# commute



## science (Oct 14, 2010)

So... let's say you'd been offered a great job... but the commute was 90 minutes each way.... 

Would you take it?


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## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

science said:


> So... let's say you'd been offered a great job... but the commute was 90 minutes each way....
> 
> Would you take it?


Sure. 90 minutes each way is shorter than my commute on some days as it is.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

.......................sorry, deleted.


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## Templeton (Dec 20, 2014)

Depends if you plan to move closer in the foreseeable future and to some extent, your age. In my twenties, when I lived in London, it used to take me up to two hours each way for work. Whilst it was a pain, it was manageable but no way would I be doing this now and I did eventually get a job that was closer to home. 

The other thing to bear in mind is that your journey may sometimes be longer than this, due to the inevitable delays that will occur from time to time. Other considerations may be your mode of transport. If it's by car, then it will likely leave you more fatigued and obviously the financial considerations would need to be considered, particularly wear and tear upon your vehicle, which people often forget, choosing instead to just consider fuel costs.

If you will be using public transport, will you be able to do any work during the journey and if so, will your company allow you to claim any of this back, so that your actual day in the office is a little shorter? If not, at least you will have time to plan your day and/or hopefully unwind a little by reading, listening to music, etc. Personally, I wouldn't entirely rule it out but only if you don't intend it to be a long-term option. In my opinion, long-term, it would probably have a negative effect upon your physical and mental health but that's just my humble opinion.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Been there, done that. But I could commute by train, meaning I got some reading (and listening, the time of the discman) done. Would not really recommend it though.


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2018)

No, I would move to where the job is.


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

No way I’d lengthen my workday by 3 hours. (Unless it is only one day per week and the amount of money involved is quite obscene)
15 to 20 minutes on a bicycle is the max. So I’d move if the job was a “must have”, or seek employment near home.


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## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

Tulse said:


> No, I would move to where the job is.


My employer is, AFAIK, the best paying employer in the area for the type of work I do. The difference in salaries between my employer and several others in the area is really quite significant. Unfortunately, my employer is located in a toxic waste dump (not literally, although...). I'd probably start glowing green and have an extra ear on my forehead if I lived near my workplace.  While having an extra ear might be beneficial when it comes to enjoying classical music, I think I'm better served taking the long way into work. 

I will say that having a long commute is not for everyone. In fact, it's not for most people. Here in the big city, however, people are used to long commutes. It's just the nature of the beast. There's a lot of factors one must consider when considering a job that requires a long daily commute (these are just some factors, not all of them):


How flexible is the company with your schedule? Will they give you some leeway due to your long commute?
How patient are you? Does sitting in a car/bus/train/whatever for long periods of time make you physically or mentally sick?
How much will this commuting cost if you're driving?
Are you willing to lower the quality of your diet/sleep due to having less time at home? 
How time consuming are your daily household responsibilities?
Do you have a spouse that you're wanting to spend less time with? :lol: (I say this jokingly, but I do know people for whom their commute is their favorite part of the day because they don't have to deal with their work or spouse). 
Will taking this job put you in a trap where you're tired of the commute, but are unwilling to sacrifice whatever positives the job has compared to something closer to home?


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

If I was convinced that I would actually enjoy the work, then probably yes.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

My longest commute was as a grad student when I walked to the University bus stop (15 min) and then took a bus probably 10 minutes. After that I had 2 jobs where I always walked to work and 2 jobs where I lived within 5 miles of work. My favorite commute was out the back door of my apartment, down a path, and into the back door of the physics building which was on the same block. The thought of a long commute at this point is not something I would do.


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## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

That's a fairly heavy commute but I've done the same distance each way for fairly extended periods of time in the past. I would recommend taking the train rather than driving if you are able to as all that mileage will unavoidably take its toll on both you and the car.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

That's more or less the norm here in the Bay Area. I'd take it, but in the meantime I'd be looking for a place closer to work. Not always possible with the home prices around here, but I'd at least make the effort.


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## T Son of Ander (Aug 25, 2015)

There is no way I'd commute 90 minutes each way. If they could wait til I find an apartment or other temporary housing nearby, then I'd take the job, then look for a permanent place to live.

