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April 09, 2007
Is Your Commute Hazardous to Your Health?
Rising gas costs aren’t the only thing hurting you when it comes to your commute. It’s the ride itself you need to watch out for.
Professor Raymond Novaco from the University of California at Irvine’s Institute of Transportation Studies has found a direct correlation “between traffic congestion and negative health effects such as higher blood pressure and stress. ‘The longer the commute, the more illness’ and more illness-related work absences occur, he said,” according to this Washington Post article.
The article also says: “Commuters have lower thresholds for frustration at work, suffer more headaches and chest pains, and more often display negative moods at home in the evenings.” Uh-oh. My boss commutes more than an hour each way. Guess I need to proceed with caution.
During the commute, the vibrations of the road and sitting in the same position for a long time take a toll on riders’ necks and spines. But what can you do about it? You need to get to work, right?
This article from About outlines four types of drivers. Identify which you are (The Rollercoaster, The Multi-tasker, The Racer or The Pimp) and then follow the advice to correct your position while driving.
Get more advice and insights regarding the commute here.
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Posted by Norma on April 9, 2007 at 11:37 AM in The Daily Grind | Permalink | Comments (29) | TrackBack (0)
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Comments
For over 10 years I've driven about 120 miles, each way, for a commute. My much-better-half says I am in a better mood, because by the time I get home I no longer have any of the pent-up frustration of my job.
Repetitive Driver Syndrome? Please, next thing you know they'll be a syndrome caused by participating in online polls!
Posted by: Charlie on the PA Turnpike | Apr 9, 2007 1:54:50 PM
For 18 years I have driven 300 miles round trip. I am in MRI
Administration. The long drive helps me problem solve on the ride and I arrive home less frustrated. Road Warrior in NC.
Posted by: Charles Rathbone | Apr 17, 2007 8:11:42 PM
I hope I can add a couple of comments even though I am not a driver (not licensed! due to a vertigo condition) so I rely on public transit, family members, and friends to "drive" me to places. A couple of months I became ill and was forced to take some time off, then reduced hours. Since I have only been with the company for one year, I was worried my extended absence may cause concerns. My new boss and his wife decided I could recover faster if I were to have a home office. Since March, I have been working 2 to 3 days from home, the rest of the week, 1/2 day at the office, or whole day, depending on my healtah. Today, my boss and I reviewed our files over the phone, and he says as long as I am happy, I can work from home 5 days a week! Seriously, he meant it. How do I feel now that I am working 2 to 3 days from home? Great. I am definitely happier, and unstressed than I could ever remembered. Even though I could now work full time from home, it is still a positive process to work in a group environment part of the week. I don't want to give up having coffee breaks with my friends at work for ever, and I really enjoy working with my boss and his wife! Thank you for giving me a chance to share my experience with Monster.
Posted by: Hayley | Apr 18, 2007 1:45:45 AM
For 3 years, I commuted 100 miles, 3 1/2 to 4 hrs one way to work, spent 9 hrs (or more) at my desk, and then commuted back home. Because of this schedule, I was also only sleeping 3 1/2 hrs a day. I did develop health problems. I had muscle atrophy in my legs and spent 1 full year walking with a cane and on crutches at the age of 31. Plus I had poor eating habits due to being in my car so much (fast finger food). My cholesterol had ballooned to over 400, and my blood pressure was starting to get dangerously high. A couple of years after that, I had to have 3 stents implanted due to 3 glogged arteries. My health has improved since I left that job, however my legs still are not that strong and I am now taking a number of medicatons.
To top all that off, I almost lost my marraige in the process (my wife got used to me never being around nor could count on me) It has been 4 years since leaving that job - and my marraige is only slowly recovering.
the money was good, but not worth the cost. I took a $25,000 cut in pay to take a local job. And you know what - my take home pay did not change that much because my tax rate lowered.
