Commuting

[Nuiloa]

In many of the posts about reasons for retiring, I've noticed that people cite long commutes as a factor in their decision.

Imagine how many people would stay in the work force if only they would fix the transit/traffic system!

[panacea]

I used to have a long commute and now work about 3 miles from home. I can go home for lunch every day and will be able to drive my car forever (I'd ride my bike if I didn't have to wear a suit). I guess I can't use a long commute as a reason for wanting to retire... because I still want to retire!

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nuiloa Imagine how many people would stay in the work force if only they would fix the transit/traffic system!

"Fix" it? I'd rather not have to use it at all, and just work from home!

Oh, wait...

[73ss454]

Really, you could pick me up in a Limo, I'm not going.

[Khan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 73ss454 Really, you could pick me up in a Limo, I'm not going.

Verily.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 73ss454 Really, you could pick me up in a Limo, I'm not going.

+1

But, when I was w*rking I did buy a house just 6 minutes from work. Well, 6 minutes for the morning commute, and 25-35 minutes to drive home during afternoon rush hour. That worked out really well for me. I could leave for work with a car mug full of coffee at around 5:55 AM and be sitting at my desk by 6 AM. Proximity to work was the reason I bought the house.

Now, it's kind of fun sometimes because I often drive by my old workplace. I think of those inside and I am glad not to be there any longer.

[SJ1_]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nuiloa In many of the posts about reasons for retiring, I've noticed that people cite long commutes as a factor in their decision. Imagine how many people would stay in the work force if only they would fix the transit/traffic system!

I am 1.25 miles to work (I park on the far side of the lot) so I could prob. cut
it down to 1.15 or so.
I hate traffic so I am lucky.
I also pay more to live in town.

[FUEGO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R +1 But, when I was w*rking I did buy a house just 6 minutes from work. Well, 6 minutes for the morning commute, and 25-35 minutes to drive home during afternoon rush hour. That worked out really well for me. I could leave for work with a car mug full of coffee at around 5:55 AM and be sitting at my desk by 6 AM. Proximity to work was the reason I bought the house.

I was thinking about this today on my commute home. In the morning, commute has little traffic. In the afternoon, it takes 7 minutes to get from my parking space downtown to the left turn lane onto my neighborhood street. Then 5-7 minutes waiting in that left turn lane! I guess a ~15 minute commute isn't much to complain about though...

[REWahoo]

I live a little more than six years from work and it gets further farther with every passing day.

[SJ1_]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo I live a little more than six years from work and it gets further farther with every passing day.

Sure beats my 1.25 miles!

but I am getting closer every day

[farmerEd]

In my last corporate job, I lived 65 miles from the office.

Minimum of 1 hour 45 minutes each way with traffic (and there was always traffic)...left for work at 4:15 AM usually, and got home after 8PM most nights. Left in the dark and got home in the dark almost year round....glad I don't do that anymore.

That was expensive, even when gas was cheaper back then (about 12 years ago), but even so, I pretty much killed a new car every three years.

[Nuiloa]

I live 15 km from work - about 9 miles. It takes me 1 hour to commute to work in the morning, and about 45 minutes to get home at night, because I stay at work until 6:30 pm

Thank heavens for audiobooks!

[scrabbler1]

For me the toughest part of the commute on the trains (Long Island Rail Road and either the NYC Subway or PATH trains) was simply having to switch from one rail system to the other, especially on the trip home when a delay on the Subway or PATH trains could cost me a LIRR connection. Living by a train schedule distorts one's perception of time in that if the subway or PATH train takes 5 minutes less time than expected, I don't get home any sooner but if it takes 5 minutes longer then I get home 25 minutes later.

Then there were the frequent delays on either train system, the frequent lack of alternative routes if there were a big problem, hot cars in the summer, cold cars in the winter, overcrowding due to shortened trains or on trains which lack the proper environmental controls. I often had to stand for 20, 30, 40 minutes at a time with no relief and sometimes on a hot car in the summer. I usually arrived at work exhausted and often a bit nauseous and always in a foul mood in the last 10 years of working.

But the more recent annoyance on the trains was not related to anything I described above. Instead, on the LIRR, it was the constant annoyance of rude and loud cell phone users who yakked about anythign and everything without caring about anyone around them. I wrote the LIRR several times asking them to establish "quiet cars" like Amtrak and MART (Maryland) have so those of us who wanted to have some peace and quiet could do so while the cell phone yakkers could yak away in their own cars. They never did this, and it was basically anarchy to get the phone yakkers to hush it up while the train crewmen were invisible and the onboard announcements to hush it up went ignored.

Driving from my place to Manhattan or to New Jersey during the rush hours was never a possibility because that would be much worse than the trains could ever be.

Ridding myself of the awful commute was by far the best part of ERing 3 years ago.

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

I prefer to live close to work. These days I walk to work, about 10 to 15 minutes. I abhor long commutes, having done 90 minutes each way for a time. I then moved much closer.

There is no connection to retirement.

[73ss454]

When I did work I was only 1 mile from the job. That was the good part, the bad part was most everyday was 9 to 9. So at least I got home a little after 9pm.

When ever one of my sale people complained about the hours I'd say, what are you complaining about it's only 1/2 a day. (heh)

[Retch The Grate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrabbler1 Living by a train schedule distorts one's perception of time in that if the subway or PATH train takes 5 minutes less time than expected, I don't get home any sooner but if it takes 5 minutes longer then I get home 25 minutes later.

When I was living in Glen Rock NJ and working in midtown, it was an hour and forty-five minutes to work, and an hour and twenty home, due to needing to not miss the departure times of the Jersey Transit train. I learned from giving up three hours a day to commuting that even though I loved listening to music and reading, it was a lot less fun when I had to do it because I was stuck on trains and in train stations. When I moved to Hoboken and got the total time down under 45 minutes each way for PATH and walking, it was life transforming (that and the not turning into a pumpkin at midnight so I could race to catch the PATH to Hoboken to catch the last north line train out).

Nowadays my upper limit on an acceptable commute is 30 minutes, and it better be an enjoyable drive (fortunately driving 80mph on 280 is fun and pretty). I miss my prior job's commute (which is part of why I live in the current house), 8 minutes one way, 14 the other.

[Meadbh]

I recently exchanged a 7 km commute for a 15 km one. However, when I take the scenic route home, it's very enjoyable.

[Walt34]

A short easy commute is a huge factor in my decision to get a post-retirement job, and the insane traffic in the DC area was a huge factor in the decision to retire and move. When all those politicians pass on I hope the devil makes them sit in traffic for eternity. With full bladders.

Now the commute is 3.4 miles. If both traffic lights are red it takes ten minutes. More often than not at least one is green. I would ride a bicycle but there are no shoulders/sidewalks to ride on and otherwise I'd have a life expectancy of about 20 minutes. So a motorcycle is the alternative if weather is decent.

[eytonxav]

This has been a big factor for me. My commute distance is ~ 30 miles, but through two major construction projects in North Texas and now a third one in the town adjacent to mine. I have to admit, thus far it has gone better than I was anticipating, otherwise I'd be gone already vs next year.

[rescueme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 73ss454 Really, you could pick me up in a Limo, I'm not going.

While it's not the same as the intent of the OP's question, I had a limo pick me up every few weeks while still wor*ing.

Of course, that was to take me to the airport when I had to spend a week in Europe.

I retired earlier than originally planned, and travel was a large part of the decision to do so.

So I guess in a way, "excess commuting" did contribute to my current state of bliss ...

Either a towncar or streach limo (every once in awhile) dosen't make up for travel from/to the office, regardless of where it is located.