How Does a Long Commute Affect You?

Heisenberg1 · 29-01-2015 9:09pm

30mins Cycle from front door to work or 15min walk and 25 mins on the train love using the bike but on days like today walk and train is what I use same times going home.

Cookie_Monster · 29-01-2015 9:12pm

My commute is about 10-12 mins on the bike. My previous commutes were about the same, or never more than 20 mins in the car. Longest was bus to college which was over an hour. I do my utmost to avoid long commutes, there no great waste of time and money IMO. If I found a brilliant job a long travel time/distance away it would either be a case of moving or turning it down.

The only way I'd happily extend my commute is on the bike and just make it part of training, but a workplace with a shower becomes a must then.

_Kaiser_ · 29-01-2015 9:13pm

Previously I had a 90 minute drive each way - wasn't too bad as it was 90% motorway. These days though it's a 10 minute spin up the road. I am usually in before 8 to avoid traffic, but generally home before 5

Desolation Of Smug · 29-01-2015 9:15pm

When I was working on the buildings in Dublin, I left the house at 5-5.30am to be in for 6.45/7 and got home around 8-8.30pm. I did that for a good number of years and it exhausts you totally. No life apart from work and I wouldn't do it again, nor would I repeat the experience if given a second go at it. Crock of sh1t.

Sugar Free · 29-01-2015 9:19pm

heldel00 wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, is any of your commutes going to be a long term thing (earn as much as you can/ work your way towards promotion) or is there light at end of the tunnel (new job? Shorter commute?)

My short commute is offset by the fact I'm rarely home before 1900 :pac:

jobeenfitz · 29-01-2015 9:28pm

I used to drive from Longford to Dublin before the motorways were built. Approx 2 hours drive each way to work then 20 min walk from quays to work. It was a nightmare. I used to put on very loud music, open windows and shout at myself to prevent myself from sleeping.

Don't know how I survived it. I was eating on the go and getting home about an hour before bed time. If I had to do that again I would just go on the dole. Its not living. I now drive into Galway from Athenry in about 30 mins, cos I leave after the morning rush is over.

29-01-2015 9:30pm

15 to 20 minute walk to work for me. Usually leave the house between 9 and 9:30.

I plan to settle down back at home or in my home area at the very least though at some point and in order to do that Id be willing to put up with a fairly long commute. Much longer than if I was living elsewhere anyway.

nomeban · 29-01-2015 9:32pm

15 minutes drive each way.

Out of bed around 8.30am. Brush teeth, coffee in the travel mug, into the car at 8:45. At work around 9.

Oh and I also put clothes on.

Gael23 · 29-01-2015 9:46pm

I do a 200 mile round trip twice a week for a medical treatment. I'm exhausted that night but other than thst it doesn't bother me a lot

looking_around · 29-01-2015 9:58pm

I can't stand long commutes or long work weeks. (tend to prefer part time hours.) get seriously depressed the less "home" time I have.

anncoates · 29-01-2015 10:06pm

20 to 25 minute drive each way normally,

duckcfc · 29-01-2015 10:30pm

chops018 wrote: »

If you have to endure a long commute like myself, how does it affect you?

For me, I get the train at 7.30, get to the station around 8.00, get a bus around 8.10, and I'm in work around 8.40. (start time is actually 9.00 but the later trains would make me late).

The way home is a bit longer and different. I finish at 17.15 and I walk for 20 mins to the LUAS, 8 mins on the LUAS, then train home has more stops than in the morning so it's 40 mins compared to 27 in the morning. Usually arrive home between 18.35 and 19.00 depending on what train I make.

So, in the morning it's around 1 hour and 10 mins. In the evening it's around 1 hour and 20 mins to 1 hour and 30 mins.

This month I've noticed I'm getting sick very easily - colds that cure but come back, basically not going away.

I've a feeling the long commute doesn't help. I'm hoping once flu season is gone and the weather picks up a bit it will be all grand, because in actual fact this time last year I was working a 50 min drive away and I found I was more tired after the drive than on the train/bus - mainly due to being able to read a book, paper, go on the iPhone.

So, as I already said: how does your commute affect you? How long is it? Do you think you are more prone to flu's, infections, other seasonal illnesses?

What a miserable f***king life! Your life is for living so do yourself a favour and live it.

Me, my commute is get out of bed about 9ish, stroll into kitchen and make something to eat while relaxing on the net for awhile. Go take a sh1t then decided if I should go to work or not. If I do go to work, I work till 5 or 6 then drive home for nice relaxing night. Furthest I've worked is 40mins away.

For the record, I live on west coast and work as a handyman/builder. Pays well

Trebor176 · 29-01-2015 10:41pm

My commute is only around 10-15 minutes with little or no traffic. Lately, though, it's taking twice that, due to an increase in traffic. I am quite pissed off with the volume, to be honest. It's just something I am going to have to continue to endure, unless I decide to start work an hour early, which ain't gonna happen!

