# Commuting sucks.



## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Jul 25, 2005)

Well - I'm from a town where you can get anywhere in essentially 10 minutes.  Any farther than that and you are leaving the city limits.

Now I live in the Washington, DC metro area and it sucks.  Before we moved to Silver Spring, MD (from Alexandria, VA), I could catch the 8:33am train, the 8:42 bus, and make it to work by 9.  Now that we have relocated, I have to make the 7:25 bus to make the 8:01 train all in hopes of making the 8:42 bus to work again! (which - this morning I didn't.  It was nice out, so the walk from the train station to work wasn't *so* bad... but it's still highly annoying!)

I've moved 20 miles or so and my commute has inflated from 30 minutes (which is very short for the area) to over 1.5 hours!

Do you commute?  How long does it take you?  What's the absolute longest commute you'd be willing to put up with?

Rant with me!!


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## DaveMage (Jul 25, 2005)

Sorry, I won't rant with you (though I agree a long commute sucks).

The distance from my home to my work: 4 miles.

Time: 10 minutes

Time if I actually catch the 5 lights green: 5 minutes

Life is good.


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## Belen (Jul 25, 2005)

My drive takes 25 minutes in the mornings and 40 in the afternoons.  I wish I could do something that would reduce the time, yet I will not live in the same city where I work.  The crime rate and number of gangs in Durham is horrible!


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## reveal (Jul 25, 2005)

I'm with DaveMage. It's 6 miles from my home to my office. My wife works a mile away, so her office is 5 miles. It takes 15 minutes to get from my place to my office.


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## IronWolf (Jul 25, 2005)

Seven minutes, tops.  No traffic lights!


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## dshai527 (Jul 25, 2005)

I feel for you. I just ended a job where I commuted to work. On a good day it was only an hour, but with Cincinnati traffic it was more often than not 1.5-2 hrs with my longest haul being 3.5 hours to get to work. When my daughter was born I said no more and now I have a job that is only 5 minutes away from my house. 

The worst part is that when you get home you feel to drained to enjoy the rest of your day so you feel that the weekdays are a bust and you try to cram everything into your weekends and then you don't enjoy them.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Jul 25, 2005)

dshai527 said:
			
		

> The worst part is that when you get home you feel to drained to enjoy the rest of your day so you feel that the weekdays are a bust and you try to cram everything into your weekends and then you don't enjoy them.




That is definately the worst part.  I will not get home until nearly 7pm in our current location.

Luckily - it's only temporary.  When the school year starts up, I only have to be in the office for 4 hours on Tuesday and I do the rest of my work from home.    That means: No Commute!


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## Dominic (Jul 25, 2005)

I feel your pain - my commutes is about an hour each way.  If I drove it would only be 40 min in the AM, but 75 min in the PM.  Taking the bus means a little more time overall, but that time is mine since I dont have to deal with driving.  I can get a lot of reading, game planning, or more likely sleeping in that hour.  It also means I'm more relaxed and friendlier when I get home, as opposed to ticked off at the number of stupid drivers out there.

I do it because I love my job, and my wifes work is less than a mile from home.

Commuting sucks, but you do what you have to, and improve your situation when you can.


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## der_kluge (Jul 25, 2005)

I'm about 6 miles from work. When I graduated college, and got my first job, I managed to buy a house 1.1 miles away from the Wal-Mart corporate offices (yes, Bentonville *is* that small of a town).  I had a 30 minute commute with my second job, but it was mostly highway, so not too bad. And I went left at 8, so there was no traffic.

Having just drove through the mess that is D.C./Baltimore yesterday, I feel your pain.  No way in hell would I want to live/work in that mess.


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## The_Universe (Jul 25, 2005)

I want flying cars driven by robots. That would solve all of our problems!


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## Desdichado (Jul 25, 2005)

I drive about 30-35 minutes one way.  I wouldn't like any commute much longer than that, but oddly enough, I'm not sure I'd want one much shorter either.  It gives me enough time to get my head straight before coming into work, and (even more importantly) get it straight again before coming home.  I also have started checking out audiobooks from the public library and cruising through them during the commute.


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## Xath (Jul 25, 2005)

I used to work a job where it would take me an hour to get there at best.  At worst, I think it took me 3 hours to get home.  But I loved that job, and I could read on the metro, so I didn't care.

Now I work on campus, which is about a 20-25 minute walk from my apartment.  I usually pick up a paper in the morning and read it on my way to work.


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## Mystery Man (Jul 25, 2005)

Queen_Dopplepopolis said:
			
		

> Do you commute?  How long does it take you?  What's the absolute longest commute you'd be willing to put up with?
> 
> Rant with me!!




20 minute drive, about 17 miles, 50-50 between street and interstate. Not much to rant about other than the occasional moron holding up traffic or the damn road construction.


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## Kanegrundar (Jul 25, 2005)

I with you Queen D.  I drive and hour and ten minutes to and from work every day (though with the work on I-70 into KC right now that drive home can be up to 2 hours).  I hate it, but we can't buy a new house just yet, and my job may move closer to KC, so I'm just going to wait it out until October at the earliest.

Kane


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## Arnwyn (Jul 25, 2005)

Queen_Dopplepopolis said:
			
		

> Do you commute?  How long does it take you?  What's the absolute longest commute you'd be willing to put up with?



If you mean "getting to work", then yes, I do commute. It takes me no more than 20 minutes in early rush hour traffic (I try to get into the office by 7:45 am). The longest commute I'd ever consider is 30 minutes - not one minute more.


> Rant with me!!!!



Not me. One of my criteria for buying my current house was to keep any commute to under 30 minutes (which one can easily do in the size of the city that I live). So I do agree with you - commuting sucks a whole lot in general.


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## DungeonmasterCal (Jul 25, 2005)

About 35-45 minutes either way, depending on traffic.  I used to have an hour long one way commute, but not because of traffic...just because I lived a long way from the job.  I actually don't mind the drive, especially now that I'm finally driving again after my accident!


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## Dingleberry (Jul 25, 2005)

30 miles from my western suburb to Chicago's Loop; hour and a half door to door.  It sucks, but it's worth it to not live in downtown Chicago anymore - though my previous 20 minute walking commute was pretty sweet.


