Poll:Commuting Poll

[FUEGO]

Still working, and I voted "drive to work". I work in the very center of downtown and have a ~10 minute drive (4.4 miles) to get to my parking lot, then another couple blocks walk to my building. In 2012 and prior years, I would take the bus to/from work 1-2x per week. That was when my employer provided free bus passes and before baby #3 came along. Now I have to drop the baby off at day care then proceed to my downtown office. Very doable by bus, but would require a transfer.

Back when I was taking the bus downtown, it was a 10 minute walk to the edge of the neighborhood, then a 10 minute bus ride that dropped me off at my office building's front door. So almost exactly the same commute time as my current drive then walk commute I do every day now. But I got to catch up on news and email on my phone for 10 minutes while riding the bus, so that was nice. Now it would cost $2 round trip to take the bus, which is nearly the same cost as driving the 9 mile round trip in my car.

Due to my job, I also frequently use and sometimes unexpectedly and urgently have to use my personal vehicle for business travel around town or to one of our remote facilities 20-30 minutes away. So 100% bus travel isn't an option for me, since I don't have the option of a company car downtown (have to go to the edge of town to get a fleet vehicle, which would be a 15-20 minute trip by bus then 5 minutes walk, and a looong wait to check out the fleet vehicle, repeat process to return the vehicle later).

Overall, if I didn't have to shuttle kids around and didn't have to drive to sites for work, I would probably take the bus a lot more since I don't particularly like driving and enjoy the down time on the bus. And the forced walking is actually an enjoyable and painless way to get some exercise and is fairly scenic especially in spring and fall with all the trees and flowers (in the neighborhood and downtown). But driving is so cheap and convenient, parking is only $10/month in my subsidized space downtown, and all the kid-related errands are so cumbersome that the private single occupant automobile is the best option for me right now.

I look forward to ER, where we could feasibly cut back to a 1 car household since so much is walkable, bikeable, or accessible by quick convenient transit from our house. And they just doubled the frequency of transit adjacent to our neighborhood, so things keep getting better on that front, and it is likely to improve more over the next 4-5 years if I read the political tea leaves correctly.

[braumeister]

My last two jobs had the same setup, in completely different cities in different states. I drove a short distance to an express bus stop, then took the bus almost straight to w*rk. A great arrangement, since I could read or nap in comfort instead of fighting traffic.

Before that, I normally drove, since public transit wasn't available.

[tkopel]

I am lucky here in Puerto Rico, I can ride my bike to work every day of the year! Been the best three years of commuting ever! We are PCSing to Ft. Leavenworth, KS this summer, which will reduce my biking to good weather months only. Hopefully we will find a place close to work. I love not driving, so much less stress.

[JakeBrake]

No public transportation here. For 35 years I drove 20 miles each way to work. My Megacorp did not provide employee parking. (no telecommuting either, after PC's were invented). so, I parked on the street for free about a mile from the office and walked to the office. In those 35 years my car was only stolen once. (never saw it again). After 35 years I was in an auto wreck that seriously damaged my right knee. I could not walk very well for several months. Then, I puchased a parking place (at my expense) in the parking garage across the street from my office. I parked there until I retired 4 years later.

Actually, I was on the road about half the time and I could have easily telecommuted if it had been allowed. Very shortly before I retired a new CEO was inaugurated. In a live video conference, someone asked the new CEO if telecommuting would be allowed. He said no. I checked out shortly afterwards.

[Original Wally]

Not sure where to put my answer... most of the time I was part of an employer sponsored van-pool. Driving rotated as possible. B-T-W, monthly cost = $25, and the commute was 30 miles each way. Pretty cheep. Plus I rarely had to drive in the AM, so I climbed on and took a half hour snooze on the way to w*rk - I had to be at the desk @ 6AM Pacific Time when the Bond Market opened in NYC as an investment officer. It was HORRIBLE

[ziggy29]

I work at home full time. I guess it's good I don't work for Yahoo at this point.

