I Hate Commuting

[SeanST150]

OP: 2 miles!? Just ride a bike. :)

I could. But it depends on what I've got planned for the day. Often I'm in and out of the office meeting customers so I need the car on hand. If I know I've got nothing on I prefer the walk.

[tz-uk73]

If the commute is getting you down, just get yourself a motorbike and it all becomes a bit more fun. Journey times are predictable, when the traffic lessens you can have a blast, and you'll generally get to work with a smile on your face. I've been doing it on a fireblade for the last 6 years and i thoroughly recommend it.

If it's only a short journey, I'd certainly look to a bicycle, or perhaps a little vespa?

fairly regularly I have to get from the south coast to Leeds and back in a day.... So that's 11 hours of travel before I've done any work. Certainly takes it out of you.

[yumma]

Just like you SeanST150, I have always had the luxury of working within 3 miles of home. I have always looked at work-life balance and have taken the view this is worth more to me than hard cash. I have had interviews in London and had offers and seriously considered it, but when push came to shove I thought, sod it I'll stay where I am and be satisfied I can be home by 17:20. On occasion I need to travel for work and whilst it can be a novelty and quite enjoyable I really don't think I could handle it day-to-day; I'd probably have a Michael Douglas moment in Falling Down!

[diver527]

I endured a 100 mile round trip to work for a couple of years. It is amazing how quickly it just becomes part of your day.

I now have a 7 minute drive to work and I can pop home on my lunch. Loving it!

[Jack83]

I do a 45 minute door to door commute on the Northern Line every day - I really don't mind it and borderline enjoy it. I've always got a good book on the go on my phone and listen to music, so am in my own little world. The time that I go/where I live mean I always get a seat in the morning.... which I think makes a difference.

[Tam]

My job has recently incorporated a 400 mile round trip once a week. So I resigned today and feel brilliant.

[Rodriguez]

If the commute is getting you down, just get yourself a motorbike and it all becomes a bit more fun. Journey times are predictable, when the traffic lessens you can have a blast, and you'll generally get to work with a smile on your face. I've been doing it on a fireblade for the last 6 years and i thoroughly recommend it.

Totally agree with this, I have a 35 mile commute into The City every day and it's a laugh. Train is still available if I need to go out after work.

Even when I used to train it daily though I would try to use the time in a productive manner, e.g. learning a language or reading up on something that might help me at work.

[anton863]

London not all bad. I've got a nice 12 minute cycle down from Islington into Camden, or a 25 minute walk if I fancy listening to a podcast on route.

Just don't have the pesky kids that make you stay 2+hours outside london!

[mark.wilo13]

I'm a railway worker and I feel very privileged that I have a twenty min train journey (30mins door to door) to work and I do shifts so when I travel it's dead quiet! I am spoilt for choice of seats and get to read my Kindle or newspaper in peace. There was a three month stint where I used to do office hours and commute from Wimbledon to Milton Keynes by train, which was bloody awful.

[Enda]

My job has recently incorporated a 400 mile round trip once a week. So I resigned today and feel brilliant.

I think I will be doing the same soon.

I currently do 3 weeks in London and then 1 or 2 in Dublin. It was a novelty at first, but I'm fed up with it now. I hate staying in a hotel with no option of cooking my own food.

[Alansmithee]

Just like you SeanST150, I have always had the luxury of working within 3 miles of home. I have always looked at work-life balance and have taken the view this is worth more to me than hard cash. I have had interviews in London and had offers and seriously considered it, but when push came to shove I thought, sod it I'll stay where I am and be satisfied I can be home by 17:20. On occasion I need to travel for work and whilst it can be a novelty and quite enjoyable I really don't think I could handle it day-to-day; I'd probably have a Michael Douglas moment in Falling Down!

Same for me - I have been offered jobs at bigger universities but I have no commute to speak of and live in a nice house by the canal. So I either move and live in a tiny house or a shitty area or commute for two hours - no thanks.

[Albellisimo]

I'm in the very fortunate position to live and work in Milton Keynes. My office is about 2 miles away. It's been like this my entire adult working life. About 13 years or so.

Might be time to move.......

[ryanb741]

I actually enjoy commuting - gives me some 'me' time and allows me to prepare for the day ahead. I don't like the cost so much mind.....

[Mr Stoat]

I train in from Surrey to London most days.

I used to see the same people on the platform each day and then sit in the same spot on the train most days ... as do most people ... so I started saying hello and chatting to folk.

I've met loads of people from different backgrounds / jobs, some are just a "hello" on the platform or as they get on the train at latter stops, others I've sat next to for over a decade now and we chew the fat about anything and everything ... even shared a bottle of champagne and nibbles on the way home the last Friday before Christmas!

Train commuting can be a right pain or you can make the most of it!

[gregory]

I sympathise.


Two years ago, after a 40 mile return trip per day to work and back (in a journey that sees no bypasses etc. due to the terrain / protected land / wildlife... which I appreciate as fair by the way), I started working 0.4 miles from my home.

The short journey before that in the 20 mile each way job took an hour each way.


I don't miss that traveling.

- - - Updated - - -

I sympathise.


Two years ago, after a 40 mile return trip per day to work and back (in a journey that sees no bypasses etc. due to the terrain / protected land / wildlife... which I appreciate as fair by the way), I started working 0.4 miles from my home.