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## smootrk (Jul 25, 2005)

My last office location could be measured in a couple of hundred yards as a crow flies, although I had to go around the area with Railroad Tracks and Construction equipment storage ( in Henderson NV, a suburb area of Las Vegas).  Total time to work, maybe 4 minutes with a car, by foot a little longer by traveling over the field, but it is generally too hot there to do that often.

Now, strangely enough, I am the Stay-At-Home-Dad, and my wife is the bread-winner as a Physical Therapist.  So my commute is from my bedroom, to my living room, to my kids' rooms, and the kitchen.  Fun to stay with the kids but can be a little boring sometime.  When my children get a little bigger, and into school, I will likely start up my business again.


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## cuteasaurus (Jul 25, 2005)

I have a pretty low tolerance for commutes, especially since soon I'll be "on-call"  However, now that I think about it, I did drive about an hr to get to work for a summer a couple of years ago.  Longest commute?  A lot of my coworkers at the CDC had 2 hr commutes...each way!  But, I can't say I blame them...who wants to live in Atlanta?


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## JamesDJarvis (Jul 25, 2005)

I have a 37.5 mile commute. Depending on traffic conditions which are seemingly totally random and are never reported accurately this can take me 0.5 hour to 2.5 hours to drive.

Argghhhhhhhhhh !!!!!

i think it is commuting Karma getting me bad.  For about 6 years my communte was 12 feet, from my bed room , a few steps in the kitchen and into my studio.


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## drothgery (Jul 25, 2005)

DaveMage said:
			
		

> Sorry, I won't rant with you (though I agree a long commute sucks).
> 
> The distance from my home to my work: 4 miles.
> 
> ...




I wish a short distance always meant a short time...

Distance from my aparment to my work: 4.5 miles.

Time (assuming light to normal traffic): 15 minutes
Time if I actualy catch all of the lights: 10 minutes
Time if traffic is backed up for some inexplicable reason (which happens a few times a month, always on the way home): 30 minutes - 1 hr


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## Kid Charlemagne (Jul 25, 2005)

I've got a very consistent commute - about an hour door-to-door.  It's about 20 miles, I work in downtown Chicago (right around the corner from where a lot of the new Batman movie was filmed) and I take the train.  Driving is hellish here; traffic is backed up every weekday and most weekends heading into or out of the city.


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## Turanil (Jul 25, 2005)

As far as I am concerned, communting is between the bed, the computer, and the fridge. I think 2 seconds to each of them in any order.


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## Tatsukun (Jul 25, 2005)

Distance, 17 or 22 kilometers, depending on which campus I'm at that day.
Time to get to either one, door to door is 2 hours each way. 

Tokyo sucks

 -Tatsu


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## The Edge (Jul 25, 2005)

My daily journey to college.

Wake up at 6:15 in order to catch bus on time, 6-8 min walk to bus stop, 1 hour 15 min bus journey along sodding, winding, bumpy country roads followed by city trafic toward the end of the trip.

same again reversed on way home. Its a horrible way too spend such a large portion of my life.   

I'll second that call for robotic flying cars!


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## diaglo (Jul 25, 2005)

10.5 miles one way. avg time in 25 minutes. avg time out 45 minutes.

diaglo "lives where people drive more miles than any other city in the us" Ooi


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## tarchon (Jul 25, 2005)

10-12 minutes by car, 15 by bike when they aren't doing construction on the trail, which they usually are. I won't put up with anything longer than 20 minutes in the long term.


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## DaveMage (Jul 25, 2005)

drothgery said:
			
		

> I wish a short distance always meant a short time...
> 
> Distance from my aparment to my work: 4.5 miles.
> 
> ...




Well, I didn't always have it so good...

When they were doing construction work on the route I take, it once took 30 minutes to go those 4 miles....

Fontunately, they are done now.


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## Desdichado (Jul 25, 2005)

DaveMage said:
			
		

> Well, I didn't always have it so good...
> 
> When they were doing construction work on the route I take, it once took 30 minutes to go those 4 miles....
> 
> Fontunately, they are done now.



Not long ago, there was a big drive in our community to replace sidewalk panes that were cracked or "upheaved".  We are pretty good friends with the family that lives two doors down from us on the cul-de-sac.  Because we live on a cul-de-sac and have yards that are shaped like pieces of pie, that distance is about as close as most people's next door neighbors, at least in the front.

So, when they replaced one of the sidewalk panes between our houses, the commute was somewhat slowed by the construction.  We were glad to see that complete.


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## DaveStebbins (Jul 25, 2005)

I live 1.8 miles from the office, so my commute is five minutes by car or eight minutes by bicycle.    

I went to school in Buffalo, where it takes at least 20-30 minutes to get anywhere. When I first moved here, we lived in one of the outlying suburbs so it took 20 minutes to drive to work. That seemed on the short side of normal to me, and hideously long to everyone else in the office. I guess it depends upon what you're used to.

-Dave


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## DaveMage (Jul 25, 2005)

Joshua Dyal said:
			
		

> Not long ago, there was a big drive in our community to replace sidewalk panes that were cracked or "upheaved".  We are pretty good friends with the family that lives two doors down from us on the cul-de-sac.  Because we live on a cul-de-sac and have yards that are shaped like pieces of pie, that distance is about as close as most people's next door neighbors, at least in the front.
> 
> So, when they replaced one of the sidewalk panes between our houses, the commute was somewhat slowed by the construction.  We were glad to see that complete.





Mmmmm....pie.


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## Cthulhu's Librarian (Jul 25, 2005)

My commute to work takes about 15 minutes to get to my parking lot (which takes me right past my building) on the other side of campus, then another 10 minutes to walk back to the library from the parking lot. 

Back when I worked in NYC, and first got my job, I was commuting from my house in upstate NY. 30 minute drive to the train, 1 hour 20 minutes on the train, 5-10 minute walk to the subway, and 20 minutes on the subway. And that doesn't take into account the time waiting at each step for the various trains to arrive. I used to leave the house at 5am to get to work at 9am, and leave the office at 5:30pm to get home at 9:30pm. After 2 months I finally moved into NYC.


