What would the folks of ph deem an acceptable commute?
Discussion
Just finished a 85 each way daily commute, interspersed with 450 mile days once or twice a week. Employer gave me all the support (wheels, fuel, food....) and let me go home every night as opposed to becomining Mr Marriott. I'd honestly do my job for nothing, and get home most nights so it has worked for me for 10 years.
Comments on time are exactly on the money. My previous commute was 40 miles each way and my days were no shorter as that company didn't offer flexible working.
New job starts Monday and Head Office now 115 miles away....going be interesting?!
Comments on time are exactly on the money. My previous commute was 40 miles each way and my days were no shorter as that company didn't offer flexible working.
New job starts Monday and Head Office now 115 miles away....going be interesting?!
tuscaneer said:
I'm currently living with a 14 mile each way commute to work but am looking to move house.
My current journey is nothing early in the morning but getting out of the city in the afternoon is a bit of a pain.
I work in the USA, but live in the Philippines, so an 8000 mile commute is a normal part of life for me.My current journey is nothing early in the morning but getting out of the city in the afternoon is a bit of a pain.
I only have to do it once every 4-5 weeks, so it is not that bad really........
King Herald said:
I work in the USA, but live in the Philippines, so an 8000 mile commute is a normal part of life for me.
I only have to do it once every 4-5 weeks, so it is not that bad really........
Not quite to the same level but for the last 2 yrs I have been commuting to Finland from Scotland every other week - that's 2 flights each way, 4 flights / week with an hours drive to the airport on the way out and back. Now about 9 hours door to door after moving. Before that it was over 12.I only have to do it once every 4-5 weeks, so it is not that bad really........
So 100 flights / year not counting additional trips to suppliers / partners etc.
New year's resolution: You guessed it!
By Car, my office is 50 miles but I recently spent a year at a place that was 90 miles each way. But it was all motorway and I get 30p per mile so happy to do it :-)
Longest would have been london to edinburgh. Back in the day when there was a lot of money floating around before the dotcom bubble burst I used to fly to edinburgh and back every day for many months. Then it was dusseldorf and milan. Wouldnt get away with that now.
Longest would have been london to edinburgh. Back in the day when there was a lot of money floating around before the dotcom bubble burst I used to fly to edinburgh and back every day for many months. Then it was dusseldorf and milan. Wouldnt get away with that now.
My commute is about 20 metres. Sometimes a bit longer if I have to go down a deck to drop stuff to the laundry girls before breakfast.
I had to do Tynemouth-Nissan plant through the Tyne tunnel for about three months one summer - still only about 30mins each way but that was enough to put me off commuting for ever. Honestly don't know how you guys do it. Have you added up how much of your life you spend sat in stationary traffic listening to crappy breakfast radio? :shudder:
I had to do Tynemouth-Nissan plant through the Tyne tunnel for about three months one summer - still only about 30mins each way but that was enough to put me off commuting for ever. Honestly don't know how you guys do it. Have you added up how much of your life you spend sat in stationary traffic listening to crappy breakfast radio? :shudder:
I did 2 hours each way for a decade.
That was by coach though, and it picked up in my road, and dropped off about 5 minutes walk from work. That makes a huge difference as the journey was comfortable with no changes, so I was able to sleep all the way in, an generally got another hour on the way home.
That was by coach though, and it picked up in my road, and dropped off about 5 minutes walk from work. That makes a huge difference as the journey was comfortable with no changes, so I was able to sleep all the way in, an generally got another hour on the way home.
My commute is about an hour and 45 mins on average, due to trains, tube, and dlr. It sucks, and it is eye wateringly expensive.
Driving in isn't a realistic option due to the state of the roads and cost of parking.
I just use the train time for education and training, the tube for standing in a very small overheated space while getting shoved about, and the dlr for reading car mags.
Driving in isn't a realistic option due to the state of the roads and cost of parking.
I just use the train time for education and training, the tube for standing in a very small overheated space while getting shoved about, and the dlr for reading car mags.
12kms, 30 minutes on the bike, traffic free cycle path for about 10kms of it. Bliss.
I can leave home or work whenever I want and not be sat in the traffic that is inevitable around North/East Bristol between 0730-0900 and 1600-1830 respectively. If I lived further away I would get a scooter/small motorbike but I just cant bear the thought of driving and knowing I will be sat in traffic or having to plan my entire day around what time is best to not endure traffic jams.
I can leave home or work whenever I want and not be sat in the traffic that is inevitable around North/East Bristol between 0730-0900 and 1600-1830 respectively. If I lived further away I would get a scooter/small motorbike but I just cant bear the thought of driving and knowing I will be sat in traffic or having to plan my entire day around what time is best to not endure traffic jams.
Strange isn't it.
The best commute I ever did was the longest.
20 min walk
30 min train
20 min walk
Including allowing time for flexibility (Ie get to the station 5-10 mins before train comes) and then the walk it took me an hour and twenty in the morning and an hour and a half at night.
I loved it though, I used to sit and watch TV with a brew in the lounge at the station on the way home, cup of tea and watch a film or something in the morning on the way in.