I do also have a low tolerance to stress and imperfections, and hate slow moving traffic. I did not have that problem before that commute. When you have been sitting in a car for 3-4 hrs, and now 1/2 hr to 1 hr late for work, sitting in a traffic jam on Tryon Ave in Charlotte, NC- you will no what I am talking about. I worked in Boston, and never had a bad attitude with traffic tie-ups (no I did not take the T). After Charlotte, my wife tells my to calm down when I am driving.
I would love to work only 20 minutes from the house, but where I live most jobs are an hour or more away.
Posted by: Scott | Apr 18, 2007 5:33:32 AM
The only "illness" which concerns me is the exponential increase in commuter traffic over the last 4-5 years along the I-78 corridor in NJ, and the noticeable rise in erratic/poor driving habits, and downright angry drivers...many of which act without any regard for the lives of the other drivers. And for some reason, many of the drivers from PA (a state which doesn't seem to differentiate between the "passing lane" and "travel lanes") clog-up our passing lanes going at-or-below the speed limit and refuse to pull over--this has a "magical" effect on other drivers who are clearly stressed-out beyond human comprehension. Basically, what you end up with is the "domino effect" resulting in accidents galore.
On a Friday afternoon/evening, the drive home really is something to behold; people are so fed-up with work, the week-long commute, gas prices...I'm not sure whether it reminds me more of the movie "Road Warrior" (I swear the guy with the chicken feathers and leather chaps with the butt-cheeks cut-out passed me the other day) or the chariot race scene from "Ben Hur"...but either way it just plain sucks. Over the last 3 years, I've seen more serious accidents than I want to think about...but so far, I've been lucky. The only limited success I've had in dealing with it all has been to leave for my 29 mile commute at 5:30am. Even though I get stuck in it when I leave for home at 5:00pm, at least one direction of my commute is somewhat less dangerous. I'm not crazy about working 11-hour days--especially with baby #1 on the way, but it serves a purpose...for now anyway.
Posted by: Timo | Apr 18, 2007 7:21:01 AM
The main concern I have with my commute is it increasing my chances of getting into a serious accident. I've already been in one fender bender that easily could have been uglier had I not been lucky. My hours are 8-5, same as most of the world, so we're all on the interstate at the same time. The road is crowded, confusing and downright dangerous at times. I drive by accidents on a daily basis. You do what you can to be careful, but you can't always predict another driver's behavior. I can't help but feel if companies staggered our arrival and departure times there would be fewer lives lost in car accidents.
Posted by: Nikki | Apr 18, 2007 8:34:22 AM
After having worked "downtown" for 30 years with a 45 minute drive (I know this is minimal compared to some), I will soon be starting a job with less than a 15 minute compute which is also in the opposite direction. I took a pay cut just so I could work closer to home. I am SO looking forward to this change and know that I will arrive at work less stressed. I don't know how people with 100 mile computes do it!
Posted by: Patricia | Apr 18, 2007 10:29:10 AM
I to drive 32 miles one way to work and work in Mental health. I have to drive clients around all day. I have noticed that I am in a mood whemn I get home at night it is hurting my personal life. But living in rurual western NC I have to drive to Asheville to work to afford to live. I notice that most of the drivers are on cell phones doing 80 or more on the interstate and trying to run you over.There is no courtesy on the roads and nobody obeys the laws anymore.I do have more backaches and headaches since I have been doing this.I have to drive a small car for economics.Maybe if just a few people bscked off a little or left eailier for work there would not be so many problems. Or put there cell phones down.I know there are a lot out there that feel the same way.
Posted by: Paul Conklin | Apr 18, 2007 2:29:27 PM
Many years ago I resolved to live close to work and so far this has worked very well for me. In both Texas and New York I have been able to find houses or apartments within 1 mile of work. I have been walking to work, continuously, every day for the last year; just to reinforce my commitment, I sold my car. I have been reaping the benefits: my health has improved drastically, no more headaches/backaches/sinus/depression/yadda yadda. I no longer work to "support my car." I no longer need 8 prescription drugs every day. I am near retirement but in the best shape of my life!