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## kenobi65 (Jul 25, 2005)

Kid Charlemagne said:
			
		

> I've got a very consistent commute - about an hour door-to-door.  It's about 20 miles, I work in downtown Chicago (right around the corner from where a lot of the new Batman movie was filmed) and I take the train.  Driving is hellish here; traffic is backed up every weekday and most weekends heading into or out of the city.




I'm with you, Kid.  I work in downtown Chicago (about 4 blocks from the Water Tower), and live in the western suburbs.  If traffic weren't an issue, it'd be about a 20-25 minute drive.  (As if!)  So, I drive 10 minutes to the L (subway), and take that downtown.  Commute winds up being just over an hour door-to-door.

I've been doing this commute (in various forms, through 3 different jobs and 4 different homes) for 16 years now.  If it weren't for mass transit, I probably would be in jail now, because I would have killed someone if I had to drive every day.   (Those few days when I do have to drive, due to meetings outside of downtown, are often very frustrating.)

I know that, some day, I'll be moving away from Chicago, and back to Wisconsin....and the insane traffic here is one reason why.  But, for now, there are very few places where I can do what I do, and so I'm here.

Queen D, I feel for you, as you're in an area that's even more congested, from a traffic standpoint, than here.  (If your commute includes needing to cross the Potomac, then I feel for you even more...I have friends who had to do that for a few years, and it was heinous.)


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## Barendd Nobeard (Jul 25, 2005)

I know what you mean.  According to mapquest, it's 0.27 miles from my house to my office.  That's over a quarter of a mile!  The walk takes 5 minutes; 7 if I don't make the lights.

If I drive, it takes 30 seconds.  1.5 minutes if I don't make the light.

The horror!  The horror!


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## Rodrigo Istalindir (Jul 25, 2005)

Past couple years, my daily commute was a 15 minute walk.  Except in the spring....freakin' tourists clogging the sidewalks near the zoo.  Man, zoo traffic really made my commute suck.


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## Darth K'Trava (Jul 25, 2005)

DaveMage said:
			
		

> Sorry, I won't rant with you (though I agree a long commute sucks).
> 
> The distance from my home to my work: 4 miles.
> 
> ...




Sounds like my commute. Except for the number of lights is only 2 and they're usually green at that hour. And light or practically no traffic.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Jul 26, 2005)

kenobi65 said:
			
		

> Queen D, I feel for you, as you're in an area that's even more congested, from a traffic standpoint, than here.  (If your commute includes needing to cross the Potomac, then I feel for you even more...I have friends who had to do that for a few years, and it was heinous.)




Yep - when I go to work - I've got to get across the Potomac.  I hate that damned river... and every bridge that crosses it to get into DC.  *shakes her fist in the air*


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## kenobi65 (Jul 26, 2005)

Queen_Dopplepopolis said:
			
		

> Yep - when I go to work - I've got to get across the Potomac.  I hate that damned river... and every bridge that crosses it to get into DC.  *shakes her fist in the air*




When my friends moved out there (from here, Chicago), they both got jobs in Bethesda, so they moved to Gaithersburg, MD, and had reasonable commutes.  Within 2 years, they both had changed jobs, and were now in Tyson's Corner and Alexandria.  It got so bad, they sold their 4-year-old house and moved to Ashburn.

There's just not enough bridges across the Potomac, because that riverside property is too expensive, and owned by people who are too influential.


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## EricNoah (Jul 26, 2005)

I don't envy you commuters; it's one of those things that can just drain the life out of you.  I used to drive about 30 min to work and hated it.  Now my commute is about 10 minutes.  And I'm driving against the traffic (from the 'big city' to the suburb).  Works out great.

Edit: What do you mass-transit users do on your long commutes?  I assume reading's one thing; anyone listen to music or the radio?


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Jul 26, 2005)

EricNoah said:
			
		

> Edit: What do you mass-transit users do on your long commutes?  I assume reading's one thing; anyone listen to music or the radio?




I have an most excellent little MP3 player that keeps me company - it's especially important if I'm walking the mile from the train station to my office.

During the summer, I have the freedom to read whatever I want.  The paper, a book - anything!  During the school year, I read school books and study.  I put important parts of my notes onto note cards, so I carry little note card holders with me on the train so that I can go through them for at least 20 minutes of my commute.

Additionally, I have Tetris on my cell phone.


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## Cyragnome (Jul 26, 2005)

I loathe many of the commutes in the DC area, generally...right now I'm doing Falls Church to Herndon (not bad) about 17 miles in 25 minutes at 6:20 AM.

I've had to head up to Annapolis Junction/Laurel a few times and it has been pure misery (worse than when I had the only slightly shorter Falls Church to NASA Goddard commute).

That whole section around Silver Spring can be a mess (one of the gaming group lives up that aways).


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## Old One (Jul 26, 2005)

Queen_Dopplepopolis said:
			
		

> Well - I'm from a town where you can get anywhere in essentially 10 minutes.  Any farther than that and you are leaving the city limits.
> 
> Now I live in the Washington, DC metro area and it sucks.  Before we moved to Silver Spring, MD (from Alexandria, VA), I could catch the 8:33am train, the 8:42 bus, and make it to work by 9.  Now that we have relocated, I have to make the 7:25 bus to make the 8:01 train all in hopes of making the 8:42 bus to work again! (which - this morning I didn't.  It was nice out, so the walk from the train station to work wasn't *so* bad... but it's still highly annoying!)
> 
> ...




Bah!

I don't want to hear it   !

I commute from Hunt Valley, MD (get out the maps, kiddies, it's north of Baltimore) to Old Town Alexandria, VA 4x per week when I am not traveling on business.  Exactly 75 miles from garage to parking garage (+ a 5-min walk).

I get up between 4:50 and 5:10 AM to be on the road between 5:30 and 5:45.  The AM commute isn't too terrible...provided some jack*ss(es) don't decide to have a "block all the lanes accident" along 83S/695W/95S/295S/US1 into Old Town.  Usually takes me ~ 1:20 to 1:40 hours.

It's the drive home that sucks with a capital "S".  The Woodrow Wilson Bridge project has reduced outbound Alexandria to MD traffic to a crawl.  I typically try to leave the office by 3:00 PM...and I have still had it take me 45 minutes + to cross the bridge (about 3 miles as the crow flies).  Afternoon commutes typically take 1:45 to 2:45 hours, depending on the alignment of the stars.

