Commute to work. Need input.

[silva]

1. What's the absolute longest you will commute for a job (time wise)?

2. Pros and cons to a long commute?

3. How do you make it work with balancing children in school, dr. appointments, etc.

[demofea01]

I'm just about at my max right now which is 20-25 minutes. I don't think I'd mind a longer commute to work if it could somehow magically be shorter on the way home. I don't want to be in the car for longer then twenty minutes on my way home. It would drive me batty.

[VillainV]

1. 45-50 minutes if I had to drive, 1:15 (door to door) if I could take a train

2. Pros: You can unwind and de-stress from work before getting home, so when you're home you've sorted through the day and are ready to relax. You could get work done on a train, or listen to audio books in a car. Cons: Less time with family, less time doing stuff you like to do (like exercise, cook, etc). It's a lot of time "wasted" omitting.

3. I only drive about 30 min each way right now, so I'm not much help.

[wambam]

I did 45 minutes once for a summer, but I knew it would be temporary.

Now, I wouldn't do more than 30 minutes.

[looseseal]

1. 20 minutes? I live in a very small community, so it only takes me approx 5 minutes to get to work now.

2. My radio time is pretty short, and I always arrive at my destination before the good song is over. A longer commute would give me more me and radio time.

3. No children in school, but this is a positive of my super short commute. Any time I need to leave work it doesn't take me terribly long to get where I'm going.

[ginap]

1. What's the absolute longest you will commute for a job (time wise)? I just applied for a job that is in a city 25 miles from my house. I live in CA so that would likely take 45ish minutes both ways. It would be the longest commute I have ever had. I would never drive longer than an hour each way.

2. Pros and cons to a long commute? For me the only pro to a long commute would be driving to a job that was paying me a significant amount of money.

3. How do you make it work with balancing children in school, dr. appointments, etc. I am lucky that my H has a very flexible job and can take the time to do those things and C's day care is on the campus my H works at so picking up and dropping off would not be an issue.

Read more: www.pandce.proboards.com/thread/202986/commute-work-input#ixzz2ZQKL0IXs

[W.T.Faulkner]

BF calls me the commute queen because I really, really love my 18-minute commute and, in a perfect world, would only ever have a 25 minute commute max. That'd be driving, though. I'd be willing to do a longer commute if I were riding a train.

I really hate driving, though, so I would not be able to find a "pro" in a long driving commute. A train ride, however, I could see the benefit, since it seems like it'd be time to wind down before I got home.

[piper]

Mine is about 15 minutes.

The longest I would do it one hour and that would only work with ds in school is if DH kept his short commute.

I used to have a long commute into Boston everyday and took the train. I did like that I had two hours each day where I didn't have to be doing anything - I read a lot of books.

[UMaineTeach]

1. I would limit to 45 min one way. I live in the land of no traffic.

2. there is no pro to a long commute - only pros to the job I would be going to.

3. I would choose a daycare and a dr. who were on the commute route. I would see if my school had an after school program, a bus to the Y, or if there was a home daycare that takes older kids after school they could ride the bus to.

[RoxMonster]

The longest I'd commute is what I do now: 50 min.

The biggest con for me is definitely driving it in crappy winter weather. Also at the end of the day I just want to be home!

I like that it gives me time to think/prepare for my day in the morning and that it's far enough away that I don't run into students where I live.

I don't have kids. I try to make appts on Saturdays or evenings or take time off if I absolutely have to (for dr appts).

[game blouses]

I've done an hour before, and it was okay because there was never any traffic. An hour in traffic each way is like death.

I did gain some weight though because there was a McDonalds halfway between work and home.

[ECB]

1. At this point in my life, anything more than 30 mins would be hard. I used to have a long commute (an hour +) and I despised it.  I've always tried to get a shorter and shorter commute.  I used to have a 20 min walking commute- loved it.  MAYBE for the perfect job, I'd go up to 45 mins, but.... seriously, that would be pushing it.

2. I see no pros.  I've never found the commute "relaxing" and I can't really destress until I get home.  It's a total time suck IMO.

3. Since DS, my commute hasn't been more than 20-25 mins (barring traffic).  It's one of the reasons I've kind of limited my job options.  At least at this point in his life, I'm simply not willing to spend more time away from home/him.   I'm also at the job I'm at because I can set my own hours - I get in early and leave early specifically to avoid rush hour. 