The short journey before that in the 20 mile each way job took an hour each way.


I don't miss that traveling.

[afcneal]

Amen to the OP. I've commuted MK (Bletchley) to Euston and onwards too many times - it's the cost as well? Must be £50 for a day return and £6 to park the car.

I now drive 17 miles to work, going against the traffic flow, so takes 20 mins at 0700/1700.


I could suffer it temporarily, but doubt I'll need to commute into London any more...............

[PJdB]

Hard working commuters make up a huge portion of the back bone of this country, and look how the government treat them. I think the state of our roads and public transport systems are an absolute insult, especially considering how much we pay to use these services.

I have done the long commute thing before, however for the past four years my commute has either been a 1.5 mile walk, bus or cycle ride (depending on mood).

I get up at 8:15, have a cooked breakfast and in work by 9, - home around 5:30 ish. I have a healthy social life during the week, something I value very much. I also use the gym at lunchtimes to free up my evenings. I very appreciative of my current lifestyle, the amount of time and money I save over most of my colleagues is significant... but I dread that one day that I might have to commute again!

[bitfield]

Having commuted for decades, I can say I'm now delighted to work from home, and appreciate it every day. I saw a piece the other day that said 45% of UK workers now work from home at least once a week, and that has to be good news (not least for the overstrained transport system).

[afcneal]

It is odd that so many companies chose to locate or remain in (particularly) London. Although the early days discussions were London vs somewhere a long way away (Royal Mint to Cardiff, Premium Bonds to Liverpool) it's easy enough to set up shop in the 'burbs (not always easy to relocate though for sure) and benefit fromlower real estate costs (and possibly subsidy?) yet London remains attractive? Similar situation can be be seen in siting (e.g.) Wembley Stadium in its origianl location (vs Birmingham for example) and the chances of Parliament being moved out is pretty much nil............

Same on a smaller scale in most cities?

[PJdB]

Having commuted for decades, I can say I'm now delighted to work from home, and appreciate it every day. I saw a piece the other day that said 45% of UK workers now work from home at least once a week, and that has to be good news (not least for the overstrained transport system).

The amount of people working from home has increased drastically in the last five years.... - so, logically you'd think that we may have seen an alleviation in traffic congestion..... - but we haven't... we've seen the opposite.

[bitfield]

The amount of people working from home has increased drastically in the last five years.... - so, logically you'd think that we may have seen an alleviation in traffic congestion..... - but we haven't... we've seen the opposite.

We've also built a lot more roads, so logically you'd expect to see an alleviation in traffic congestion, but we haven't. The more road space available, the more people fill it up.

[Andyg]

Normally I work from home - so two flights of stairs from my bed to my study.

However, typically I will fly at least twice a month ( to one of the following Amsterdam, Bangalore, the US, Milan and Barcelona) and will drive a couple of times a month to Bracknell, London, Yeovil, Manchester, Coventry.

I consider myself very lucky.

[eagletower]

My commute is just under an hour each way. I actually like it, gives me time to read a paper , listen to music. Of course I would prefer if it was less, but an hour is fine for me.

[andy tims]

Mine's 1hr 45mins each way door to door via South West Trains & London Underground (without delays) & I hate it. The Tube is the worst bit - almost always hot & crowded.

I try to WFH once a week just to help keep me sane.

£4,650 a year too!!

[mowflow]

I drive 35 miles to work, three days a week, with a large chunk of those miles on the M62. Seeing the standard of driving that is becoming the norm, I'm debating if I'd rather be crammed into a train.

I don't pretend to be anything other than an average driver, but some of the downright dangerous manoeuvres I see every day without fail makes me wonder when it'll be my turn to be driven into. Somewhere along the line this country decided that the only issue on the roads is speed, so now we all have to drive slower so we don't get our picture taken but the idiots still carry out dangerous lane changes, late breaking, leaving it until the last possible second to push into an exit queue etc. And there are never any police around (until someone has an accident, when twenty of them turn up) so it won't ever get any better.

If I didn't have to take two buses and two trains (and about an hour and a half longer) to get to work, I would seriously consider ditching the car.

This used to really worry me when I was driving into work. I did the same commute by car almost every day for almost 9 years and it wasn't unusual to see accidents that had resulted in fatalities. I kept saying to my wife that with each passing day the odds on me being involved in an accident must be increasing. Now that I get the train followed by a 15 minute walk I only have to worry about being run over crossing the road. I guess i'm just a worrier.

I can't help but think that the crack down on speed in this country actually makes drivers less observant. Less need to pay attention when you are effectively trundling along at a constant speed. The only up side is that the speed of the accidents are decreased.

On a side note to all this moaning about commuting. I'd be interested to know how much commuting costs everyone. It can't be cheap for all you London commuters. My monthly train ticket is £170. I would gladly spend that money on almost anything else. The commuters in my office who travel the same distance only from the other side of the country (Edinburgh) have to pay almost double.

[mmgg1988]

I live and work in London (zone 2) which one would think brings all the benefits of working and living in London and having a short commute. Unfortunately at present I live in west zone 2 and work in east zone 2 which means an 1 hr+ right across the centre of London mostly on the Central Line at rush hour. Not pleasant...