I have been doing it for almost 2 years and have become pretty "numb" to the whole thing.  Also, I have started learning Italian via audio CD for my upcoming Tuscany Trip...so I should be fluent with 3+ hours a day for the next 7 weeks !

Why, you ask?  Because I love what I do and they pay me pretty good money !

~ OO


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## kenobi65 (Jul 26, 2005)

EricNoah said:
			
		

> I don't envy you commuters; it's one of those things that can just drain the life out of you.  I used to drive about 30 min to work and hated it.  Now my commute is about 10 minutes.  And I'm driving against the traffic (from the 'big city' to the suburb).  Works out great.




That's one of the reasons I miss Madison.  When I was in grad school, and living way out on the far west side (Old Middleton Road), it was a 10-minute drive to the center of campus.  15 if traffic was bad.  ("Bad" being relative...I had no idea how bad traffic could be until I moved to Chicago.)



			
				EricNoah said:
			
		

> Edit: What do you mass-transit users do on your long commutes?  I assume reading's one thing; anyone listen to music or the radio?




Since I'm on the train for 80% of my commute, I read.  Newspaper in the morning, usually a gaming book or a novel on the way home.


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## EricNoah (Jul 26, 2005)

kenobi65 said:
			
		

> That's one of the reasons I miss Madison.  When I was in grad school, and living way out on the far west side (Old Middleton Road), it was a 10-minute drive to the center of campus.  15 if traffic was bad.




Ah, but parking on UW campus?  Not so easy. When I was in grad school it was a 20 minute walk from my parking spot to my class, and I was one of the lucky ones!


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## BiggusGeekus (Jul 26, 2005)

The DC metro blows large ammounts of blowable things.

Anyway, QD, this is your punishment for not moving closer to Reston.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Jul 26, 2005)

BiggusGeekus said:
			
		

> The DC metro blows large ammounts of blowable things.
> 
> Anyway, QD, this is your punishment for not moving closer to Reston.



 Ha!  Reston is for fools!!  

Really - we were looking at places in the McLean area (where The Universe currently works).  But - in the end - he was offered a job at Ft. Meade and so we had to move north.  

So - we almost moved closer!!


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## kenobi65 (Jul 26, 2005)

EricNoah said:
			
		

> Ah, but parking on UW campus?  Not so easy. When I was in grad school it was a 20 minute walk from my parking spot to my class, and I was one of the lucky ones!




Very true.  I managed to find a monthly lot just south of SERF, which was fairly close to my graduate-assistant job (in the Towers), but a hike to the main part of campus.

Still, I'd kill for a 15- or 20-minute commute these days.


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## JamesDJarvis (Jul 26, 2005)

argggghhhhhhhhhhhh

It took me 2.5 hours to drive 37.5 miles today (35 miles of that highway).  The weather was fine. There were no accidents of note.  Just about 25% of the drivers on the road driving that shouldn't be allowed to from what i could tell : lots of zigging and zagging, treating the directional like optional equipment, being clearly unaware of basic traffic rules and regulatuions, driving down breakdown lanes, crossing double yellow lines and more.

How about some random spot driving tests? I bet ya 25% of the folsk on the road at any one time could not pass a driving test.  
I bet you there'd be even less drunk driving incidents if there were less unfit drivers on the road (i'm assuming of course that drunk drivers are more likely to be bad drivers in the first place).


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## Shadeus (Jul 26, 2005)

Another veteran of Chicago rush hour.  I live near O'hare airport and take the expressway in to the city, through the city and down to the University of Chicago campus (in Hyde Park, near the museum of science and industry).  It's about 22 miles door to door.  It's 25 minutes of pure driving, but regularly takes me 50 minutes.  

The longest its taken me was 2 hrs 45 minutes.  I was on my way to a softball game and it started raining....so it got cancelled.  Fortunately, it was the same day Revenge of the Sith opened, so that's what we saw instead.   

I love it though.  I usually pop in a CD and relax a bit from the stress of work.  It's a way for me to unwind from my day.  But I have a stressful job.


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## kenobi65 (Jul 26, 2005)

Shadeus said:
			
		

> I love it though.  I usually pop in a CD and relax a bit from the stress of work.  It's a way for me to unwind from my day.  But I have a stressful job.




That's probably one of the few positives I can ascribe to a long commute...the ride home gives me the time to mentally separate myself from work.  Unless I'm really stressed out over something, by the time I get home, I'm able to have left work behind until the following morning.


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## Harmon (Jul 27, 2005)

Drive way to work- 35 minutes (29 miles).

Start at 0550.  Gone by 1415 with a 40 minute drive home.


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## diaglo (Jul 27, 2005)

Queen_Dopplepopolis said:
			
		

> Ha!  Reston is for fools!!
> 
> Really - we were looking at places in the McLean area (where The Universe currently works).  But - in the end - he was offered a job at Ft. Meade and so we had to move north.
> 
> So - we almost moved closer!!




You live in Silver Spring and he drives to Ft George G. Meade... NSA... i don't envy him. that is a gridlock commute.

diaglo "my elderly parents still live in Severn... my dad retired at Ft Meade... and i commuted my first year to College Park way back when" Ooi


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## WizarDru (Jul 27, 2005)

BiggusGeekus said:
			
		

> The DC metro blows large ammounts of blowable things.




Spoken by someone who hasn't enjoyed the multifaceted talents of SEPTA.  Here in the Philly area, we dream of having a system as good as the Metro.  I'm not sure which to be more thankful for, having the most expensive mass transit system in the US or one of the most poorly maintained and run. [/SARCASM]

I commute by train, because Philly is just like Chicago and D.C.;  I live about 30 miles outside of Philly, and catch the 5:51AM train, so I can be in before 7AM to the office.  I catch the 4:48PM train home...WHEN IT'S ON TIME.  Despite a huge two-year long restoration and upgrade project, the trains fail with alarming regularity.  The catenary wiring is rapidly approach its first century and the weekly litany of 'power line problems', 'waiting for Amtrak' and the ever-popular 'Signalling Problems' is less than thrilling.  Also, since not all trains on my line actually go to my station, I have to adapt to their schedule, which is an often unsung but valuable benefit of driving.  A shorter travel time is meaningless if you have to wait 15 minutes to actually start it. 

