Commuting, how long is too long?

RaymondLin

I did this for 5 and a half years.

I leave the house at 6:50am, train is at 7:09am, it's a direct journey end to end and arrive at 8:38, 15min walk so I get to my desk at 9am.

Finish at 5pm, train home is 5:19pm so I HAVE to leave on the dot or I won't make it.  I get home at 6:50 and walk through the door about 7:10pm.

It's pretty much 12 hour days and although train as "relaxing" and I got real good at sleeping on it to make the time just fly by, literally close my eyes, open and I am there.  Amazingly I have only overslept once and on the way home over all that time.

Cost for me was £220 a month, but the hours spent "wasted" commuting is just ridiculous, it works out 4 hours a day x 365, It works out 30 days a year sitting on the train (4 x 200 days divide by 24).  An entire month, 24 hours per day....on the train.

The other down side of trains in this country is it is often late.  In fact I actually got a disciplinary meeting because of it, totally out of my control, because i was like 3min late a day for a few weeks due to construction work at Birmingham New Street so there were less platforms meaning the train although arrived at Birmingham on time, it had no platform to park.  I was working some time through lunch but of course the clock in/out system doesn't know that.  That still leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

Although, I have had many cancellations, due to flooding, snow, suicide on the track, driver sick, engine failure.

5 and a half years, that's like 6 and a half months spent on the train....yuk

Pay was okay, it was a big company, and at the time I tried not face the truth.  Would I do it again? Perhaps as a stepping stone, put the company on the CV, and then look for a new job closer to home.

There wasn't much home/work balance doing those kind of commute.  I now work 5mins drive from work, I come home to lunch.

I now leave home at 7:55am, leave work at 4:30pm.  I am home in my PJs now before I even finish work before.

Fuengi

My previous commute was exactly 25 steps from the back of the house, but my new office is closer to 40 and it's uphill. Borderline too long, especially after dark. 

thomasross20

My current commute is 45-50min in the car, door to door there. And about 30min back. Maybe I should just move closer to town despite the cost.

TTBZ

thomasross20 said:

My current commute is 45-50min in the car, door to door there. And about 30min back. Maybe I should just move closer to town despite the cost.

I thought that, but I work in Milton Keynes so I think that's a no go haha

thomasross20

Bloody house prices.

DrJazzTap

Current job is a "30" minute commute according to Google maps and aa etc. Worst case scenario it's taken me an hour ten to get home. and a forty minute commute in the early mornings.
I certainly wouldn't look at a commute which had an already suggested two hour commute. Sod that. You'd be shattered.

d8m

I wouldn't go for it.

Might  just be me aswell but I'd find the train more stressful than commuting by car.

TimmyO

As anyone who is connected with me on FB will know from my rail-rants, I did a similar sounding commute for a few years. 

It is, by anyone's measure, a bonkers amount of time to spend getting to and fro, however good you get at putting it to use (be that work use or recreational use)

But that said, like you hint at it meant I was working at the peak of my industry with the best clients, thevbest colleagues and the best fulfilment from work.

Work life balance was ridiculous though. As was my monthly £850 rail ticket. 

I put up with it because I loved the work and my colleagues. And contrary to what Sporky says I found working in central London exhilarating, great socially, and convenient for staying over for gigs/events/shows/hangovers.

I'm glad I did it, but I'm over it now. 

skunkwerx

I used to drive non emergency ambulances for a local to me firm.. technically I'm still with them as its all self employed.. but I havnt done any work in over a year for them. Piss poor training and the commute was the worst. 

Based in Essex/East London, And shifts were 12 hours. No shift start time, as it could be at any point day or night 24/7. Thats ok, but ALL their contracts were in Guildford and Brighton for patient transport.. 

So I'd leave my house, drive to the depot, pick the ambulance up/do equipment checks, then drive to Brighton or Guildford (about 60 miles/an hour and half on a perfect day) for my shift start time. The 12 hour shift started from when you clocked in at whatever hospital you'd be working out of that day..

Then drive home. The problem was, the m25. Theres always an accident, or the bridge/tunnel is congested. Our record was 5 hours getting home. Stuck in the traffic that end when that plane crash happened, then getting to the m25, where we encounted one accident, then finally got to the dartford tunnel to find massive delays.