I guess that means I "walk the whole way"... from our bedroom to my home office across the house.

[Lisa99]

I also walk the whole way...from my bedroom to my office which is about 30 ft.

I've been working from home full time since 2005, although I do go into the office on occasion for a workshop or some other silly waste of time meeting.

[scrinch]

1. In the US for Megacorp I drove 6 miles each way and parked at work.
2. In the US as a consultant I walked 10 feet from my bedroom to my office.
3. In Indonesia I have a car and driver, and am driven about 7 km each way...20 minutes at 6am and 1 hour at 5pm. Yes, having a driver is nice, but the reason I have to have a driver (company forbids expats to drive here because of traffic, local traffic "rules", and language issues in case of mishap) are not at all nice.

[SumDay]

I picked "walk the whole way" because I telecommute. I walk down the hall from my bedroom to my home office in my fuzzy slippers each morning, and back again in the evening. Sometimes there's a terrible traffic jam if both dogs are sleeping on the rug which is right in the middle of the hall.

On the rare occasion I have to go to "the office, it is 10 miles, and I take my own car. But then I have to leave the fuzzy slippers and dogs at home, and then no one is happy.

[WhoDaresWins]

I live about two miles from my office but walking would involve some sizeable hills and risking life and limb by walking on the berm. It would also involve crossing a four-lane highway. I have a reserved parking spot a half a block from my building, but I do trudge up the 3 flights to my desk to get some exercise.

[freebird5825]

FIRED since 2007

My daily commute was 10 miles one-way on a 2 lane state highway. Some people liked to drive up my gas tank while I did the speed limit + 3 mph. So I started taking side roads off the state highway to give the jackrabbits jack donkeys every opportunity to get a speeding ticket on the state highway. I was also concerned that they would unsafely pass me and hit an oncoming car.

I set my report time as just early enough to avoid the yellow slugs school buses on my way in. Once I hit the former base where I w*rked, I had to do exactly 30 mph. TG for cruise control.

[LOL!]

In my previous job, I walked about 300 meters to my office. In my current job, I drive about 3 miles to work ... after I walk with the dog 4 miles for exercise in the morning.

[rodi]

I'm relating to W2R's former commute - I drive...starting early to avoid traffic.... takes 10 minutes to go 6 miles, garage to megacorp parking lot.

Going home can take between 30mins to an hour depending on traffic.

I've used public buses but that info,ves a 1 mile commute to the bus stop at my home end (10 years ago they changed the route - eliminating the leg that went close to my house.). At the work end it's another 1 mile walk. There's a transfer on the bus... so best time is about 1 hour 45 minutes door to door each way. That transpo method is only used when my car is being serviced and hubby or carpool buddy can't give me a ride.

I carpool with a coworker who lives in my neighborhood once a week.

[scrinch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodi I carpool with a coworker who lives in my neighborhood once a week.

Where does she live the rest of the time?

[check6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadbh I am retired. During my last decade of work, I did fly to work quite a bit, but that was not included in the options!

Same here. I flew 1200 miles to work at least three times a month for 22 years.

[Ronstar]

I drove 25 miles to work for most of my working days. That is how I voted. Now I work from home, from other remote locations, and drive to the office about once a week. The commute never really bothered me since most of the time was spent at 60 mph on the interstate. There were rare occasions when I drove to meetings/ job sites that had more than a 2 hour round trip commute. Those were not fun.

[Fishingmn]

I'm a Realtor so I drive - a lot

In dash GPS is my friend.

[jim747]

I've worked and traveled from a home office my entire career. My commute is just a few feet away on some days but a few hundred miles away on other days. Drive about 35K a year.

[rodi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrinch Where does she live the rest of the time?

Forget math.... WORDS is hard.

And he rides his bike the other days.

[HFWR]

Currently drive 15mi roundtrip on surface streets (i.e. no free/tollways). Could use public transit, but it would take 3X longer each way.

Have had longer commutes, did take mass transit for a period in the 80s, and have also carpooled.