On the upside, I have free time on the train, which is nice.  Except for break-down days, the train is usually cooler than being outside (though the efficacy of the AC/Heat can vary wildly from car to car), and is usually a smooth ride.  My commute is built around relaxing during this time.  While travelling, I may:
A) Listen to MP3 Player/Radio
B) Reading a Book
C) Play on my Nintendo DS (Current Games: Meteos, Nanostray, Fire Emblem:Sacred Stones)
D) Bring the portable DVD player and watch videos
E) Bring the oh-so-heavy laptop and watch videos/work
F) Get some writing done
G) Take a Nap

Some times I combine the activities, usually A and B, C or F.


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## Heretic Apostate (Jul 27, 2005)

I work less than three miles from work.  In the morning, I take the back way to work:  I go through the residential area, bypassing at least one stoplight in the process (and, more importantly, I generally only have to deal with at most a half-dozen cars).  I go behind the shopping center, bypassing another three stoplights.  Then it's over the bridge, through two more stoplights, a right turn, and two blocks to work.  Total number of stoplights: three (plus one stop sign).  Total time: about 10 minutes.

On the way back, it's not so good.  We're on a main road in the city, not one of the busiest, but pretty close.  I have to make a left turn, which means two lanes of traffic.  Depending on how busy it is, I might have to just turn right and go home the hard way.

If I'm lucky, it's two stoplights, over the bridge, straight through the next three stoplights (instead of turning left behind the shopping center; the first two stoplights are timed for people going my way, while the third is about half-and-half), go a little way and pull into the residential area.  One stop sign, slow down going by the school, and I'm soon home.  The only tough spot is the bridge, where two lanes are compressed into one, with the inevitable backup (and people refusing to let merging traffic actually _merge_).  Still, this route allows me to visit the store on the way home.

If I'm not lucky, I've got to deal with a stop sign, a second stop sign (with about five to twenty cars waiting to go through), six stoplights, a right turn, and straight home.  Much more traffic, much more chance of being delayed.  Still, this route allows me to visit the library on the way home.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Jul 27, 2005)

diaglo said:
			
		

> diaglo "my elderly parents still live in Severn... my dad retired at Ft Meade... and i commuted my first year to College Park way back when" Ooi




Were you taking 95 down?  That seems very strange to me...  our new place, while technically *in* Silver Spring, is very close to College Park.  We're really close to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway which is generally clearer (by no means perfect, though).

But - even if it is gridlocked the whole way up - it's better to be stuck in gridlock from Silver Spring to Ft. Meade than Alexandria to Ft. Meade.


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## Dagger75 (Jul 27, 2005)

Right now, 4 miles to work, about 10 minutes.  There are a few lights I hit and that taking the back road.  Also about 10 minutes on the way home to.

 Except when it rains, my 10 minute took 35 minutes Friday cause of the rain.

I used to drive 24 miles one way to work.  At least it was 3rd shift so it only took me like 15 minutes of freeway driving to get there.

 The longest I ever communted, for a temp job 85 miles each way.  That took an hour and 45 minutes each way.  Only good thing was it was almost all highway and I was always going the opposite way of traffic.


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## diaglo (Jul 27, 2005)

Queen_Dopplepopolis said:
			
		

> Were you taking 95 down?  That seems very strange to me...  our new place, while technically *in* Silver Spring, is very close to College Park.  We're really close to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway which is generally clearer (by no means perfect, though).
> 
> But - even if it is gridlocked the whole way up - it's better to be stuck in gridlock from Silver Spring to Ft. Meade than Alexandria to Ft. Meade.



it was a couple decades ago.

the BWParkway (295) was a police trap. still is as far as i know.

plus they have done some improvements since i did it.


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## Thornir Alekeg (Jul 27, 2005)

Longest commute (miles): 88 miles each way - first job out of college before I got an apartment near there.

Slowest commute: 1 hour through the city of Boston to commute 14 miles.  What was odd about that commute was that I had no problem with it during the work week, but the weekends, dealing with out-of-towners who screwed up the traffic even more, made my bood boil.

Current commute: 10 miles, 25 minutes when they aren't doing construction - 40 minutes when they are.  

Most interesting this I noticed during a commute: One day heading home during a nasty snowstorm, everyone had slowed down to 20-25 mph because of the conditions.  People were being real good about maintaining space between cars, very little need to brake.  I got home quicker that day than the nice days where people zoom up at 65 mph, hit traffic, slam on brakes, stop, crawl forward, break free, zoom back up to 65 mph for 1/2 mile and repeat.


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## Voadam (Jul 27, 2005)

My commute when I was in silver spring was 1 hour door to door, 15 minutes to Metro, 30 minutes on metro, 15 minute walk from metro to the office.

When I moved my commute increased to 1 hour 15 minutes, 1.5-1.75 hours if I took the bus instead of driving to Metro. I now drive to Metro and it is 1:15 so an increase of 15 each way. My wife's commute dropped from 45 minutes to 15 each way so a decrease of 30 each way and we gained a net benefit on our commutes. It is on the edge of insanity for me and I am pursuing some partial telecomuting options.

I get motion sick if I read on metro so I listen to a lot of library audio tapes on my commute (If I could do it without getting nauseated I would do work).


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## JamesDJarvis (Jul 28, 2005)

There are folks that drive to work when it is under 4 miles?   

Jeepers I'm hardly mister athletic but i used to walk 4 miles to and from the communter rail train stop years back, regardless of weather. I'd love to be able to do that again.


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## DaveMage (Jul 28, 2005)

JamesDJarvis said:
			
		

> There are folks that drive to work when it is under 4 miles?
> 
> Jeepers I'm hardly mister athletic but i used to walk 4 miles to and from the communter rail train stop years back, regardless of weather. I'd love to be able to do that again.




Uphill both ways?


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Jul 28, 2005)

DaveMage said:
			
		

> Uphill both ways?



 Barefoot and in ten feet of snow.


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## Eridanis (Jul 28, 2005)

Here's another bad commuting story.