Thats a 12 hour shift with a 7 hour commute in total. 

The commute, even though its in the companies ambulance, is unpaid. Pay only starts when you reach Brighton, and finishes the moment you leave Brighton and start driving back to the yard. 

Had some fun times but that was killer. Not to mention the amount of accidents I was in (when a team mate drove).. 

Worst one was one woman I did a shift with cutting a bus up 5 minutes from home, and side swiping it right across its windshield. Smashed the entire thing in and added another hour unpaid onto my day.. 

But then again 14 hours of driving later... who wouldnt be tired.. Driving rest rules all but exempt for emergency vehicles we were told.. even though we didnt have, nor could do blue light driving. So we werent exactly an emergency vehicle I argued.. what do i know. 
 

TheBlueWolf

It's pretty much going to rob you of the time you could be spending at home with your wife and baby. Even if the salary is a massive increase, you can't really put a price on quality time at home. If it was me I'd rather stick the current job out until a more suitable job comes up

thomasross20

I used to think I'd do anything for a bit more cash but no, it isn't worth it. Really good wisdom from all here.

TTBZ

Yea this has been really helpful for me, thanks for that. I was worried I'd really regret turning down the opportunity but I'd regret spending all that time away from my new family a lot more.

The good thing is I can still do the odd day or 2 a month freelance (as i do currently) to get my "fix" and job satisfaction of working in the big name company without having to commit to that commute every day. And get paid the freelance rate for it

robgilmo

I worked ten hours a day with a new baby and totally missed out on my kids, week ends were hard too as I was tired, trying to find tome to do the things I couldn't do during the week so family time still suffered, never again, what is it you do?

d8m

In a couple of years you will look back on your decision to turn it down and be glad you did

quarky

TTBZ said:

The problem is that it's in central London. I live in Northants and I'd get the train down every day - moving not an option at the minute.

I do Northants to London. Have done since 2000, and now it is to Canary Wharf now which is even worse. My ticket price has trebled in that time, car park prices have quadrupled, the journey time is longer, there are less trains at peak times, and it is much more difficult to even get a seat due to overcrowding (and I try and avoid the busiest times).

You can get use to it, but it is a pain. Would it be to Euston or St Pancras? St Pancras has options for getting to Central London (35 min walk to Bank, tube, Boris Bikes). It is that journey that makes a difference. If you need to rely on the trains running OK, that isn't so bad. If you need to rely on the trains, and a tube line every day, that is more of a pain. Train and two tube lines, the odds of a problem free journey diminish even further.

With the kids thing, work flexibility can help. I get to the office at about 0745, and leave at about 1600 (well, 1550). That way, I tend to get home at 1730 (if everything goes as it should), or 1800 if I miss my train. Being home at 1730 was great for spending time with the kids, and much better than some people I know who didn't even see their kids during the week when they were younger.

Bygone_Tones

Bored housewife alert. What is your address?
 

ourmaninthenorth

richardhomer said:

Wouldn't countenance it personally. On a bright summer's day it might feel bearable - in the middle of December you'll feel all you do is work - or battle to get there.

Its a great truism that as you look back on life that you never think 'I wish I'd worked more'. At almost 53, time feels very much an ever-diminishing resource - spending time on things you enjoy is vital for a fulfilled and happy life.

I've just turned 53, and can affirm your words ring with enormous wisdom.

quarky

Bygone_Tones said:

Bored housewife alert. What is your address?
 

You are a bored housewife?

thomasross20

The only real commutes I've done have been car and bus. 
Car is FAR superior to bus. 
Is train bad? Queues on the motorway with the car are annoying. I think if the train isn't rammed, it'd be ok. But even then, the time to get to and from the train station, the time to wait for it, possibly being surrounded by sphincters etc... not as convenient as jumping in your car. Town centre workplaces cost more to rent and are inconvenient IMO. Whilst I've not recently been enamoured with my current workplace, it's out of town with a car park - worth its weight in gold!

TTBZ

robgilmo said:

I worked ten hours a day with a new baby and totally missed out on my kids, week ends were hard too as I was tired, trying to find tome to do the things I couldn't do during the week so family time still suffered, never again, what is it you do?

I'm a video editor so my current job is quite rare in that it's not in London!