Posted by: Rich | Apr 18, 2007 7:09:57 PM
I'm a Contractor for Quality in Manufacturing and I drive a minimum of an hour to an hour & a half each way.
Couldn't possibly survive it if I didn't have a nice stereo system as people seem to be out of their minds while their driving which I call the "Dying To Get To Work Syndrome" and can't quite figure out why they're such in a hurry all the time?
Where are they all going?
If they're all going to work then why don't they just leave 15 minutes earlier and then they could go from 100 mph down to a moderate 75 mph?
Have to admit that the newer vehicles ride much better, are lighter & more powerful and seem to cruise around 80 mph but, once again, a nice stereo system and some excellent music such as "Mudvayne" seem to take the edge off and make time go by faster.................
PEACE.
Posted by: STORM'N | Apr 18, 2007 7:21:00 PM
I'm a 29 year old man-30 if I can manage to make it to the end of August :) I have to say that commuting-even inside of your own community, is-and can become, horrible. I'm not being negative; I'm simply stating my experiences.
I live in Watsonville, which sits on one end of the 20-min long county-when there isn't any major traffic, of Santa Cruz, on the coast of northern central California. I had a route planned out to get to work for the first six months. It included getting up at like 5am with all of the laborers in the town, getting on the express bus, and getting over to the far edge of Santa Cruz sometime around 7:30am. It was long, constrictive schedule-wise, and well very crowded...did I mention that most of the time it was dark, cold, and it would cost $1.50 each way; $4.50 for an all day pass. I would come home on the same routes as some of these-mostly male non-engligh proficient workers, worn long faces, tired, and all knowing it was all waiting for them again, and all before the sun came up, tomorrow. My fate was the same, but their jobs were far more wearing.
After the bus, I was able to save enough and move closer to work. For a few years, things were okay, but as I was already acclaimated to the bus...I started taking classes at night, and working full-time during the day. But, who cares! This is about the commuting horrors :)
Eventually, I moved back to Watsonville, but this time with a car. One devises many routes and such once they encounter traffic 4 out of 5 days a week. But, we also soon catch-on to that which others do :) Soon, we are all taking this way, and that way, through neighborhoods, through exit ramps, backroads, ANYWAY TO GET TO WORK WITHOUT HAVING TO BE STOPPED AND STARING AT RED LIGHTS GOING OOOOOON...off....ONNNNNNNNNNN...Off..........OONNNNNNN. We try leaving at certain hours of the morning, or afternoon, and try to avoid the traffic on this street and that road, but nothing matter eventually, and most of us give up and reside to the main highway. It is quite literally maddening to have to commute for no less than 45 mins when your standard trip going from point A-your home, to point B-your job, should only take 20 mins. You patience goes from level A-maximal potential patience, to level X-however much patience is left over after dealing with the four different kind of commuters-and being that you are one of them yourself, how you personally are affected by each of the other types of drivers.
I tell you after years of this back and forth game of seeing the same commuters, getting on the road at the same times, holding their frustrated heads in the same defeated manners, watching as each year the commute gets worse and worse, until finally some road gets widened, worse and worse, until some lane gets added, more lane lights get put in, or car-fool lanes. I guess I'm babbling now, but anyway, tired here, take care, and be careful out there, cause it is literally, a jungle out-there!
Now, you might say that Watsonville and Santa Cruz are in a little county on the edge of a thrivingly large lively bay area of California, but I'm hearing similar stories from places I've never even knew existed. The ways in which people deal with the situation around here is either say, "Well, if you don't like it, then move." That has to be the most ignorant statement I've ever heard. Because, something tells me that eventually everywhere in the US will be this way if something isn't done to fix our driving system-which includes changing the standard way in which people work, their hours, and hence their commuting times... sometimes the simplest fixes refuse to be explored because they cause inconvieniences in other areas.
I certainly don't know all of the answers; rather people need to be looked at for the individuals that they are, and that today's society largely raises them to be. I think that most people have the ability and desire to not necessarily work the standard 9-5 life, and yet still work full-time, still demand benefits, and still increase productivity-including the productivity that is their own increased contentment that is their life :) A simplistic look at part of the problem is that some people are "night owls", some are "early-risers", and some are "super-flex". So, what do we do as a society? We give the early-risers stimulants to keep them going, the night-owls sleeping pills to get them to sleep, and then probably stimulants to keep them going, and the flexables well whatever they need to keep them going. Instead, shouldn't we have people work in shifts that work better with their lifestyles so that everyone doesn't have to perfectly conform to arbitrary 9-5pm scheduling? Or is this just, too, special rights for people to handle? It is a simplistic look, but a look nonetheless.
Posted by: Tommie Starling | Apr 18, 2007 11:52:59 PM
I think that cities, employers and transit providers need to rethink and reshape how our working world is distributed. First, it is the driver of a vehicle that is given many more work opportunities than somebody that either cannot, will not or can't afford to drive. Second, as people are saying here, health impacts of commuting by vehicle can be huge. In my region, transit is not big on the agenda, yet they wonder why we have the highest rate of traffic fatalities across Canada, among the highest number of people charged with driving offences, such as having no insurance, and so forth. How to solve the problem? My region needs to put into place policies and planning practices that would encourage people to drive less, and to improve the quality and affordability of public transit service. For businesses employing more than a certain number of people, perhaps they should be required to locate themselves on a transit route, or pay a special tax to help fund transit.
The idea of telecommuting and flexible work hours is also a good one, but unfortunately, many employers will not do this. In my region, if you do not drive, you do not work either. This craziness and imposed class structure needs to be resolved.
Posted by: Angela Browne | Apr 19, 2007 1:27:04 AM
My multi-modal commute is minimally about 20 minutes, and EXTREMELY enjoyable. On most days, I CONSIDERABLY extend it in both directions, "because I can", "because I should" and "because I enjoy the commute".
Briefly, I combine biking with BART in the San Francisco Bay area to travel from Hayward to Oakland and back. (For the out-of-towners, BART [Bay Area Rapid Transit] is a commuter/subway train connecting the East Bay with "The City" {San Francisco}).
The outbound journey requires a 1-mile ride from the Hayward hotel to the nearest BART station, taking perhaps 5-10 minutes, maximum. On especially nice days (meaning, March through December), I'll extend the ride to either the "next station up the track" for a few extra miles. Ditto, at the other end; usuall, I"ll exit BART a few stations "before my stop" for the exercise and enjoyment of the ride.
Crazy? So some say. In rainy weather, the fenders and raingear work very nicely, although the damp and cold of the San Francisco Bay area go right through these midwestern bones, accustomed as they are to snow and ice.
The commute home's a lot better. After a tough day at the office, riding for 30-60 minutes along BART's route allows some exercise, some decompression time and some separation of the "work day" from the "family nights". It's HIGHLY time-efficient, as well. Instead of wasting 3-4 hours EACH WAY on a commute [the guy's gotta be KLEW-less], I spend an hour getting up the CV rate and losing weight.
Let's look at the cost: BART's about $2.65 one way, or about $5.00 round trip per day when riding the train all the way. More commonly, the fare's about $1.40 each way for the few stops I ride. Gas runs about $3.50 per gallon. That's a couple gallons, plus parking downtown, easily totalling $7.00 per day, for a total commute cost of $15.00 per day or $75.00 per week, and $300 per month.
Haven't you got anything better to buy for $300 than gasoline and parking?
Haven't we become slaves enuf to the automobile?
Isn't there somethign better to do with our lives than stare at each other's tail lights?
When did america get so oblivious to our idocracy?
Let's smarten up, shall we??
