POLL: How and how far do you commute? How is it?

cebudragonlady

Just wondering about all you FORUMites !.

For me,after I moved, I drive 87 miles each way, mostly through open space
so there isn't much traffic going my direction.

Chari

Rockie

Mileage wise, only about 12-15 miles from home. I leave home around 6:30 AM every morning to avoid traffic on the interstate, so it only takes me about 15 minutes to get to work. If I get stuck in traffic, it takes longer and puts me in a bad mood for the day, so I try to leave for work early every day. Love to see the sun rise.

HRsage

My commute is 35 miles one way. Depending on traffic I can make it anywhere between 30-45 minutes. Sometimes it takes an hour. The other day on the way to work I was stuck behind an accident and I looked out my window and saw dolphins swimming in the ocean. It helped me realize that my commute is pretty good compared to others. I don't know how you do 87 miles one way.

watrsflo

>The other day on the way to work I was stuck behind an accident and I looked out my window and saw dolphins swimming in the ocean.

No wonder there was an accident! Can't someone keep those critters off the highway?

Whatever

About 5 miles. I commute via mass transit. Love it. At one point, I had a job that was about 75 miles from home. I hated the commute. Being so close to work, I find that I have a lot more time for other things. Also, I feel much more "refreshed" when I get home.

Dutch2

My commute is just over 1/4 mile, something like 3 city blocks. Takes me about 6 to 15 minutes to walk each way, depending on how many folks I stop to visit with along the way. I have previously had a job that was 77 miles each way, through the Ozark Mountains, actually more like hills. After about a year of that I moved to within 5 miles of my job in Bentonvill, Ark.
Good luck to all of you driving great distances with all this winter weather and/or rain that so many parts of our country have been receiving of late.
Dutch2

AnneLa

I travel 23 miles one way - about 35 minutes or so from home. Mostly, I'm on the highway, but in order to get to work, I do have to go down this lovely country road........... very nice, especially in the Fall.

Sally

I drive about 7 miles each way. It takes about 15 minutes in the morning on a good day, excluding the time dropping off my 9-year old at school, and usually a little longer in the afternoon.
A bad day is when traffic comes to a halt while I'm at the top of the bridge--then I have to practice my deep breathing and relaxation techniques while I avoid at all costs looking down! Of course, there's still the slight up and down motion of the bridge as the traffic passes on the other side....

Whirlwind

I commute a grueling five blocks. Unfortunately those five blocks are on a busy street without a sidewalk, so I drive rather than walk.

Living close to your job is wonderful -- the only downside is that when people out in the hinterlands can't get to work during the rare Central Texas winter storm, I'm one of the few people who must show up. This is fresh on my mind since today is the first day most people came back to work after a freak two-day ice storm. Guess that means I'm entitled to goof off today!

Dutch2

Whildwind, I had the pleasure of being in the DFW metro area back in the late 70's during an ice storm. Talk about your "bumper cars!" I sure was gald to get the heck out of Dallas and on down the road.

watrsflo

I used to to drive 19 miles and it took me from 30 minutes to an hour depending on the time of day. I've since moved to the rural side of the state and now my drive is all of 2 miles. Consequently, I've gotten spoiled waiting till the last minute to leave for work in the morning. A traffic jam here is 7 cars waiting for the train. There's definitely something to be said for escaping from the city!!

Karla

I commute 45 miles each way in Iowa no less. It's mostly on interstate so it's not too bad. I don't see any dolphins, but I do occasionally see a stray deer, bunny, skunk, tempting their fate. In the mornings I listen to a radio show that keeps me in a good mood, but on the way home, I wish I had access to warp speed....

HS

Over 30 miles each way, about an hour or more with traffic to get to work. I too listen to a great morning show to get me thru the commute. I wish I lived as close to work as some of you do, but being farther away has some advantages.

sonny

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 02-28-03 AT 08:34AM (CST)[/font][p]7 miles by car that can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes depending on trains, whether down town is flooded and how many snow birds are in town. Last night I saw cars from Conn., Minn, South Dakota and Virginia all within a 2 block area. Also saw 2 nice Harleys from Alabama on their way to Bike Week. Traffic is getting worse in our area, but don't mind as I didn't have to shovel 1" of snow this year. Additionally, saw 3 cars with confederate flags, but lets not go there. Have a nice weekend all!

djacobs475

I used to commute about 1 hour 15 minutes in heavy traffic each way (probably about 25 miles?? not really sure). The only pallatable thing about those commutes were the Books on Tape. That was my salvation!

Thankfully now I work about 4 miles from home, and in 10 minutes I am at work. It's made such a difference in my quality of life. And when I have to put in more hours ( which is the majority of the time), I no longer feel "beat up" by the time I get to work.

