Longest sensible road commute
Discussion
My commute for the past 13 years has been 60 miles each way. I went to this straight from 12 years of 2 miles each way, it was a bit of a shock to be honest. I do it because I don't mind my job, it's relatively secure, and I can't find work in my particular skill set any closer to home, plus I really don't want to move. I thought I'd do it for 3 years maximum then move on to another job, but I got used to the commute quite quickly and ended up staying. It is now starting to get to me a bit though and so I may look elsewhere, but it hasn't proved to be as bad as I thought it would.
That said, to me it's about time taken more than distance. It takes me on average about 70 minutes each way. I remember speaking to someone based in London who thought I was mad travelling that far to work and he only did 12 miles each way. He changed his tune when he realised it was taking him at least as long to get to work though.
Edited for spelling causing the language filter to throw a wobbly
That said, to me it's about time taken more than distance. It takes me on average about 70 minutes each way. I remember speaking to someone based in London who thought I was mad travelling that far to work and he only did 12 miles each way. He changed his tune when he realised it was taking him at least as long to get to work though.
Edited for spelling causing the language filter to throw a wobbly
Edited by RedBull on Thursday 4th June 09:18
RedBull said:
My commute for the past 13 years has been 60 miles each way. I went to this straight from 12 years of 2 miles each way, it was a bit of a shock to be honest. I do it because I don't mind my job, it's relatively secure, and I can't find work in my particular skill set any closer to home, plus I really don't want to move. I thought I'd do it for 3 years maximum then move on to another job, but I got used to the commute quite quickly and ended up staying. It is now starting to get to me a bit though and so I may look elsewhere, but it hasn't proved to be as bad as I thought it would.
That said, to me it's about time taken more than distance. It takes me on average about 70 minutes each way. I remember se
ng to someone based in Londo who thought I was mad travelling that far to work and he only did 12 miles each way. He changed his tune when he realised it was taking him at least as long to get to work though.
This is the thing - the number of people who I work with who shake their head at my 77 mile commute, but then realise that there 20 miler across Birmingham or Coventry takes the same length of time is quite large. That said, to me it's about time taken more than distance. It takes me on average about 70 minutes each way. I remember se
ng to someone based in Londo who thought I was mad travelling that far to work and he only did 12 miles each way. He changed his tune when he realised it was taking him at least as long to get to work though.I'm not sure I could handle the stress of driving a commute in the South East!
It's bad enough at the moment having to get the train (50 minutes door to door) whilst the showers at work are being renovated. As soon as that's done, I'll be back to cycling (around 75 minutes each way) when I've got to be in the office, and enjoy it far, far more than any alternative short of maybe a private helicopter...
It's bad enough at the moment having to get the train (50 minutes door to door) whilst the showers at work are being renovated. As soon as that's done, I'll be back to cycling (around 75 minutes each way) when I've got to be in the office, and enjoy it far, far more than any alternative short of maybe a private helicopter...
I've done a range of commutes but nothing like some of the figures quoted in this thread.
My first proper job was a 10 minute across town walk from my flat to the office. Apart from when it was raining, it was a nice walk and I quite often walked with my secretary/assistant to and from work and would often detour to a pub on the way home or via a café on the way in.
In more recent times the commute has ranged from 3 to 18 miles. I am currently doing 16 which takes between 25 and 40 minutes. I aim to be at work for 8am to avoid the majority of the traffic. If I leave the office at 4.30pm I can be home within 30 minutes. If I leave at 5.30 or 6pm it's nearer 40 minutes.
I wouldn't want to commute much further than this unless the salary was much increased. I find now that I just cruise on the inside lane about 65-70mph and take it easy. This (mostly) causes me to get less stressed at other drivers bad driving and I don't actually seem to make much less progress. If I get to the office 15 minutes later than the previous day it's not a problem.
My first proper job was a 10 minute across town walk from my flat to the office. Apart from when it was raining, it was a nice walk and I quite often walked with my secretary/assistant to and from work and would often detour to a pub on the way home or via a café on the way in.
In more recent times the commute has ranged from 3 to 18 miles. I am currently doing 16 which takes between 25 and 40 minutes. I aim to be at work for 8am to avoid the majority of the traffic. If I leave the office at 4.30pm I can be home within 30 minutes. If I leave at 5.30 or 6pm it's nearer 40 minutes.
I wouldn't want to commute much further than this unless the salary was much increased. I find now that I just cruise on the inside lane about 65-70mph and take it easy. This (mostly) causes me to get less stressed at other drivers bad driving and I don't actually seem to make much less progress. If I get to the office 15 minutes later than the previous day it's not a problem.