Posted by: Eyeeeeee-Love-a-Commute | Apr 19, 2007 1:47:06 AM
I lived in Northern Cal and then moved to L.A. for 10 years. The traffic and freeway idiots became unbearable. I would sit there and say these poor people just don't know any better. But, I knew there were truly places where you could drive to work in 10 minutes and enjoy seeing cows and vineyards along the way. After one particularly terrible commute I just took the family and said "Lets get out of here". Best thing I ever did. We left town and never looked back.
Posted by: New Rick | Apr 19, 2007 1:49:14 AM
I totaly agree with this article. My comute is not that long but the sitting in traffic make it 10 times as long. By the time I get to my office I'm ready to turn around and go home or quit.
Posted by: Mary | Apr 19, 2007 10:44:04 AM
I have been looking for the right job fore some time now. I have had plenty of offers if I wanted to drive 30 miles or more. I do not want to be an industrial prostitute like I was for my last company. I know commuting will kill you. The wear and tear on your mind and body is staggering. When we started the break-up of the small town, when every body wanted to move some where else, we basically created the mess we have now. Small towns will make a come back soon
Posted by: Johnce | Apr 19, 2007 6:04:14 PM
I commuted for 6 years to work for the federal government in Ohio state capital of Columbus. The most direct way is 96 miles one way. I had high blood pressure before starting this at the age of 32. In that six years, I had a valve go bad in my heart, of course numerous tests to find out the cause of the high blood pressure and the reason the valve started leaking, which ended up in a renal catherization. Two surgeries other than that as I ended up with an allergy to cement, a sinus infection every month and then some other medical problems. Due to the hours spent on the road, at work and the medications, I wrecked my truck twice, both were one vehicle and on wet roads, almost totaling it both times. The gas prices were a little lower than but with the medical bills, the bills from the accidents, the vehicle expenses of filling the gas tank every day, a new set of tires per year, monthly oil changes, payments, etc, I actually ended up in bankruptcy and I was single.
I am much happier now in some ways. Wish I could find a position closer to home like that one though as I really liked working with the government. I know they are hopping now as that was the DOD.
Posted by: Gail | Apr 19, 2007 11:03:51 PM
I have a 1.5 hour trip each way and spend about 3 hours a day in my car. By the time I make it to my final destination, I'm usually ticked off. I've been in metro Atlanta for about 10 years and have noticed the drastic increase in traffic conjestion. Everyday, it is something---an accident, stalled car, chemical spill to shut down the expressway. Last week, it was Six Flags running a get in free promotional. The amount of traffic from this promotional was ridiculous. It took me 2.5 hours to get to my final destination (normally takes 1.5).
This traffic conjestion and my commute has caused a great deal of stress for me. I am usually irritable and get several headaches throughout the day. At times, my back ache. I had to go to a chiropractor for this. It is so bad that I'm thinking about moving to a much quiter, less conjested place. Anybody know if there is conjestion on Mars?
Posted by: KW | Apr 20, 2007 9:29:20 AM
This article reminds me why I took the cut in pay and work 10 miles from home. I was commuting 35 miles one way. Although, that is not as much as some, a trip into Los Angeles will make your knuckles white, and take over an hour. In Irvine, (Orange County) the drive can take 30 minutes for 10 mile drive in the evening. It's the morning drive I enjoy, 15 minutes on the freeway. Driving into Los Angeles, gave me headaches and neck pains. Yet, it did give the benefit of thinking and processing the day before I got home. Fortuantely?? most cell phone users I encounter are driving the speed limit to avoid accidents! they just don't know how to drive in rain!
The only way to make it better?? Early hours 6-3 are the best!