I started a new job in New York City last month, and I'm taking the train into the City. I love it so far - an hour twenty each way, but the dedicated reading time is fantastic! (I'm almost done with Robin Hobb's Tawny Man trilogy because of it.) Anyway, last night was the exception.

There was a nasty storm with 40-mph winds that knocked quite a few trees down in the NYC area - including one that fell directly on my train! And not only on my train, but it fell through the window of the locomotive. Can you imagine what the conductor must have felt when that tree swang through and busted out the window? I don't envy him if he took today off... We ended up being stuck for an hour and a half while they got a chainsaw crew out to remove the tree. No one was hurt, luckily, and everyone made it home, eventually.

Anyway, the news report in today's paper had a great quote from the Metro North spokeswoman, speaking about the tree hitting the train: "The train usually wins in these situations."


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## Vraille Darkfang (Jul 28, 2005)

Jeez!

What's with all this 4 miles 20 minutes crap?  Or 30 miles 45 minutes?  I live 30 miles from work, get there in 25 minutes (no, I don't speed).  Is the east coast really that bad?  I'm living in (semi-rural)Missouri, but Yeesh. The longest communte I had was 45 minutes when I had to duck off the freeway & take the back roads due to an accident.

I thought my communte was long.  Apparently mines' a wee little thing.  (And my wife's 2.3 minute 2 mile would really drive you crazy).  (Note: she can't walk it, as it's right along the major road & walking it would be akin to coating yourself in Sweet & Sour sauce and walking into the lair of a Red Dragon).


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Jul 28, 2005)

Vraille Darkfang said:
			
		

> Jeez!
> 
> What's with all this 4 miles 20 minutes crap?  Or 30 miles 45 minutes?  I live 30 miles from work, get there in 25 minutes (no, I don't speed).  Is the east coast really that bad?  I'm living in (semi-rural)Missouri, but Yeesh. The longest communte I had was 45 minutes when I had to duck off the freeway & take the back roads due to an accident.
> 
> I thought my communte was long.  Apparently mines' a wee little thing.  (And my wife's 2.3 minute 2 mile would really drive you crazy).  (Note: she can't walk it, as it's right along the major road & walking it would be akin to coating yourself in Sweet & Sour sauce and walking into the lair of a Red Dragon).



 The Universe used to travel 16 miles to work.  It usually took an hour and a half or so.  I travel about 20 miles and it takes me an hour.

It's really bad.

Tyson's Corner is the 2nd largest office block in the US (next to NYC) and there is no mass effective mass transit to take people there so they all drive.  It sucks. BIG TIME.


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## kenobi65 (Jul 28, 2005)

Vraille Darkfang said:
			
		

> Is the east coast really that bad?




As Queen D already said: yeah, it really is.

Pretty much any major urban area has awful traffic these days.  Until you actually have to drive in such an area, it's hard to comprehend -- I moved to the Chicago area from Green Bay, WI, then Madison, WI...and I had *no idea* of how bad traffic could be.

It's 16 miles from my house to my office, in downtown Chicago; most of that is on an interstate.  According to switchboard.com, that's a 21-minute drive (and, I suppose, maybe it would be at 3 a.m.).  Realistically, it's at least a 45-minute drive during rush hour, and it can frequently take well over an hour.  Heaven forbid you try and drive it if it's snowing...2 hours, easily.  (This is why I'm very thankful that taking the train is an option for me; I rarely drive to work unless I need to have the car for some reason, like driving to an off-site meeting.)

The East Coast is often even worse.  The cities are older, the downtown areas are smaller, and many of the roads are 200+ years old -- they're narrow, and often not laid out in a straightforward fashion (since they're often old horse-and-cart roads).

Washington DC has several other problems, in addition.  The area is cut in half by the Potomac River, and there are precious few bridges across the Potomac, thus making those bridges enormous bottlenecks.  In addition to the offices serving the government, there's been a lot of high-tech growth in suburban DC, and housing has just sprawled in the area, with the infrastructure (roads, mass transit) being strained to keep up.


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## DaveMage (Jul 28, 2005)

Vraille Darkfang said:
			
		

> Jeez!
> 
> What's with all this 4 miles 20 minutes crap?  Or 30 miles 45 minutes?  I live 30 miles from work, get there in 25 minutes (no, I don't speed).




In order to go 30 miles in 25 minutes you would have to average over 70 mph.

So, you LIE (about speeding)! 



Unless...you have some sort of transporter technology you are keeping from us....


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## MojoGM (Jul 28, 2005)

I feel your pain.


My g/f and I both work in Boston and live north near the NH border.  We drive Route 93 (which everyone in the area knows as a nightmare).

We don't even go all the way into the city, we stop outside and take the subway in.

Morning commute is about and hour at least, if we're lucky.

Home is at least 1 1/2...sometimes closer to 2.

If only the commuter rail were cost effective for us, but the amount we'd spend is WAY more than what it costs us to drive in together.


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## Eridanis (Jul 28, 2005)

DaveMage said:
			
		

> In order to go 30 miles in 25 minutes you would have to average over 70 mph.
> 
> So, you LIE (about speeding)!
> 
> ...




Or, he may live in Montana or the Dakotas, where 75 mph is the daytime speed limit (IIRC).


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## Vraille Darkfang (Jul 28, 2005)

DaveMage said:
			
		

> In order to go 30 miles in 25 minutes you would have to average over 70 mph.
> 
> So, you LIE (about speeding)!
> 
> ...




70 MPH for 25 minutes equals 29.1 Miles.  Now, my Crusie Control ain't the best so I could be going 72-73 MPH, but I DON'T speed (I know the cop I pass every morning on the way to work is parked SOMEWHERE along my commute route).  He writes a lot of tickets, so it keeps me honest.  Also the 30 miles is what the Department of Transportation CLAIMS is the distance.  We can't trust the DoT to fill in a pot hole, let alone do basic math.

So I'll rephrase myself.

I drive what the DoT claims is 30 miles at what my cruise control claims is 70 MPH.  

I mean it about the cop.  I have yet to go to work without seeing him along the side of the road pointing his little radar gun at everyone who passes.  Really annoying.  (More so for those unaware of his presence so he can nail them going 80 to try to get to work on time).


