How long is your commute?

[gillep]

My commute is 1 hour door to door and includes two short walks a bus and the metro. Thankfully 45min is on the metro where I can get some good reading done and I find that it is an excellent way to start and end my day.

My husband had a similar commute and always complained, then he got a job where he had to drive 1 hour each way in D.C. traffic. He hated it and could not wait to get back to the bus/metro commute. He could only take it for two months and went back to his old job, which he now loves more than ever, and he hardly ever complains about the commute.

 

[fall08CP]

7 minutes driving

 

[bookgirl]

7 minutes average maybe 10 when there's heavy university traffic. I live and work in the suburbs and my house is roughly about 3 miles from work. We do have a LOT of traffic but since I'm on the edge going into the suburb the traffics always in the opposite direction from me except for the uni kids and school runs.

 

[GeorgeG]

I was just thinking... very scary, I know... how commuting has become the norm in recent generations. Consider how much time is spent just getting to and from work, the money that is spent on transportation, either in gas and wear and tear on cars or bus and train tickets, and how much all that contributes to air polution ad wear and tear on highways, bridges and rail systems. Maybe we should be thinking about working closer to where we live or living closer to where we work. Simplistic thinking, I know, but it kind of make sense,

 

[aprilgail2]

Mine is about 7 minutes-- I have been doing the 7 minute commute for 25 years now and no way could I change at this point in my life! I sometimes take a train into the city (on work time not my commute time) and sit there thinking how there is no way in heck I would do that every day!

 

[We_Love_Disney]

I used to travel about 45 minutes each way, but I am now seriously considering a job that is 1.5 hours away, but the shifts are not during rush hour. It would be an excellent opportunity and I am miserable at my current job. My lease is up in 6 months so at that point I can move closer. Has anyone done this?

Do it!! Why would you pass on potential happiness just to save yourself a few minutes in a car? It's a no-brainer really. Take a chance on happiness. You have nothing to lose.

 

[dakcp2001]

I was just thinking... very scary, I know... how commuting has become the norm in recent generations. Consider how much time is spent just getting to and from work, the money that is spent on transportation, either in gas and wear and tear on cars or bus and train tickets, and how much all that contributes to air polution ad wear and tear on highways, bridges and rail systems. Maybe we should be thinking about working closer to where we live or living closer to where we work. Simplistic thinking, I know, but it kind of make sense,

Do you think people choose this type of commute? It is out of necessity.

 

[SC Minnie]

5 min if I catch all green lights (which happened this morning!)

I used to have an hour commute and so did DH. It made for very long days. When DD was small we really didn't have an evening. By the time we got home and dinner on the table it was time for her bath then bedtime. We eventually moved closer to our jobs- the jobs moved too and were ~10 mi apart. The cost of living is more here but the added time in the day makes up for it.

 

[2DisPrincesses]

Do you think people choose this type of commute? It is out of necessity.

Exactly. My DH drives about 40 minutes each way. There is nothing for him where we live right now that would pay him the same salary. The schools where his job is currently are terrible. My girls will not be raised or go to school there. They are in a good school system here.

 

[FireDancer]

Do you think people choose this type of commute? It is out of necessity.

Sometimes but not always. I could have bought a condo downtown but wanted to buy a house in the suburbs.

It was a choice. For many I'm sure it isn't but there is a mix of both.

 

[Golf4food]

I used to drive 42 miles/~1 hour one-way for work/college. It gets old very fast. Having a job you love may make it better, and modern technology like iPods and Podcasts and Satellite radio would help, which I didn't have back ten years ago, but the commute can still be a pain, not to mention the higher gas budget and vehicle wear and tear. But for something I loved I would consider it again. Current commute is 10 miles/20-25 minutes.

 

[Pakey]

2 miles. I work 12+ hour days, 6 days a week and after having a 50 mile commute twice daily for many years, we sold our dream home so that I could move closer to my work. With the heavy fog we have here, I do not miss those long drives in the dark.

 

[Hemlock]

I walk to work in under 5 minutes.

 

[KadysMom]

DH and I both have a 15 minute commute. Its not bad since we dont have to do the highway and most days I can get home without hitting a red light. DH drove 2 hours each way for a while before he transferred closer. It was horrible and the gas prices were over $4. then.

 

[Thumper_Man]

Mine is about 1 1/2 hours each way. So 3 hours total.

It's not all driving for me though. I drive about 20-25 minutes to a train station. Then I hop on the train which takes about an hour to get to the next train station I get off at. Then it's a 5 minute walk from there to my work. Then when I get off of work, I do it all over again in reverse.

 

[tvguy]

It was horrible and the gas prices were over $4. then.

Good lord, where did you live that gas was $4 a gallon? A friend just posted on FB that gas prices in Hawaii hit $3.95 a gallon yesterday, a record high.

I considered taking a job that involved a 90 minute drive each way.....I figured I'd wear out a car every 3 or 4 years, and probably me, so didn't take the job.

My current commute is the longest I've ever had, 13 miles, 15 minutes. Takes me 10 minutes to drive the first 5 miles to get to the freeway, and about 5 minutes to drive the rest at 70 mph on the freeway....no traffic at 2:45 am when I go to work.

 

[pixiewings71]

When I worked my commute was 30-40 minutes each way, during commute traffic. DBF commutes daily, he goes off commute hours and it takes him 45 minutes minimum to get to work and to get home. He's done this for 8 years now.

 

[clutter]

Do you think people choose this type of commute? It is out of necessity.

Exactly. My job is in accounting, but in a specialized field that tends to stay downtown. The best schools that I can afford are out in the 'burbs. So I commute 24 miles. Anywhere from 40 to 80 minutes each way. It's not fun, but it is what it is.

 

[Disnydad]

8 to 10 minutes.

 

[GeorgeG]

Do you think people choose this type of commute? It is out of necessity.

I believe it is chosen much more than people might like to admit. Living in closer proximity to the job may not always be the best option, but it is an option.