Posted by: Valerie | Apr 20, 2007 7:43:43 PM
Wow…anyone else notice that it seems all the positive posts are from people who said “I did X to change my situation for the better.” (usually involving a hard decision at the time), and all the purely negative posts look more like “The community needs to do X for us before it can get better.”? People (well most of the people reading this) this is America, do for yourself what you need to do to improve your lot in life; stop wringing your hands and complaining about others not doing it for you! Traffic is bad in many places (which is why I won’t work downtown anymore and stick to the suburbs…BTW I live in the NW suburbs of Chicago and have seen drivers acting as bad as anything I’ve read about today) and things should be changed but it’s not that bad everywhere and it’s not going to be that bad EVERYWHERE in time. Life is what we make of it in all aspects, success, travel, and personal….
Personally I took a lower paying suburban job and then moved from the SW ‘burs to the NW to be closer to work (much closer, turning a 1.5 hour commute into about 20 minutes), but traffic still gets bad at times; and I accept it. Sure I get mad when other drivers act like you-know-whats, but we can’t let the morons destroy our moods (just be sure to drive defensively so they don’t destroy your lives either). Sure I can make another $30K/yr if I took a job downtown, but I don’t need the stress and added costs (I’d loose about $12K of that in increased costs for travel and food if I went back to working in the Loop…not to mention taxes). Dang soap box, why does it keep showing up under me?
But back to the point of this article, “Is your commute hazardous to your health?”? If so make a change and make it for the better. Anyone who says “I Can’t.” is really just saying “I won’t.”. There is no one that has such a tiny skill set that they can’t find employment somewhere else, or make other changes to their work schedule/commute. MANY people shift their schedules (I’m one) to suit their lives….talk to your employer about it. Hours can be changed for valuable employees. If you work for that one company in the group that won’t, look into a different line of work if you have to, because that job my not be the one you should have. It’s up to us to make things better, not only for ourselves but for everyone we interact with.
Charles.
Posted by: Charles | Apr 20, 2007 8:23:51 PM
I was taking the Metro train and had to transfer to 2 different lines and 2 different buses, walking all over the place, up and down escalators, and long halls in each station and it took 2 hours to get to work. The arthritis became so bad in my knees, I can hardly walk now.
I started driving, it takes 45 to 50 minutes and I arrive fresh, not worn to a frazzle. What a relief. I work at night, so the traffic is moderate, not like morning traffic.
Posted by: Hazel Fetz | Apr 21, 2007 3:52:19 PM
When I am sitting in traffic and I see the daily tie-ups and wrecks every day on my way to work, I always think that there has to be a much better way than this to get the work done. This simply doesn't make sense. There has to be a more intelligent way to cut the time spent waiting to get to work.
It seems like a combination of mass transit and rescheduling might help. Commuting to work should not be a perpetual hindrance. With more cars and more jobs located further away from residential areas, the traffic keeps getting worse.
I have never understood the necessity of having everyone take one car and then sit and wait for the inevitable wreck to be cleared or the clog to move. Sure, it is very frustrating but the worst part is the time lost just sitting.
Posted by: mc | Apr 23, 2007 3:37:25 AM
I have both had a one hour commute each way to work, and lived two houses down the road from work. I actually had more difficulty separating work from home without the commute. I really loved being able to run home for lunch, but after hours would get called over for a quick minute... and so on. It was hard to relax when I worked in the ER, and after I went home I saw the ambulances backed up and knew when they were busy.
I wouldn't say I preferred the commute... but I also didn't have to care for my friends and neighbors each day in crisis. Dealing with a stranger's health needs can be caring but not intrude on your daily life. Seeing the folks you care for regularly at the grocery stop down the street or as you walk the dog makes it harder to separate yourself to handle emergencies in an objective manner. I can't help my patient if I am panicked by their condition.
I was watching a show on global warming with a lot of negative things to say about cars, but I also saw the poor guy on a bike riding to work, and must say - have you ever tried to breath walking or riding next to heavy traffic? I couldn't ride on a bike path on a regular street, I would smell so strongly of fumes my poor patients would have trouble breathing. I think it is silly to call that a healthier alternative . Yes, fewer cars or better exaust systems cuts down of the fumes... but do you want to work in a small cubicle with someone who smells of sweat and road fumes?