Human Resources Manager

Right now I am commuting about 12 miles one-way and except for the nine traffic lights between my house and the freeway, the drive isn't too bad. I used to commute about 65-70 miles one way when I lived in central MN and worked in the SW Twin Cities Metro Area. (Never once missed work due to winter weather!)I listen to public radio on my drive in, so by the time I get to work, I know what's going on in the world.

San Francisco

I live 17 miles from our General Office where I worked for 17 years. The GO became over crowded and a branch office was built in the town where I live, so now I am 7 miles away from work and it takes me about 15 minutes to drive to work. The commute to the General Office has progressively gotten worse. It used to take me about 45 minutes to drive the 17 miles assuming there were no accidents etc. Now when I need to drive there, it takes an hour plus.

Elizabeth

mrbill

For many years I car-pooled 25 miles to work, with approx. the last 4 miles being bumper to bumper. Then, my side-kick retired, so now I take the commuter rail, and love it. Refuse to be a single occupant driver.
Next time you are stuck in traffic - look around and you will see that 90% of the cars just have a driver. THIS IS THE PROBLEM...

Paul in Cannon Beach

Ok, you guys are going to kill me but I think I have the best commute in America.

On dry days (yes, we have those in Oregon) I walk four blocks to the beach and then approx 1/2 a mile up the beach then I veer east towards the street, cross the street, and I am there!

Here is the view that I enjoy along my commute:

[url]http://www.cbcc.net/cvscenicnov021.JPG[/url]

Paul in Cannon Beach, OR

Trinity

Paul!
That is NOT fair! I only live about 15 minutes from my office, but since I occupy the industrial city of Houston, I have a lovely view of the Shell and Lyondell Refinery on my commute. My husband is a minister, so if you know of any Oregon churches that could use one..let me know..I could handle moving up there I think!! :0))

HRsage

Paul I'll admit yours is the best so far, but I'm having trouble finding the dolphins...I guess you can't have it all. But I'm still jealous.

Rockie

>Ok, you guys are going to kill me but I think I have the best commute
>in America.
>
>On dry days (yes, we have those in Oregon) I walk four blocks to the
>beach and then approx 1/2 a mile up the beach then I veer east towards
>the street, cross the street, and I am there!
>
>Here is the view that I enjoy along my commute:
>
>[url]http://www.cbcc.net/cvscenicnov021.JPG[/url]
>
>Paul in Cannon Beach, OR


Paul, you are so evil to rub it in!

ritaanz

Paul, go to your room! AND stay there.

HS

I'll 'rain' on this parade! I see an awful lot of seagulls. So even if the scenery is nice, every other step must be terrible, what with all the 'crap' they leave behind, and look out up above you...

x:P

Dutch2

I sometimes, but not very often, miss playing sea gull. In my former life working for a very large discount retailer, we from the home office were sometimes known as sea gulls because we would: Fly in, Eat their food, Crap on 'em, and then fly out. Sure is nice to be home everyday.
Dutch2

Riley

I drive 70 miles one way. Hardly any traffic. I get to start each morning with the sun rising and end each day with it setting. Its great, we have some of the best sun rises/sets out here in western Kansas because you can see for miles. You can beat the reds, yellows and oranges outlining a grain elevator during the middle of harvest. Makes the whole drive worth while.

Commuting used to be unheard of around here because you had to drive so far to get to the next town (at least an hour). But, with the economy the way it is, more and more people are tackling the drive to bigger towns.

TALLEY

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 03-03-03 AT 11:17AM (CST)[/font][p]Seven miles each way, 15 to 20 minutes. This convenience is one of the reasons I've stayed with this company for so many years. I always wanted to be close to my kids and their schools. Well, the last one is almost in high school, rides the bus and doesn't forget things quite as often, but now I'm spoiled. I don't want a long commute. I would reconsider if our city had decent public transportation. It would take approximately 2 1/2 hours to get to my job from my home by bus. From my area of the city, the busses run so infrequently and inconveniently, it almost impossible to get anywhere from here.

Balloonman

Well currently I drive 42 miles each way, but traffic is never an issue and it takes 45 minutes. About 12-14 minutes just to get to the highway. We are building a new office building and moving closer, so I will be only 27 miles away, and once again will get to ride my bike to work 1-2 days a week weather permitting. It is another way I train for triathlons. When I did this at my last company, they thought I was completely insane for biking 25 miles to work.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman

watrsflo

>When I did this at my last company, they thought I was completely insane for biking 25 miles to work.

I can't say "completely" first came to mind, but....

HRGirl

5 minutes....get in my car and drive to the opposite end of the street I live on. That is minus the drive to drop the kido off at school (god forbid she ride a bus). It's a great commute (and wonderful company) and wouldn't change it for the world.

hrbanker

One mile, but it's all up hill both directions, so I drive. That's the trouble with living in the foothills. No beach, no seagulls, lots of SNOW.