Then went to a 35 mile motorway blast which only took 30 mins but I hated.
Now it's 30 mins and 11 miles but more enjoyable oddly enough.
The best commute I ever did was the longest.
20 min walk
30 min train
20 min walk
Including allowing time for flexibility (Ie get to the station 5-10 mins before train comes) and then the walk it took me an hour and twenty in the morning and an hour and a half at night.
I loved it though, I used to sit and watch TV with a brew in the lounge at the station on the way home, cup of tea and watch a film or something in the morning on the way in.
Then went to a 35 mile motorway blast which only took 30 mins but I hated.
Now it's 30 mins and 11 miles but more enjoyable oddly enough.
Done loads of different commutes over the years, from 5 minute walks, 45 minute drives , 20 minute cycles etc....
I once had an 80 mile commute, 40 miles each way and I hated it!
As other said time is a big issue! Ironically mine was OK, as it was all quiet dc and off peak M4 door to door, on the drive in I could do it in 30 mins and then 40/45 mins on the way home.
Costs were a pita , as I paid for it all myself and fuel was quiet high at the time, so it really added up to £250-400 a month
Then there was car repairs, I was putting lots of miles on, so car was reliable but often needed jobs doing, which adds up. Then you its hard work fitting in the car to the garage as you are always using it! You also don't want to spend your Saturdays getting tyres fitted etc
As I was doing 80 miles a day I got fed up of driving at weekends.
Plus I got a bit overweight, I spent all day sat at a desk then 1.5 hours in a car, with no evening time to exercise I put on the pounds
Thinking back it wasn't too bad, but I hated it and the job at the time.
If the job was right with good pay and great career progression I would suffer it, but not where I am now in life
I have a baby now and love the 20 minute drive or 35 minute cycle as it means I get to see loads of her growing up, even though my pay isn't amazing, sometimes you cant put a price on a nice quality of life!
I once had an 80 mile commute, 40 miles each way and I hated it!
As other said time is a big issue! Ironically mine was OK, as it was all quiet dc and off peak M4 door to door, on the drive in I could do it in 30 mins and then 40/45 mins on the way home.
Costs were a pita , as I paid for it all myself and fuel was quiet high at the time, so it really added up to £250-400 a month
Then there was car repairs, I was putting lots of miles on, so car was reliable but often needed jobs doing, which adds up. Then you its hard work fitting in the car to the garage as you are always using it! You also don't want to spend your Saturdays getting tyres fitted etc
As I was doing 80 miles a day I got fed up of driving at weekends.
Plus I got a bit overweight, I spent all day sat at a desk then 1.5 hours in a car, with no evening time to exercise I put on the pounds
Thinking back it wasn't too bad, but I hated it and the job at the time.
If the job was right with good pay and great career progression I would suffer it, but not where I am now in life
I have a baby now and love the 20 minute drive or 35 minute cycle as it means I get to see loads of her growing up, even though my pay isn't amazing, sometimes you cant put a price on a nice quality of life!
I commute 60min to 90mins each way, mostly on a slow moving M25.
Weirdly, I don't mind it too much. I've always done a long commute as we like where we live too much to move. And the money I can earn by commuting is significantly better than locally.
Gives me a chance to think about work on the way in / make some calls. And on the way home gives me a chance to listen to some music and 'decompress' before getting home. But I work from home / visit customers also which evens out the commuting over a week.
I honestly think the key to 'acceptability' is how much you genuinely like what's at the other end.
As a youngster I had a 10min commute to a job I hated - I hated that commute!
And at the same time had a girlfriend 100 miles away - time and petrol costs to commute each weekend were no problem at all!
Weirdly, I don't mind it too much. I've always done a long commute as we like where we live too much to move. And the money I can earn by commuting is significantly better than locally.
Gives me a chance to think about work on the way in / make some calls. And on the way home gives me a chance to listen to some music and 'decompress' before getting home. But I work from home / visit customers also which evens out the commuting over a week.
I honestly think the key to 'acceptability' is how much you genuinely like what's at the other end.
As a youngster I had a 10min commute to a job I hated - I hated that commute!
And at the same time had a girlfriend 100 miles away - time and petrol costs to commute each weekend were no problem at all!
There's no way I'd take on anything more than 30-40 minutes. I've done my time of 2 hour commutes each way for long enough to know that you never get that time back. Sure, you can get more educated (audibooks etc) but you can also get more angry, tired, alone and miserable than needs be
Paul1302 My wife and I currently do a 35 mile each way daily commute from our "work appartment" in Hertfordshire into central London. This takes us around an hour max via train + walking to and from the various stations.
We also do a 200 mile commute on a Friday night and Sunday night to and from our home which usually takes just over 3 hours each way.
Worst commute we ever had was into central Manchester - depending on traffic and time of day it could take anywhere between 1 and 2 hours.
We also do a 200 mile commute on a Friday night and Sunday night to and from our home which usually takes just over 3 hours each way.
Worst commute we ever had was into central Manchester - depending on traffic and time of day it could take anywhere between 1 and 2 hours.
Edited by Moonhawk on Friday 2nd January 15:31
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