Posted by: Kari | Apr 23, 2007 2:31:30 PM
My employer pays for a metro pass for me, and I am able to walk to the train stop and get to work in a half hour as opposed to driving which takes about ten minutes. I realize this is unusual in Los Angeles, but I have to say that my mood is phenomenally better when I take the train to work. The walk clears my mind, allows me prepare for the day, say hello to the homeless sleeping on the sidewalks, and remember how fortunate I am to have a job to go to. I would recommend anyone who suffers from road rage or unhealthily long commutes to ask their employer to provide a metro pass and eliminate the need to pay exorbitant gas prices, struggle with traffic, and arrive at work frustrated and tense.
Posted by: Jessica | Apr 24, 2007 1:07:12 AM
I "use" to drive 100 miles round trip to my job years ago. That was before I ever heard the term road rage, before we had cell phones. There are many more vehicles on the roads today and those vehicles are dangerous weapons when put in the wrong hands. I could not see me driving like that now, I'd be a basket case! People always seem in a hurry and that causes accidents that I'd rather not be a part of or the cause of.
Posted by: Anna | Apr 24, 2007 6:32:21 AM
Just reading some of these stories, I can't understand how someone could bear to drive 100+ miles a day to a job and not relocate closer to it, for many practical reasons. I know some true "workaholics" who would rather be working than at home, no matter how far it was, and that may be part of it. With the high gas prices and the wear and tear on a car that kind of driving does, I can't see where it would be cost efficient to make that kind of commute on a daily basis. Stress at home, living beyond your means and having a high debt load is what drives people to get themselves into this kind of catch-22. If more people could accept to live within their means, they wouldnt have to put themselves thru all this just to make ends meet, but some people just wont have it any other way..working for a lifestyle they barely have time to enjoy. I worked in the city for over 20 yrs and I dont miss it at all. I dont miss the pressure, the parking ($1285 yr), or the stress of traffic, especially in the winter.
Posted by: Val | Apr 29, 2007 9:39:15 AM
2nd post: As someone mentioned previously, one of the best things to pack in the car is plenty of music or books on tape. I think I have every CD I ever owned in my car. It helps somewhat to try to focus on anything but the clogged traffic.
I recently read somewhere that once a commuter in stalled traffic put his socks on over his ears, leaned out of his driver's side window and barked at other drivers. I have never been lucky enough to witness that or anything even close. It would be worth being stuck in traffic just to see that.
Posted by: mc | May 3, 2007 2:47:17 AM
I currently drive about 30 minutes each way to work. In the past I've had commutes that range between 65+ minutes to 12 minutes. I definitely prefer the shorter commute, but now I'm faced with a choice.
We recently relocated to MA and are currently renting. We're close enough to the NH border that my husband's job is moving its location up to Nashua. As we've started to look at buying a home, I'm finding that the same money buys a heck of a lot more house in NH. His commute will be a dream if we buy in NH, and mine will extend to about an hour each way if we do this.
Many pros and cons to the situation...
Posted by: Cyn | May 3, 2007 9:51:05 AM
I lived in the San Franciso Bay area for about 25 yrs. Over that time I watched it become an increasingly dense city. But I loved it there! So much to see and do, interesting people, great art exhibits, music etc. But that dang traffic- my gosh it drove me insane. I drove 13 miles accross the Bay Bridge every day. I would need to allow an hour and a half communte to ensure that I was not late. Who wants to spend your first morning waking hours staring at car bumpers, smelling exhaust fumes, and stressed out about possibly being late!? I moved to northern CA, a smaller town, took a pay cut, and never looked back! The time I have saved in my day, the gas money and at home time are beyond measure. It is time we all started thinking about alternative to the auto- walking, biking, ride sharing and working closer to home. When you do the math- figure time lost, $$ lost and car repairs are you really ahead traveling to that BIG job?
Posted by: northern gal | Sep 27, 2007 3:29:50 AM