2 weeks left of 3 months doing 200 miles / day, all motorway, all tedious;
tried driving it a few times and it took forever and was stressful, I then moved to doing it by motorbike which is mentally tiring and a oil and filter change per month for the bike
Moving to 80 mile round trip and cannot wait, will be 30/40mins each way
tried driving it a few times and it took forever and was stressful, I then moved to doing it by motorbike which is mentally tiring and a oil and filter change per month for the bike
Moving to 80 mile round trip and cannot wait, will be 30/40mins each way
Wow.
Reading some of these makes me glad my commute is just over 10 miles to work.
Alright, that's going from one corner of a city to the other, but it means I only skim the edge of the centre and miss a lot of the traffic. Except coming home; I can hit that quite badly, but generally it's only about 30 minutes there, 40 back. Unless there's an accident then it can take an hour or so.
Not all bad!
Reading some of these makes me glad my commute is just over 10 miles to work.
Alright, that's going from one corner of a city to the other, but it means I only skim the edge of the centre and miss a lot of the traffic. Except coming home; I can hit that quite badly, but generally it's only about 30 minutes there, 40 back. Unless there's an accident then it can take an hour or so.
Not all bad!
RizzoTheRat said:
chilistrucker said:
My new job starts Wednesday and its a 72 mile commute each way, from 1 side of the m25 to the other, not ideal but I really wanted the job.
Depends which way you're doing it, I used to do Farnborough to near Orpington which was about an hour, doing it in the other direction would have been a hour and half at least.An hours about my limit, done a few contracts that were an hour and half or so and that started to bug me. Currently loving my 20 minute commute and years of doing an hour.
I weighed up all the different possible routes, but which ever 1 I chose I knew it would have its downsides at certain times of the day, for the direction i'm travelling in. I went with the topside of the m25 in the end, as at least that way when it does go belly up it gives me the most amount of options for alternative routes. I never thought I would end up doing a commute like this but after the last years worth of rubbish i've had, this job could be a chance to finally start moving in the right direction and if it is I don't mind the odd 3 hour drive there or back
I'm learning that lanes 1 and 2 are my friends
I mentioned this on another thread but it seems apt. 30yrs of never more than 6 miles each way. 2.5 years of 100 miles each way. Mind you my waist line has suffered as I used to cycle a lot. You adjust and manage your time differently otherwise you'd go mad. I enjoy it but some days the M25 drives you mad.
I found I became a much calmer driver when I was commuting round the M25. I was that or have a heart attack within a month 
Sit in lane one and you can cruise for miles at 70ish, popping out to overtake the occasional truck, while the rest of the idiots are all permanently on the throttle or brake in the other lanes.
After 3.5 years of long commuting, when I started working locally again I suddenly found I had free evenings and no idea what I used to do in them.
Sit in lane one and you can cruise for miles at 70ish, popping out to overtake the occasional truck, while the rest of the idiots are all permanently on the throttle or brake in the other lanes.After 3.5 years of long commuting, when I started working locally again I suddenly found I had free evenings and no idea what I used to do in them.
RizzoTheRat said:
I found I became a much calmer driver when I was commuting round the M25. I was that or have a heart attack within a month Sit in lane one and you can cruise for miles at 70ish, popping out to overtake the occasional truck, while the rest of the idiots are all permanently on the throttle or brake in the other lanes.
After 3.5 years of long commuting, when I started working locally again I suddenly found I had free evenings and no idea what I used to do in them.
Agree totally leave plenty of time. Ensure you never have anything booked that won't wait and then just relax and let the chaos ensue around you. If you get a clear run it's a bonus but no point in getting stressed about a slow journey, they are what they are. Also no point speeding makes very little difference to your journey time. The art of Zen commuting Sit in lane one and you can cruise for miles at 70ish, popping out to overtake the occasional truck, while the rest of the idiots are all permanently on the throttle or brake in the other lanes.After 3.5 years of long commuting, when I started working locally again I suddenly found I had free evenings and no idea what I used to do in them.
Edited by R39S1 on Monday 8th June 22:21
Agree with you both, the right mindset for these commutes is definetely key 
Every now and then I'm sure it will get on my nerves, especially if I have a late finish and an early start, but most of the time i'll just go with the flow, (or lack of it.)
I think the previous 22 years of wagon driving helps with the whole m25 commute.
Every now and then I'm sure it will get on my nerves, especially if I have a late finish and an early start, but most of the time i'll just go with the flow, (or lack of it.)
I think the previous 22 years of wagon driving helps with the whole m25 commute.
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff