You think your commute is bad, Part 2

[Cool Dood]

http://biz.yahoo.com/bizj/060412/1271956.html?.v=1

Mariposa resident Dave Given makes a 186-mile drive -- each way -- five days a week to his job in San Jose.

The electrical engineer has been doing that commute since 1989, spending seven hours every day getting to and from work at Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO - News).

Given is the "ultimate road warrior," according to Midas Inc. (NYSE:MDS - News) and drove home with its first-place prize in the nationwide search for "America's Longest Commute." Givens out-drove thousands of other entrants to take home $10,000 in gas money and a range of maintenance services and products.

"I have a great job and my family loves the ranch where we live," Givens said. "So this is the only solution."

On his long trek he said he listens to the radio, keeps his eyes on the road and drinks "a lot of coffee."

Published April 12, 2006 by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal

 

[HFWR]

12 miles each way.

Don't like to drive that much, and my day is already 12.5 hours...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Mariposa is pretty nice, although a little chilly in the winter.

I think I'd find another job or figure out a telecommuting deal

 

[brewer12345]

I think I'd find another job or figure out a telecommuting deal

I was thinking the same thing, and that is from someone who drives 70 miles each way.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

i couldn't stand the commute even when i was telecommuting. 186 miles? i'd shoot myself.

 

[73ss454]

The only good thing about workiing at 57 and DW at 55 is that we both travel less than one mile to work.  

Soon it will be "0"

 

[justin]

2.4 miles. Half of that is getting out of the neighborhood. Life is rough

That helps explain why my car is almost 6 years old, but hasn't quite hit 45,000 miles yet.

 

[cube_rat]

In the bay area, horrific commutes are not unusual. There are tons of folks traveling from Sacramento to SF, from Tracy (the 580 corridor is justification for suicide) to San Jose everyday. It comes down to the lack of affordable housing in the bay area. Personally, I don't think it's worth pouring money into a bigger house only to see it briefly at night and on the weekends.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

To heck with the house, how about seeing your family briefly at night and on weekends.

 

[cube_rat]

To heck with the house, how about seeing your family briefly at night and on weekends.

exactly.

 

[Andre1969]

I've gotten really spoiled lately, because ever since I moved in late 2003, my commute to work is only 3.5 miles. My uncle has a hellacious commute, though. About a month ago I let him borrow my Intrepid because both his Corolla and pickup were in the shop. He only had the thing for maybe 5 working days, but I swear it had about 700-800 miles on the trip odometer when he gave it back! A lot of the time I don't put that many miles on the car in a MONTH!

Once upon a time I delivered pizzas part time after work. I think I had put about 30,000 miles on the car in about 10 months. And that was after I cut back on my part time hours!

I don't think I could deal with 186 miles each way to work. Now back in the day, there had been times that I put 200 miles on the car in one night delivering pizzas, but that was all short trips, so I was never in the car for more than 5 minutes at a time.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

What must really suck for the guy is that in the area surrounding mariposa (near yosemite), the roads are largely cut into the hillsides, narrow, windy, a steep slope up on one side and either a drop to never-never land on the other (no guardrails) or a stream. Wet, icy, slippery roads in the winter time.

Thats what you get for your first and last 15-20 minutes of that commute.

 

[cube_rat]

What must really suck for the guy is that in the area surrounding mariposa (near yosemite), the roads are largely cut into the hillsides, narrow, windy, a steep slope up on one side and either a drop to never-never land on the other (no guardrails) or a stream.  Wet, icy, slippery roads in the winter time.

Thats what you get for your first and last 15-20 minutes of that commute.

My bro just sold his *summer* home near Yosemite and I hear it was a hellish ride in and out.

 

[Texas Proud]

I think there are people with worse...

When I was in NY, there were people who lived in Pennsylvania.. which is the other side of NJ!!  I think they drove awhile and then took a train for the rest of the way...  don't know how far it was, but just thinking of having to pass completely through another state to get to work does not sound great...

I knew a guy with a 2 HR train each way... and he would work late a lot...  would watch a movie on a laptop to pass the time..

I was only about 5 miles away, but it took 45 minutes to get there with the walk between the different lines and the buildings...

 

[brewer12345]

I think there are people with worse...

When I was in NY, there were people who lived in Pennsylvania.. which is the other side of NJ!!  I think they drove awhile and then took a train for the rest of the way...  don't know how far it was, but just thinking of having to pass completely through another state to get to work does not sound great...

I am guilty of this transportation sin. I live in NJ and work in CT. Yes, NY is in the way.

 

[Cool Dood]

What in God's name are you doing in New Jersey??

 

[brewer12345]

What in God's name are you doing in New Jersey??

Living in a nice, quiet, suburban cul-de-sac where I know and like most of my blue-collar neighbors.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

To heck with the house, how about seeing your family briefly at night and on weekends.

could be that 186-mile commute was just to get him of the house. maybe his family life isn't as good as he touts.

the roads are largely cut into the hillsides, narrow, windy, a steep slope up on one side and either a drop to never-never land on the other (no guardrails)

there, further proof.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

I have somehow managed to arrange to walk to work on various jobs (like now). I would probably be dead by now if things had not worked out this way.

I have known several folks who commuted to NYC from, for example, Princeton, NJ. One got his masters degree studyijng on the commute. When someone else is driving, long commutes are possible.

Ed

 

[bow-tie]

186 miles one way... yikes.

That cat values his time a helluva lot less than I value mine.

 

[WanderALot]

186 miles one way... yikes.

That cat values his time a helluva lot less than I value mine.

Besides the horrendous commute, this guy would have to spend oodles of time with car issues:

1. Fill up the car with gas every day.
2. Get an oil change every TEN work days!

edit: grammer

 

[cj]

When I was in NY, there were people who lived in Pennsylvania.. which is the other side of NJ!!  

My in-laws live near the Poconos in Pennsylvania.  People who work in New York are buying homes there because they are so much cheaper, and there are "express buses" that take commuters to the city.  I think it takes about 2 hours each way.  Better than driving, but I think I'd have to find something different.

 

[Texas Proud]

My in-laws live near the Poconos in Pennsylvania.  People who work in New York are buying homes there because they are so much cheaper, and there are "express buses" that take commuters to the city.  I think it takes about 2 hours each way.  Better than driving, but I think I'd have to find something different.

Yea, I do know that a lot of them would get to a train station some way and then ride the train into the city... but, 2 HRS each way!! And it was so funny to see a s$*t load of people running to Penn station to catch a train!!! I am sure it was the same with Grand Central... if your train only goes once an hour you do not want to miss your train..

I did not like the commute and I lived in Manhattan but had to get to NJ on the PATH... now I am in a very boring job that a new college grad should be doing, but am back HOME... some things are more important than others...

 

[laurence]

My commute is 12 miles, but we officially started the 9/80, so now I get a three day weekend every other week! That combined with 5 weeks off and the holidays, I figured out that now I'll spend 165 days a year away from work - it's almost semi-er!

 

[yelnad]

I wonder how much sick and vacation time the 186 mile commuter uses in a year?

I drive 23 miles each way. I don't like it that much, but I wouldn't trade where I live for anything shorter. It takes 30-35 mins in good weather.