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## reveal (Jul 28, 2005)

DaveMage said:
			
		

> In order to go 30 miles in 25 minutes you would have to average over 70 mph.
> 
> So, you LIE (about speeding)!
> 
> ...




Actually, he only needs to go a little over 60mph on average. 60mph/2 = 30 miles travelled in 30 minutes.


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## DaveMage (Jul 28, 2005)

Vraille Darkfang said:
			
		

> 70 MPH for 25 minutes equals 29.1 Miles.  Now, my Crusie Control ain't the best so I could be going 72-73 MPH, but I DON'T speed (I know the cop I pass every morning on the way to work is parked SOMEWHERE along my commute route).  He writes a lot of tickets, so it keeps me honest.  Also the 30 miles is what the Department of Transportation CLAIMS is the distance.  We can't trust the DoT to fill in a pot hole, let alone do basic math.
> 
> So I'll rephrase myself.
> 
> ...




*rechecks math*

*mumbles in frustration*

Ok, my math fu has failed for the day...

*sigh*


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## WizarDru (Jul 28, 2005)

Queen_Dopplepopolis said:
			
		

> It's really bad.




Thirded. You have to remember, the East Coast (and the mid-Atlantic and New-England states in particular) are the most densely populated part of the country, with the exception of California.

Here's a quick comparison:

Missouri: 81.2 people per square mile
Pennsylvania: 284 people per square mile
Massachustes: 809 people per square mile
Washington, DC: 9316 people per square mile

Missouri: 5,704,804
Pennsylvania: 12,365.455
Massachustes: 6,433,422 
Washington, DC: 563,000+

So consider, for a moment....Missouri is the largest of those states...but also the least populated per square mile. This doesn't even count the people who commute to these locations, like to D.C. and Boston, who's commuting nightmares are the stuff of legend.


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## Vraille Darkfang (Jul 28, 2005)

WizarDru said:
			
		

> Here's a quick comparison:
> 
> Missouri: 81.2 people per square mile
> Pennsylvania: 284 people per square mile
> ...




And if you whack off the KC & St. Louis Metro Areas our population density really drops.  Ya know for once I'm proud to live in Boonville, MO, population 8,000; county seat (largest city in the county actually).

While I'm enjoying watching the countryside fly by at 70 MPH, perhaps you'd like to know what we paid for our new house?  Or what we pay in property taxes perhaps?

Yep, yep.  Next time you are grumbling about going 2 mph on the interstate stuck in a mess of cars & fog; just think of me, driving along the highway, admiring all the trees & crops, windows rolled down to enjoy the fresh air, wondering what I'll fix for dinner as I'll be home by 4.

(Power Word: Kill still requires line of sight, Right?)


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## kenobi65 (Jul 28, 2005)

Vraille Darkfang said:
			
		

> And if you whack off the KC & St. Louis Metro Areas




Hey, let's keep it grandma-friendly here. 



			
				Vraille Darkfang said:
			
		

> While I'm enjoying watching the countryside fly by at 70 MPH, perhaps you'd like to know what we paid for our new house?  Or what we pay in property taxes perhaps?
> 
> Yep, yep.  Next time you are grumbling about going 2 mph on the interstate stuck in a mess of cars & fog; just think of me, driving along the highway, admiring all the trees & crops, windows rolled down to enjoy the fresh air, wondering what I'll fix for dinner as I'll be home by 4.




If I could practice my chosen profession and live in a small town, I'd do it in a heartbeat.    Unfortunately, there's very little demand for advertising account planners outside of about the 20 biggest cities in the U.S., so I'm kind of stuck.

Ah, well, at least I like my job, and the pay's good.


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## Voadam (Jul 28, 2005)

Vraille Darkfang said:
			
		

> (Power Word: Kill still requires line of sight, Right?)




Nightmare does not.

And there are some neat no save gem spells from Complete Book of Eldritch Might that don't either.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Jul 28, 2005)

Eridanis said:
			
		

> Or, he may live in Montana or the Dakotas, where 75 mph is the daytime speed limit (IIRC).



  Mmm!  South Dakota - that's my home state!  Wyoming also has a 75 mph speed limit.


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## WizarDru (Jul 28, 2005)

Vraille Darkfang said:
			
		

> While I'm enjoying watching the countryside fly by at 70 MPH, perhaps you'd like to know what we paid for our new house? Or what we pay in property taxes perhaps?




Nah, I know it's cheaper....heck, I live in the most expensive county in Pennsylvania, property-wise.  That's just the sacrifice you make to live here; I could live further away or look for work in a much more rural area, but I really love my job, and I love this area.  I have farms all around me, but I still have three Thai restaurants less than two miles from my door.  I've got four game stores less than ten miles from my door.   I'd like a shorter commute, but everything's a trade-off.

There's a lot to be said in living in either location, and I certainly envy you in some ways.

But really, I just hate commuting.


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## Cthulhu's Librarian (Jul 28, 2005)

Eridanis said:
			
		

> Here's another bad commuting story.
> 
> There was a nasty storm with 40-mph winds that knocked quite a few trees down in the NYC area - including one that fell directly on my train! And not only on my train, but it fell through the window of the locomotive.




Not quite the same, but similar, I was on the train commuting in to NYC when the train hit a COW. Not only did it hit a cow, but it kicked the cow up from underneith the locomotive onto the side of the first car, where I happened to be sitting in one of the front seats. It's a bit of a shock to hear a very loud "THUD" then 2 seconds later have something large hit the window and leave a _very_ large splatter of blood on it. I'd say the train landed a critical hit on that poor cow. Scared the hell out of me too when it splatterer on the window.


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## Cthulhu's Librarian (Jul 28, 2005)

Vraille Darkfang said:
			
		

> Ya know for once I'm proud to live in Boonville, MO, population 8,000; county seat (largest city in the county actually).





Boonville, MO? I know someone who came from Booneville. I was in class with her at NYU for the summer in 97, and we remained friends afterwords as we both worked in publishing. Lost track of her after I left NYC though.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Jul 29, 2005)

So - with the help of my husband and my boss, I was able to find an alternative route home and it took me less than an hour to drive (AND there was an accident blocking the middle lane of traffic!!).

