How long is a commute to work too long?
- Thread starter alatif113
- Start date
- Status
I drive 45-60 mins one way to my job, closer to 90 on some days with traffic. Probably an average of 70. It sucks. I get paid $15/hr. It's the best I can get right now, so I took it. If you have options, explore them. The commute gets really tiring really fast.
[EDIT] I'll add that I used to have a 40-60 minute bus commute for another job and that was fine because I could read or whatever, but driving long distances every day gets old quick.
[EDIT] I'll add that I used to have a 40-60 minute bus commute for another job and that was fine because I could read or whatever, but driving long distances every day gets old quick.
Stuggernaut
Grandma's Chippy
My commute averages an hour each way. Can be 90 minutes with bad traffic.
I take the bus, and I watch Movies & TV Shows the entire time and could care less how long it takes.
I take the bus, and I watch Movies & TV Shows the entire time and could care less how long it takes.
Sir_Crocodile
Member
my commute is an hour either way, 15 mins of which is on an absurdly crowded train.
The other 45mins are on half full trains, so although there's 30m of discomfort(especially bad this time of year), I get a lovely 1h30m of reading books or playing videogames on my 3ds/vita/pandy to make up for it
The other 45mins are on half full trains, so although there's 30m of discomfort(especially bad this time of year), I get a lovely 1h30m of reading books or playing videogames on my 3ds/vita/pandy to make up for it
I think it's up to the person. I have a job that I really, really love and my commute when I started was 90-120 minutes each way (sadly most of that was just LA traffic).
We've since moved offices and it's cut my commute in half, but the drive never bothered me because I liked that job so much. I listed to the radio, caught up on podcasts, etc.
We've since moved offices and it's cut my commute in half, but the drive never bothered me because I liked that job so much. I listed to the radio, caught up on podcasts, etc.
I know people who commute 6 hours each way (3 hours there, 3 hours back) but puts up for it because his area is dead for his career, otherwise he would be working in a menial job for half the pay he's getting.
So it depends on your circumstances, and job availability in your area.
So it depends on your circumstances, and job availability in your area.
SillyEskimo
Member
20 minutes door to door. Pretty much perfect. It allows me to mentally plan my day on the way in and decompress before I get home.
Forsaken82
Member
What would you put that 10-20k towards because i guarantee at most you spend maybe 3k on gas (and thats assuming you fill up like twice a week... )? Does the rest go towards pain and suffering?
King Cobra
Banned
My mileage is paid for so I will drive how ever long I need to.
It's not uncommon for people around here (metro ATL) to have anywhere from 30-60 minute commutes, and I've been sitting in traffic for upwards of a couple of hours many, many times when I used to work in the city. How long is too long depends on the person. I got to the point where if I had to keep spending 2 hours a day in the car I'd have run full speed into a telephone poll. I just can't deal with traffic or long commutes anymore and it now takes me less than 10 minutes to get to work and even less to get home. I've actually turned down jobs that pay higher to avoid having to go back to a long commute.
An extra 30 minutes to and from work each day is 5 hours a week. Over the course of a year that's an extra 6.5 weeks worth of work. Add to that the cost of gas, wear and tear on your vehicle, and the added toll on the individual it's not really worth it for anything less than that.
I know long commutes are unavoidable for many, but there really is nothing like getting to work fresh without having to deal with traffic and ending your day not dreading the ride home.
An extra 30 minutes to and from work each day is 5 hours a week. Over the course of a year that's an extra 6.5 weeks worth of work. Add to that the cost of gas, wear and tear on your vehicle, and the added toll on the individual it's not really worth it for anything less than that.
I know long commutes are unavoidable for many, but there really is nothing like getting to work fresh without having to deal with traffic and ending your day not dreading the ride home.
Noisepurge
Member
Anything over 45 minutes is too long. Free time is expensive.
When you're single, no problem.
When you have a SO, easier said than done. I wasn't about to move to give myself a good commute at her expense.
On the upside, there are always more jobs.
rokkerkory
Member
Anything over 45mins in bumper to bumper traffic makes my head hurt
ImpalingNarwhal
Member
I would think an hour is too long. I've never had anything close to that, but I'm sure that drive would get tiring quickly.
Tribes of Trusty
Member
I completely agree with this.
I don't think so, driving is kind of stressful, and public transportation allows you to read a book, rest, reading and sending mails, doing things you can't in a car.
Personally for my job it's a must to not have a long time commuting. At the moment it takes 10 minutes to go to my job with traffic.
Other than extenuating circumstances, I feel that half hour is the max, or 1 hour a day round trip.
Just think about the time and energy spent on long commutes...what that could buy you or you could do instead.
Lets say you make $50 an hour, somewhere around $100k, or about the type of job where you think about commuting to have.
Just a half hour commute is equivalent to $250 per work week of you time...or $1k a work month. That is a lot of money that could justify higher rent or mortgage.
The above doesn't even include gas/maint/depreciation on vehicles or more $$ for transit....just gets more lopsided.
Just think about the time and energy spent on long commutes...what that could buy you or you could do instead.
Lets say you make $50 an hour, somewhere around $100k, or about the type of job where you think about commuting to have.
Just a half hour commute is equivalent to $250 per work week of you time...or $1k a work month. That is a lot of money that could justify higher rent or mortgage.
The above doesn't even include gas/maint/depreciation on vehicles or more $$ for transit....just gets more lopsided.
GKSilKamina
Member
Got two jobs. One commute is around 5-10 minutes, while the second one is about 30 minutes. An hour would be pushing it unless the pay was amazing.
Stuggernaut
Grandma's Chippy
This is odd logic to me. How is commute time to your job wasted money? You would not have the money at all if you don't go to work ;P
You don't always have a choice. Sometimes you have to commute to GET that 100k job. Or you can't afford a home closer to where you work, or a hundred other reasons.
You don't always have a a black & white type choice. You do what you have to do.
- Status