it to my heart's content.

I used to commute about 55 miles to and from work. It wasn't that bad. Like anything, you get used to it, plus, it gave you time to reflect and shit. Now I'm like you, my job is about 6 minutes from my home. It's pretty rad. I must admit.

I'm salaried so it doesn't matter one way or the other.

Living in a small country, where 50 miles takes me all the way across said country, and is also the distance I used to travel as a child to go on holiday, that seems to me like a significant distance to travel every day. I'd need to find a way to make that time useful or I'd get seriously depressed thinking about how much of my life it's taking up.

When I was on active duty orders during my workup for Iraq and after we got back, I had a 64 mile round trip drive to my unit. Wasn't that bad other than having to wake up 2.5 hours before actually having to be at work.

No such thing yet for me.

I drive about 30 minutes in the morning going to work and about 45 minutes on the way home with traffic. It's about 30 miles each way so roughly 60 miles round trip. I live in bumblefuck no where so I'm used to driving if I want to get anywhere.

My car died on me early last year and I've been taking the bus ever since. It's a 3 hour commute per day. Hour and a half there, hour and a half back and I certainly don't make a ton of money. I do however make enough to live independently and still have a small amount of disposable income (I'm a blue collar worker). And I will say I'm incredible grateful for the job I currently have. Considering I never graduated college I'm actually making decent money for someone with just a high school education. The worst part about all this is I can't really afford a new car, but again being independent is well worth it for me.

That's insane!

Commuting really isn't all that bad. I do it every weekday and really don't have a problem. As long as you have a decently comfortable car, music/podcasts or whatever it's fine. It actually goes by faster the more you do it.

Long commutes are very typical in the Bay Area. The cost of living in San Francisco is extremely high compared to places like Petaluma or cities in the Central Valley. These commutes allow people to make boatloads of money while living in cheap areas.

Mine right now is 7.5 miles. But I soon might be offered a Assistant manager job if I move to another place thats 19 miles. 40 hours and a 50 cent pay raise.

When I used to work at the university where I got my undergrad for awhile after graduation, it was like a 7 minute walk. I lived like a block off of campus, so that was pretty great.

Now that I have a job as a chemist, its about 17-20 minutes each way. I wish I could cut it down to 10 to 15 minutes each way, I am not in the worst commutes every category either. I feel terrible for people that have those hour and a half or more commutes.

I commute 35 miles to work.

60 miles a day, round trip. Without traffic in can be 40 minutes, but 95% of the time it's at least an hour 15. Throw a couple car accidents on the way and you're up to 2 hours.

I used to work 3 minutes away, but I'd rather drive from the suburbs than move into Chicago proper.

Currently it's about a ten minute drive or twenty minute bike ride. The area that I live in has a trail that leads into the area where my work is, so that works out really well.

However, back in my minimum wage days there was a point where I was walking over an hour each way. It kept me in great shape, but I do not miss how my legs felt at the end of every day.

40 minutes there (minimum), 40 minutes back ... 80km (50 miles) round trip.

Still cheaper than living any closer.

$2,800 for a one bedroom huh? Well I used to think NYC where exuberant but good to know we get beat out in ol' 'Cisco. Of course unless you want to count Manhattan apartment prices, then we can compete.

I have a ten minute drive to work in the morning. I love it. I know I am super lucky to have such a short commute. One lady I work with has a 45 minute drive, so that's 90 minutes total. I would not want to do that, especially considering how the pay for the job doesn't really make commuting easy with the cost of gas etc. I mainly stay at my job because it's very secure, the benefits are good (dental, health, life, eye care, retirement) and I actually really enjoy what I do, even though my pay per hour is not astounding. I would transfer to another office before I would commute, and luckily the turn over between offices happens enough to where I wouldn't be commuting too long before I could transfer. So 80 minutes isn't that bad, but I would hate it. I also understand that my commute is very short in comparison and I am very lucky to have it.

My commute time is 7 minutes if I ride my bike.

I walk to work, people look at me crazy, infact a girl just took a punch of pictures of me, becuause I look crazy, with my red backpack and coat.

For most of the summer I was commuting 120 miles to work. I don't mind because 1. it's 1/3rd of a route I've traveled all my life, so it feels short in comparison, and 2. The company was paying for my travel.

Anyone who commutes over 30 minutes one way is CRAY CRAY. We're talking about days and months of our lives spent in a car/bus/train people. Isn't that time worth anything to you? Move away from these hella expensive places and reclaim those large portions of your life back.

It's obviously a waste of life. I'm on vacation now and not dealing with a 3 hour roundtrip drive is wonderful.

But in this job market, I'm sorry. You do what you gotta do.

Takes me 45 minutes to 1 hour on public transport for me to travel into university, which is not too bad. Around an hour seems pretty standard for a London commute.

A few years ago I was doing 2 hours both ways though, and it is soul destroying. Spending 4 hours a day on a train is the worst.

45 mins to work, 45 mins back home for me. It bothered me at first but I got used to it.

My drive to work is about 20-25 minutes depending on traffic. I really can't complain. The first school I taught at was about 35-40 minutes from my house.

I know a guy in DC that actually lives in Philly and commutes back and forth each weekday. It's a messed up situation, he is basically living on the train.

It's a 13 min. walk for me. About 6 years ago it was a 45-60 min. drive to work. (one way).

I have a low paying job in Chicago. I live in the suburbs. I have a 10-minute drive to the train station, a 40-minute train ride, and a 20-minute walk to work. Then I do the reverse to get home. Not only does this cost me about $175-200 a month, just to get to work, it's 2-3 hours of my day... every day.

Commuting blows.

To get to my university I have to walk 1 hour to the bus stop, 45 minute bus ride, transfer to another bus. 25 minute bus ride from that bus.

I do real estate appraisal in a pretty rural area, so I drive about fifteen thousand miles a year just for work. As far as getting to office goes, it's about a 30 yd walk out the back door of my house.

I thought the reason people commuted was because they couldn't afford to live downtown/where they work, not because they live in an expensive neighbourhood.

Anyway I bike 20 minutes to work everyday and back. It's awesome, leaves me energized going to work and coming home as well. Plus it's really fast, I skip all the morning traffic cars have to deal with because I get my own lane.

I don't know the exact length, but I do know that my father leaves at 6:40 AM to make it to work at 8:00. He crosses a state line, too - we're in the southern part of North Carolina and he works in the northern part of South Carolina.

Personally, it takes me twenty minutes if I'm going the speed limit, which means that it usually takes fifteen.

I went from 45 minutes each way to 10 minutes and now I live right next door to work, being able to walk home in under 1 minute makes me pretty happy right now, I do sometimes miss that drive, It was my radio time, I hardly ever even listen to music anymore.

for round-trip that isn't really that crazy. Much of America ends up commuting 30-45 minutes each way everyday whether that be by car, bus, or rail. Most people would like to live closer to work but it just isn't affordable for most. Especially in the Bay area.

Same here, 88Mile round trip per day about 55 minutes each way. Fun times... You should see what I spend in gas a month sometime... lol.

I'm fairly sure Manhattan and inner San Francisco are comparative. Seems about the same for central London too (£2100=$3300~). Those big cities are some crazy.

E: Oh god I quoted a 2 day old post.