Here in San Diego, with our over-the-top real estate prices, it’s not that uncommon for people to commute 70-80 miles one way. Many live up in the Temecula/Murietta area. It just blows me away, the common response to “Why the hell do you drive so far everyday” is “It’s the only place I could afford to buy a house”
Well if you’re spending that much money on gas and wear and tear on your car every day are you really saving any much money???
I have been keeping a running track of who has the longest commute of the patients I see. This morning I found my grand prize winner. He commutes from Victorville which is a 150 mile commute ONE-WAY. He spends about $100/week in gas (which seems a little low to me) not to mention oil changes/tires… He leaves his house between 3:30-4:00 am every day (we’re in the Navy, so we have to get to work early). His longest commute home was 8 hours! 8 friggin hours, just to get home from work. My guess is he won’t be joining the bike-to-work club.
Other commutes that have blown me away (all navy personnel travelling to San Diego): Long beach, Anaheim, Riverside, San Bernadino.
Home ownership just ain’t worth that to me. My freetime is precious, especially now with a 7 week-old in the house.
Oh, forgot to mention, my commute is just over 20 miles. Fortunately my work hours allow me to get to work and back home without too much traffic. Although Fridays are always a challenge.
From Whitehouse Station, NJ to Montvale, NJ
69 miles each way. Get there in 63 minutes (leave at 6), takes 75 minutes in the way back (leave work around 3).
He leaves his house between 3:30-4:00 am every day<<
Fairly common up here too.
My commute is about 1.5 miles. Time is dependent on how long I wait for the bus or cable car. Commute home lately has been about 7 minutes…walk out of office, hop in cab, cab drives me home, give the man the cab voucher.
My commute is just over 27 miles, but it drives me insane in the car. I’m in San Diego as well. (My drive includes 52 and 15) I don’t know how people can do anything like what you mention. It actually might be my definition of hell. We spend so much of our lives at work, I just hate to add time spent getting to work to that.
I’m starting to commute by bike a couple times a week, but given my start and end points, part of that ride includes riding on the highway. The ride is long enough that it’s just not something I could pracitically do more than twice weekly. There’s no way a “casual” commuter would do this ride. It tsucks, there are just so manu cars on the road, and no alternatives around here.
1 mile either direction for either job, I wish it were longer but town is only so big. Where are you stationed? I was at NASNI for 4 years, USS Constellation CV-64.
10k along the bike route, or a 10min drive. ;-). Unfortunately that will change later this year to about 45min drive :-(… maybe I’ll change jobs too hee hee!!
I guess I should add that it drives me insane because one of the highways is a parking lot. When I ride it, I’m passing or leapfrogging with cars for about 3 miles. It’s nuts.
I met a guy at a masters swim meet last year who works for DOT developing traffic simulation models for the state. He pointed out that the average commute to work has not changed over the past 2K years (since the beginning of civilizations with division of labor). Somewhere between 40 and 55 minutes. It is the distance that has changed based on our transportation technology. Interesting…
As for MY commute - 5.5 miles. Sometimes ride and sometimes run. Anyone ever do Eagleman? The Horn Point Environmental Research Lab located at the turnaround for the run is where I work.
8 hour commute? No f#$%& way. I would pick another line of work or move. That’s crazy.
I worked at North Island for a while. I’m now at 32nd ST on the dry-side. In August I’ll move up to Bremerton to be the ship’s therapist for the STENNIS (CVN 74).
I’d love to ride my bike to work, but it’d take longer to get on the bike then it would to walk to work. I comute about 50 feet. I live in an upstairs apartment over a French Bistro and our Inn is next door!!
Oh man, I feel guilty about this one (although Cathy might have me beat with the Cable Car bit).
Four miles through the Cream of the East Bay’s tree lined residential gems, Albany and North Berkeley (with views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate on the way home) to the nation’s and perhaps world’s premiere public institute of higher learning- (Roll On You Bears!)
Some days I ride the Merlin, some days, the S-Works Hardtail, some days my old Raleigh Super Course, other times the Colnago with early 80’s Super Record. There are about three French bakeries on the way and double that in espresso cafes. If I have time I grab a baguette and a short black on my way in.
It’s true, I own a house in the coveted SF Bay region but I bought years ago and couldn’t afford to do so now. No on a state wage anyway.
Life is good and I don’t take a minute of it for granted. Not ever.
I ran to work this morning. Took the “long” route at 5 miles. The run home tonight is uphill so I’ll take the bike path and shorten it to 4. No real traffic, just a couple of stop lights.
It’s one of the few fringe benefits of living in BFE Minnesota.
Now I do have the occasional patient who is on their last tour before they retire. They know they are going to stay in the area they currently live in, so their philosophy is to “suck it up” for a couple of years and build some equity while making the crazy drive every day. To them I say “yeah, okay, I guess I can see the logic in that” The ones that really kill me are the ones who know they will only be here 2-3 years, they’re taking a risk hoping the market won’t crash and all the while spending 2-4 hours per day driving instead of being with their families or doing the things they enjoy.
It used to be from San Clemente to Anaheim, about 35 miles one way, but I’ve recently moved up to Newport Beach and now bike the 15 miles in the same amount of time or less it used to take me to drive. The savings on gas, vehicle wear/tear, parking, etc. has been pretty sweet.
Less than 2 miles, but I don’t bike it enough. Yes, I usually drive since I am usually running late … In my experience a 20-30 min. commute isn’t so bad, esp. if there are errands to do or opportunities to work out or whatever along the way … Sixty minutes or more one way? Better be getting bank, IMO
~3 miles (15 mins) each way on my Surly SS from Lincoln Park to the Loop in Chicago. I do this year 'round, but it may be ending soon. Chicago is actually a decent place to bike commute.
I sort of live in San Diego also, Oceanside to be exact, and the commute can be a bitch. In the mornings I have to dodge the dog and slippers or anything else that happened to be left on the floor for my 30 foot commute from bedroom to office. If I take the long way via the kitchen it can add another hour to the commute though.
When I do have to get out on the roads, I am amazed at how much lost time I have in the day just running menial little errands because of traffic.
Seattle, 4 miles (to and from Fremont area). 15 minute bike or drive with traffic lights. Bike lane all the way, but uphill all the way home. Often times when I drive (free parking everywhere is the only reason) and I pass somebody near my house, they will pass me after I park and walk the two or three blocks to my office.