[trafficgirl]

1. Right now my commute is the longest it's ever been - about 45 mins in the AM and 60-75 mins in the PM depending on traffic. Ideally I'd like a commute that is no longer than 30 minutes, but I doubt that will ever happen.

2. Pros - not many. I can listen to audiobooks, but I do that so I don't get road rage.
Cons - a lot. I use a ton of gas, I sit in traffic that goes nowhere, I usually have to eat dinner later than I'd like unless I'm picking something up on the way home.
*Though after I have kids I might appreciate the time in the car by myself, I don't know.

3. All of my Drs are near my work because it's way easier. With kids, we'll likely put them into a daycare near the house and in an emergency my parents have already said they could likely pick them up (my dad is retired and my mom will be in about a year). For their appts, H and I will just have to figure that out as we go.

[Deleted]

All of you 20 minute people are a bunch of wieners.


1. I currently commute about an hour 15. I would consider 90minutes, not necessarily for a perfect job, but for a perfect house and community. At present my job is more of a sure thing (at the center of a metropolitan area) than my chosen town.

2. I take a train for 55 minutes of my commute, drive for 7 and walk the rest. The train ride is great for socializing (I have train friends), sleeping (clutch when Andy was a newborn) or having---gasp--hobbies like knitting or reading. I would never drive a 90 minute commute, because that's wasted time.

3. H works closer to home and handles a lot of appointments and last minute things, like if Andy gets sick. I do a lot of household stuff during my commute, like paying bills, making appointments and phone calls, having obligatory phone conversations with family members, buying things (Hi Amazon app!). When I'm home, I'm allowed to be 100% focused on Andy, dinner, and relaxing.

[lime]

1)30-35 mins. I've done this before and have no desire to make it longer.

2) Pros? There are none. Sitting in bumper to bumper traffic is not a stress reliever.

3) I pretty much blew an entire half day dealing with appointments.

[Captain Serious]

The longest I've had was an hour, and I hated it. It was 2 extra hours away from home and the boys, so we were always rushed.it was also a heavily trafficked route, so it wasn't easy driving and could often be longer.

I would still consider an hour commute in the future, but only if it was scenic/rural/easy driving. Otherwise, 30 minutes will hopefully be my max.

[ECB]

I can still remember my longest commute - every exit i passed I would think "If only I lived there, I'd almost be home now". It was very, very painful.

[Captain Serious]

The only pros to a long commute is that I would use the time for self-reflection, to listen to audio books, and to talk to friends (handsfree). I miss that "me time" and being caught up with everyone.

[bananapancakes]

I commute 75km and 52 minutes each way for my part-time evening job.

I absolutely hate it and when my contract was up in June I was actually relieved to not have to do that drive again. A few weeks later, I got an email from my boss telling me that another position opened up for September and told me that it was mine if I wanted it. I debated for a few days but eventually took it because the money is so good.

The only pro I can think of is that I listen to a lot of audio books.

Cons:
Cost of gas- we regularly spend more on gas than we do on rent in a month

Time suck- almost 2 hours of my life everyday and I don't get home until 11:00pm and then have to be up to get ready for my day job by 6:15 usually

Safety concerns- I commute in bad winter weather on roads that are not that well-maintained.

Overall, I hate it. I only do it because the money is good and it doesn't make sense for us to move closer right now as my H commutes 75km in the opposite direction for his job.

[mrsjuleshs]

My commute is roughly an hour and 25 miles. That is my max. The good thing is, that is an hour with no one bugging me to find things or get anything done.

[thatgirl2478]

Jul 18, 2013 13:32:47 GMT -5 silva said:

1. What's the absolute longest you will commute for a job (time wise)?

2. Pros and cons to a long commute?

3. How do you make it work with balancing children in school, dr. appointments, etc.

Pre working from home?  30 - 45 min.  Now that I WAH? 20 - 30 min.

Pros - lots of time alone.
Cons - lots of wasted time alone - it's not like you can do much if you're driving.  Fuel/Car wear & tear costs.  Less time at home / doing what you want.

Never had to worry about it really.  Kids came around post commute.  Dr appointments etc, I just scheduled either as early or as late as possible (So I could go before or after work).

[Deleted]

1. 30 minutes. mine is 20 usually, 15 on a good day, 30 on a bad day. by minute 29 i'm going postal. i had a 2.5 hour commute for awhile right after college and pretty much hated my entire life.

2. pro: nothing. con: everything.

