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My experience
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Posted by Ari [Email] (#2847) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Ari) on Thu, 16 May 2002 16:27:57 Share Post by Email
In Reply to: Who has the longest commute, larry, Wed, 15 May 2002 14:33:12
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I've never had that long a commute - at least not like what you describe. This is one competition I'm happy to lose. But for about 15 years I commuted 45 miles one way. 42 minutes one way on a good day. Not many good days. In general, I figured about 2 to 2.5 hours a day in the car. 20K miles a year, just commuting. Bad weather (totalled one Saab on an icy day).

I changed jobs about 3.5 years ago, changing my commute from 45 miles to 7. So, what has changed?

First, I converted one of those commuting hours into sleep. I get an extra hour of sleep a day. I don't drag myself around all day, and fall asleep in front of the TV after dinner. I'm actually human (sometimes).

The remaining half-hour I got to spend with my wife, work in the yard, read the paper.

Next, I can actually go to a doctor near where I live. I can buzz out of work to the doctor, dentist, lawyer, bank, whatever, over lunchtime. It's amazingly good to actually do your business near where you live. I take an hour and be with my wife at hospital for a test, or take the cat to the vet.

Most of my friends are from work. I can visit them without making it feel like a commute. I can get the name of a good resturant, and go there after dinner with my family.

I can go home for lunch. I can get home for domestic emergencies. If the car is making a funny noise, I don't have to sweat the logistics of getting a dead car two states over.

I don't dread bad weather. I can look out the window, and know that what it's doing here is probably what it's doing at home. Before, rain at work could be snow at home, with ice in the middle.

I save about $200 a month in gas. I went from twice a week fill-ups to twice a month. I'm not worrying about having to buy another car - first, because my present one isn't getting used up as fast, and second, because I can damn near walk home (well within a AAA tow), the car doesn't have to be as dead reliable.

And of course, the more time you spend on the road, the more your exposure to someone on a cell phone who isn't looking....

My recommendation - no long commute is worth it for an extended period of time. Yeah, for a few months, maybe a year if you're young, strong, and foolish. But you're exchanging your life for what? You'll get up at Oh-Dark-Thirty, get home late, and be tired most of the time. Family reasons? Will you be spending more or less time with family if you're in a car?

When I did the math, I figured that when I went to a shorter commute, I got myself the equivalent of 8 WEEKS of extra vacation. And that was for a lousy 2 hour commute daily. 1.5 hours a day saved, 5 days a week, 45 weeks a year (take off a few for vacation, holidays, sick time). That works out to 337 HOURS A YEAR. For a 40 hour week, that's 8.5 weeks.

Basically, I figured my shorter commute worked out to better than $12K a year in savings, if I convert the value of my time, along with reduced wear and tear on cars and bodies.

Just my opinion. I like cars. Drive a long distance every day, and you'll learn to hate them.




posted by 140.157.4...
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