How the bloody hell to people cope with commuting?

RaymondLin

I used to take the train, so I shut eye and sleep.

mudslide73

I've done 25 each way (40 mins to 1.5 hrs depending on traffic) for 14 years. Before that I was a field engineer for 8 years and did 700-1300 a week. It's had a really good crack at killing me too. 

speshul91

10 minute drive for me, the joys of starting when rush hour is just getting going, only 3 or 4 miles though. 

RandallFlagg

Back to 50 minutes drive on A17 each way, one of the UK's more dangerous roads. It's tedious and the slow arsed numpty drivers, tractors and lorries makes it the dullest part of life.

it was previously around 13 hours each way from home to Boston Massachusetts on a Monday and Friday 1 week a month!

fields5069

It's not a bad drive for me, 3 times a week, 25 miles each way. I work 7 til 4 but the M4 through Newport is still a bitch coming home.

i wish I could cycle. I used to, but it's not really a relaxing time, more of a slog. I long for a 10-15 mile commute, cycling would be almost fun.

Teetonetal

1 hr commute for me but on the train / tram or the road bike in summer. I quite like it. Gives me a chance to unwind before getting home. 

Driving in should be 35mins but on average would also take an hour. But would be far more stressful.

fields5069

I used to commute from Guildford to either Maidenhead or Reading. That was nuts compared to Newport to Almondsbury, but was around the same distance. During my time commuting, 2 years, 7 sets of traffic or pedestrian lights were built on my route.

breakstuff

Five minute drive for me.I could cycle it in ten minutes but I can't be arsed.

CHRISB50

When I used to start work at 9:00 it used to take me about an hour to drive around 8 miles to the office. It really didn't bother me at the time.

Now I do a shift that starts at 7:00 and finishes at 15:30. It takes me about 10 minutes in the morning, and about 20 minutes on the way home.

One the rare occasion I do a 9:00 start the traffic really winds me up. I guess it's just whatever you're used to.

thomasross20

We sort of planned to move closer to my work so I could spend more time with the family but Sheena would like a home where we currently are, it's best for the kids and what she knows, so it looks like my commute will continue.

Roland

Over the years I've commuted over different distances, and by different modes of transport. Each has its plus and minus points. Thankfully I didn't have to do any of them for very long. How do people cope? By shutting off the outside through reading, sleeping, or listening to music.

As Jean-Paul Sartre said, "Hell is other people"

Dopesick

Hour each way for me - 25 mins walk to train station, then 20 mins train, then 10-15 mins walk to work.

I don't mind it. It gives me a chance to get some reading time in though without distractions, and some brisk walking. Only drawback is the trains are absolutely fucking useless sometimes. More so on the way home.

Motorhate

I used to commute 13 miles on a motorbike through London when I lived there and it took me almost an hour. I got to hate it in the end. Despite the bad weather, the crap drivers trying to kill you at every turn, the road-rage bouts I’d experience, the fumes, heat in summer which was really oppressive, the suicidal pedestrians who’d be too busy on their phones to look when they cross the road the one thing that would annoy me immensely was the fact that it took me an hour to go 13 miles.

Now I have a two hour commute by train and tube or a 1hr 45min 165 mile round trip on a motorbike so it’s safe to say, yes. I fucking hate commuting.

57Deluxe

fields5069 said:

I used to commute from Guildford to either Maidenhead or Reading. That was nuts compared to Newport to Almondsbury, but was around the same distance. During my time commuting, 2 years, 7 sets of traffic or pedestrian lights were built on my route.

I used to do nearly the same but onwards to Cookham; I worked it out that during the course of my daily car journey I crossed in and out of 4 counties - all with different ideas on what constituted The Highway Code!

crunchman

nick_s said:

I am now 4.4 miles door to door, and it takes EASILY the same amount of time, the road system in Joke-on-Trent is abysmal.  One crash anywhere in the city and the whole thing comes to a standstill.

4.4 miles is a cycle ride that you could do at at a gentle pace in about half an hour without getting sweaty if it's flat.  Why sit getting frustrated in a car. It's a great feeling overtaking all the cars on your bike.

I don't know Stoke-on-Trent but if it's hilly an electric bike would still be a better option than a car.

You would save a fortune as well.  Think of all the GAS you could indulge in.

stickyfiddle

10 mins for me. Though most weeks since October I've been flying to Kuwait which is a good 4 hours end to end.

djspecialist

crunchman said:

4.4 miles is a cycle ride that you could do at at a gentle pace in about half an hour without getting sweaty if it's flat.

[...]

You would save a fortune as well.  Think of all the GAS you could indulge in.

Bingo - retrospective justification for all my GAS over recent years during which I've been commuting by bike. Cheers

Garthy

I've walked, cycled, used a bus, used a train but my favourite is my own car. Central London apart, the car slaughters public transport & cycling. The theft and vandalism of various bikes ground me into dust as well, far more than the M25 ever will.

Evilmags

I enjoyed the bike in London but it was fairly high risk. Public transport was horrible. People who don't shower in the morning are grim. 

snakemanStoo

It's done for me now.  I'm so glad I don't have to put up with rush hour commute for a loooong time.