3. i have no idea because i refuse! lol. the people i know with long commutes (colleagues, mostly), work alternate hours sorta. they come in at 7 and leave at 3, or work from home when they can. almost all have set their entire lives up close to home, and then just sort of forage out to the office. whereas i have my kid in daycare right next to my office.

[lpcats]

1. I would never do longer than I do now, which is just shy of 2 hours door to door via car/train/subway/foot. This wasn't the plan and the only reason I'm doing it is because I had to get away from my last job.

2. Pros: I get a lot of reading and sleeping done. And it's 1000% better than my last job. Cons: The obvious.

3. If I have appointments to go to, I schedule them for as late as possible and go in early/make up time on other days.

[bittybomb]

My office is 25-35 minutes from my house during rush hour.  I drive in.  If its not rush hour and I want to run home, or to my son's school or something, its like 12-17 minutes.  My husband's commute is about 1 hour from door to door.  He currently takes the train/subway, whereas his last office was probably an hour, maybe a little more, driving also in rush hour.  Not in rush hour, maybe 25-35 minutes.  Traffic SUCKS where we are, and I really don't mind my commute (all local roads, no parkways).  Occasionally I have to travel to different areas, and that can suck, but its not enough to grate on me.  My husband prefers his hour on the train/subway to in the car just stopping and going.  For doctors, my own are all either near work, or halfway between home and work.  So, either I will do early am appts, late evening appts or lunchtime appts.  For the kids, our pedi/dentist have weekend hours, and if its an emergency, I leave work regardless.  I do like being close to the schools for shows, events, etc.  If I had to do what I do now on a parkway in stop and go traffic, I might kill myself.  If there is no traffic, I don't really care how long the commute is, as long as its not absurd.

[sparkythelawyer]

I refused to move back to my parents' house on Long Island after graduation because there was no way in HELL I was doing two hours each way ever, ever again.

I'm 10 minutes away now and love it.

I'd probably go half an hour, but after that the money better really rock.

[sherbanator]

An hour and fifteen minutes.

pros- I really have started loving listening to books I download onto my ipod. I have gotten home and stayed in the car a couple of minutes to find out a conclusion to a book.

cons- It feels like a giant waste of time. When traffic gets bad I feel really antsy. If you wake up late you are screwed. Luckily I have never done that but it constantly haunts
me.

3. I've luckily had no issues with juggling appointments but I do rotating shift work so I am no help in that department.

[agnes]

1. What's the absolute longest you will commute for a job (time wise)? I've realized after my last job and comparing it to my current job, I don't want to commute over 45 minutes each way.  My current commute is 20 in the morning and 30 in the afternoon (45 if heavy traffic).  Last job commute was 30 in morning and sometimes 1+ hour in the evening.  About the same distance just opposite direction and better hours.

2. Pros and cons to a long commute? There are no pros.  I hate traffic.  I was almost always grumpy when I got home.

3. How do you make it work with balancing children in school, dr. appointments, etc  I don't have children and I didn't really have any appointments that conflicted with my schedule. 

[CrazyLucky]

I drive 45 minutes to work each day. I think 45 minutes is my limit, at least long term. As far as I'm concerned, there are no pros to a long commute. It's expensive, even with a Prius, it forces the kids and us to be in a car for 90 minutes a day.
Doctor appointments just get fit in whenever. We work at the same company, about 10 minutes from daycare and another 10 from the pediatrician.

[CherHorowitz]

1. What's the absolute longest you will commute for a job (time wise)? - 45min

2. Pros and cons to a long commute? Ummm, books on tape, scenery, making phone calls (hands free natch)

3. How do you make it work with balancing children in school, dr. appointments, etc. I work 4 ten hour days (Mon-Thurs) My work days suck and I'm running around the whole time trying to get everything done. I make all appts for Fridays.

[natsnow]

1. What's the absolute longest you will commute for a job (time wise)? I was in a job in which I was commuting 45-60 minutes in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. If for some reason I worked off hours, it took me about 45 minutes without traffic. I haaaated it. I liked the job and the money was good, but the commute made me dread working. Like pp said, sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for 2 hours is not my idea of relaxation. I took a new job where I can walk (12 minutes) or drive (4 minutes). I basically only drive when I get out really late at night.

2. Pros and cons to a long commute? pros: i made a lot of phone calls during that time. cons: constant frustration, wasted time, wasted money, not seeing H in the evening

3. How do you make it work with balancing children in school, dr. appointments, etc. I don't have kids, but I usually had a day off during the week, so that's when I did all my errands and appointments. Otherwise, I have no idea what I'd do.