It's not perfect, but it certainly makes my drive home slightly more tolerable!  Huzzah!


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## DaveStebbins (Jul 29, 2005)

JamesDJarvis said:
			
		

> There are folks that drive to work when it is under 4 miles?



I have to.

I rode my bike to work for nine-and-a-half years (well, I walked in the wintertimes). However, two years ago I was transferred into a department where I have to travel across town for meetings several days per week (and back to my office afterward). While I _could_ ride my bike, I just don't have the time, and I don't take it easy, so being all sweaty until I get back and can hit the showers just isn't very professional.

I compromise by throwing the bike/bikerack on the car on sunny days and heading to the peninsula after work, where there is a 13+ mile bike path, and I can cool down after by walking on the beach (6+ miles of beautiful beaches - the best kept secret on the Great Lakes). I did that today, in fact.   

-Dave


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## Arnwyn (Jul 29, 2005)

DaveStebbins said:
			
		

> However, two years ago I was transferred into a department where I have to travel across town for meetings several days per week (and back to my office afterward). While I _could_ ride my bike, I just don't have the time, and I don't take it easy, so being all sweaty until I get back and can hit the showers just isn't very professional.



You don't get to take a taxi for that (on the company's dime)?


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## JamesDJarvis (Jul 29, 2005)

Ankh-Morpork Guard said:
			
		

> Barefoot and in ten feet of snow.





hills? feet?  I had to do it walking on my hands over a barbed wire bridge...


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## WizarDru (Jul 29, 2005)

JamesDJarvis said:
			
		

> hills? feet?  I had to do it walking on my hands over a barbed wire bridge...




[Monty Python]Yoooouuuu Luuucky BASTARD! What we wouldn't have given to 'ave Limbs!!! Oh, it's all right for you, I suppose, dancing around with your fine manipulators an' all! Look at me, I've got bodily extensions!  Woo-hoo![/Monty Python]


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## DaveStebbins (Jul 30, 2005)

arnwyn said:
			
		

> You don't get to take a taxi for that (on the company's dime)?



Heh, this is not a true metropolitan area. I guess I could put in for milage reimbursement. What is the standard, about 38 cents per mile these days? Instead I just drive my little plastic economy car and fill the tank up every couple of weeks or so.


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## kenobi65 (Jul 30, 2005)

DaveStebbins said:
			
		

> I guess I could put in for milage reimbursement. What is the standard, about 38 cents per mile these days?




I believe it's up to 41 or 42 cents these days.


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## Heretic Apostate (Jul 31, 2005)

35 cents for my company, but we're a non-profit.


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## Old One (Jul 31, 2005)

Maximum allowable by IRS rule is $0.405 for tax year 2005...

Dave, your company should be offering you mileage reimbursement for trips you take from the office to a business meeting and back (commuting isn't covered by most organizations).  Ask your boss/HR folks about it.  It doesn't sound like a lot...but if you drive 100 miles per month on company business...that's $40.50 in your pocket (+ tolls/parking) if they will reimburse you...enough for a new game book !

If they won't reimburse you, then you can claim the IRS mileage cost on Form 2106, "Unreimbursed Employee Business Expenses".  This is a misc. itemized deduction, subject to the 2% AGI floor, but it might help.

~ OO


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## DaveStebbins (Jul 31, 2005)

Old One said:
			
		

> Maximum allowable by IRS rule is $0.405 for tax year 2005...



Gods, I think the last time I actually put in for reimbursement, it was something like $0.3175 per mile...



			
				Old One said:
			
		

> Dave, your company should be offering you mileage reimbursement for trips you take from the office to a business meeting and back (commuting isn't covered by most organizations).



Oh they do offer milage, I just haven't paid attention to it in years. In fact, I don't think anyone in my department bothers. I put in for it as part of any business trips I go on, but never bother for stuff in town (or to either of the manufacturing plants within 50 miles). I guess I'm just following the example everyone else in my department sets (including my boss and her boss). Peer pressure lives!   

For that matter, I would be entitled to all sorts of comp time if I wanted to be uptight about it. Eh, they pay me very well for what I do and, given that next year doesn't look as great as the last couple (I deal with sales and capacity forecasts, so I know), I'd rather not draw attention to myself as a source of additional expense right now. I'll just look at it as being a nice guy and earning lots of good Karma.

Thanks for the concern, though.
-Dave


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## Doc_Klueless (Jul 31, 2005)

I live in Santa Monica, CA. I _used_ to work in the SICU at LAC-USC, which is the BIG downtown Los Angeles County hospital, but my commute was so painful at 1.5-1.75 hours there and 1-1.5 hours back, that I _had_ to quit and get another job here at the VA hospital in Santa Monica which brought my commute time down to 15min each way.

I have sooooo much more time on my hands now. I didn't realize just how much time I was wasting away just getting to and from work.

Of course, there was a price. I _*LOVED*_ working in the Trauma/Surgical Intensive Care Unit at a Level One Trauma Center. It was exciting, fast-paced, and challenging. The guys I worked with (the unit was mostly male nurses on the night shift I worked which is extremely rare in nursing which is dominated numerically by women) were a bunch of laid-back, competent, fun-to-be-around dudes. 

The work at the VA is much less fun, less challenging and definitely not fast paced.


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## Evilhalfling (Aug 1, 2005)

45 min to work, 45 min up to 90 min home. only twice a week but the trip to school is much the same. 

I listen to a lot of books on tape. some trash, some mediocre, lots of classics. 
I have probably listened to more good books while commuting than I have for any english class.


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## VirgilCaine (Aug 1, 2005)

I live, with my parents, on the opposite side of the city (Charlotte, NC) from the university I will attend in the fall. 

There is no express route bus from my side of town to the univerity.

It takes 20 minutes to walk down a road to the bus stop, 40 minutes to get uptown, and 10 minutes to wait for the next bus to the university, which takes ~30 minutes to get to the university. 3 hours and 20 minutes round trip. 

When, gee, I could just go on the highway to the university in 20 minutes. 

Not driving sucks.


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## Arbiter of Wyrms (Aug 1, 2005)

1 hour, 20 minutes each way.

Thankfully, that will only be twice a week this semester.  The other five days, I've only got a five minute drive.


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