My drive to work now is 35-60 minutes, depending on the day, the traffic, and the waether. There were a couple days this winter that took me almost 90 minutes to get home. If I had that every day, I'd go insane.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

In my last job my commute went as follows:

Walk to bus stop - 10m.
Wait for bus - c.5m assuming it was on time.
Bus journey - usually just shy of 15m if traffic was light.
Walk to workplace - just shy of 15m.

For the return journey the traffic was often heavier and the bus home prone to delays, so all in all the commute took over an hour and a half, which I think was more than enough for someone who was spending over eight and a half hours at the workplace itself. Even if the weather was bad the walking was the better part of it as a 45m journey on a packed bus isn't my idea of fun.


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## Guest (Apr 17, 2018)

My commute involves walking upstairs from my lounge to my office.


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## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

Tulse said:


> My commute involves walking upstairs from my lounge to my office.


Some days I do just that (like today). Some other days, I leave the house at 5am, travel quite a long way (sometimes by car, sometimes by the train) and don't get home until about 9pm or so. Beats the monotony of the same journey every day I suppose, something I did for long periods of time when I was younger.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Luckily for me, my commuting days have long been over. I now have the freedom to work around rush hour traffic most days.
Sometimes I get stuck making airport runs or doctor appointments during the rush.


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## Capeditiea (Feb 23, 2018)

Tulse said:


> My commute involves walking upstairs from my lounge to my office.


:3 mine is shorter.  about 3-5 steps depending on how sluggish i am when i awaken... to walk to my desk.


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

I have commuted for up to 120 minutes each way for up to 6 months at a time at various points in my career, the majority of it by public transport, filling in the gaps by walking and taking taxis. I can read for work on the train quite easily as I have learnt to 'shut out' the noise. It's OK for a bit, but not in the longer term.

I thought I'd cracked it in 1997 when I moved to work for a new organisation and bought a house 6-7 minutes walk away, although I still needed to go to Manchester or London a few times a month.

Then, after a few years two things happened - I developed arthritis which sometimes made it impossible to walk the short distance, and then the organisation decided to sell off the building I was working from and move my department to a building in a commercial estate on the other side of town.

So the choice is now a 2-bus journey taking 60 minutes each way, if you make the connection, or 20 minutes in a taxi. The taxi firm have done well out if this!


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

From 2012 to 2014, the commute was a walk down the stairs from our living room/kitchen to the gallery.

In 2014 we bought a much bigger gallery up the street, making my commute now a whopping 20 meters.


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## Guest (Apr 17, 2018)

TurnaboutVox said:


> I have commuted for up to 120 minutes each way for up to 6 months at a time at various points in my career, the majority of it by public transport, filling in the gaps by walking and taking taxis. I can read for work on the train quite easily as I have learnt to 'shut out' the noise. It's OK for a bit, but not in the longer term.
> 
> I thought I'd cracked it in 1997 when I moved to work for a new organisation and bought a house 6-7 minutes walk away, although I still needed to go to Manchester or London a few times a month.
> 
> ...


That is grim TVox. I'm not surprised that you have gained an understanding of public transport strategy.


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

Yes, well, I lost my driving license after a serious illness damaged my eyesight when I was in my late 20s. I have also had some really good experiences of sharing a colleague's car journey to work and getting to know them through that. Also, I have walked places much more than if I had continued to drive. I think overall it's been cheaper than running and maintaining 2 cars (Mrs Vox drives), especially as I have a railcard.

In big cities like Glasgow, London and Manchester public transport is quite good so I've used it a lot.

It's swings and roundabouts.


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

Depends upon the job and how much you like/love doing the work for is. My last church position was a 45 minute drive across town each way - I did that for 34 years - because I loved the church, the organ, its members and all the wonderful music we were able to create. 

I own a house so moving is not a viable option ... I made three trips per week to that church for all those years. 

Finally a church position opened 2.5 miles from my house. I took that one because it has a better music program, a much better and larger organ, and better salary. My commute now is about 5 minutes at most. The church gig is my only "work" since I retired from working full time (non music related job) in 2006. 

I think if we really like/love what we are doing and the company we work for, the miles really don't matter. 

Kh


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Current job (12 emails today a new record), 40 minute average drive into centre of Melbourne, 25min on a good day..........


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

EddieRUKiddingVarese said:


> Current job (12 emails today a new record), 40 minute average drive into centre of Melbourne, 25min on a good day..........


Keep me posted, Sydney.


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