I used to commute to and from town. While the journey was longer, either by bus or LUAS, I never minded it. Though, I always hated the crowds on the LUAS. It's great getting a seat and just watching the world go by. It's less stressful than being stuck behind the wheel in gridlocked traffic getting more and more fed up.

I do feel sorry for anybody having to endure a lengthy commute, and especially the poor souls that have to spend over an hour from one end of the M50 to the other in the mornings and evenings, if they do work further down the motorway.

TheBeardedLady · 29-01-2015 10:45pm

I spend about 75 years a day on Madrid metro commuting between classes but try to walk as much as I can. I fooking hate it but try to use the time productively by staring off into space and rummaging around in my handbag.

pharmaton · 29-01-2015 10:57pm

TheBeardedLady wrote: »

I spend about 75 years a day on Madrid metro commuting between classes but try to walk as much as I can. I fooking hate it but try to use the time productively by staring off into space and rummaging around in my handbag.

wait what?

20min walk door to door. In the winter I've hopped on the bus for the spin as it's dark in the mornings or crappy weather. I would miss not being able to walk to work if I had to do it long term though. Can't imagine having to commute for more than an hour.

chops018 · 29-01-2015 11:01pm

duckcfc wrote: »

What a miserable f***king life! Your life is for living so do yourself a favour and live it.

Me, my commute is get out of bed about 9ish, stroll into kitchen and make something to eat while relaxing on the net for awhile. Go take a sh1t then decided if I should go to work or not. If I do go to work, I work till 5 or 6 then drive home for nice relaxing night. Furthest I've worked is 40mins away.

For the record, I live on west coast and work as a handyman/builder. Pays well

I understand what you are saying, and indeed commuting is not nice.

But you have to understand that if I decided to work near home then I'd have to get a job working in the local petrol station or in a clothes shop in the town shopping centre.

All the jobs with my degree and masters are in Dublin. And no, my salary is not enough to move closer to work.

We don't all have the benefit of, or didn't all choose the career you did, and are able to get up around 9 and decide if you want to work or not.

TheBeardedLady · 29-01-2015 11:02pm

pharmaton wrote: »

wait what?

You heard!

hmmm · 29-01-2015 11:03pm

I love reading, and 2 hours commuting every day gives me loads of time to do that - so that's a plus. The downside is the small minority of fellow public transport passengers who don't give a damn about anyone else, and talk loudly on their phone/play music out loud/eat greasy smelly food/try and squash in on top of you.

pharmaton · 29-01-2015 11:08pm

TheBeardedLady wrote: »

You heard!

someone should learn them Madridians about the diesel engine, makes trains go faster/

I really only noticed in the last year or so how relatively easy it is to commute to work in Ireland though,my daughter used travel to Kilkenny by train each day and would be there in about half an hour, which is not much longer than it would take me to walk the 2k to work.

Streetwalker · 29-01-2015 11:16pm

Used to do it in about an hour in the car two years ago then up until two weeks ago it took an hour and 35 minutes in and about an hour and 45 home. Been off for last two weeks with bad back because of it car seat is a joke and the physio bills are killing me. Think i'll be jacking it in when my four weeks paid sick are up and signing on as I can only see the traffic getting worse.

chops018 · 29-01-2015 11:18pm

Streetwalker wrote: »

Used to do it in about an hour in the car two years ago then up until two weeks ago it took an hour and 35 minutes in and about an hour and 45 home. Been off for last two weeks with bad back because of it car seat is a joke and the physio bills are killing me. Think i'll be jacking it in when my four weeks paid sick are up and signing on as I can only see the traffic getting worse.

That's sad to hear.

What area do you work in? Any chance of finding similar employment closer to home?

Streetwalker · 29-01-2015 11:25pm

chops018 wrote: »

That's sad to hear.

What area do you work in? Any chance of finding similar employment closer to home?

Not a hope. Logistics. If you are on the dole for 6 months it's possible to get a grant to start a business and with the few quid ive saved that's what ill be doing. Sick of leaving home at 7 and not getting home again until after 7 that evening. It's no life and I ain't living it anymore. The 6 months will give me time with my kids and time to set up and get registered with the CRO and revenue. Fu cking unreal the traffic since about last summer a good few lads in the job have left already because it's turning their 9 hour day into over 12 hours also.

Dirty Dingus McGee · 30-01-2015 12:04am

I leave the house 5:45 and arrive home at about 7:45 each evening.

You get used to it after a while. I've been doing that commute for 4 years now.

I read for about 45 minutes in the morning and doze for the other 45 and then I sleep for the majority of the journey home (as long as the bus driver doesn't have the radio on on all the speakers).

osarusan · 30-01-2015 12:16am

4 minutes by monorail, or a 25-minute walk.

cloud493 · 30-01-2015 12:18am

I have a two hour commute. I read a lot.

Boskowski · 30-01-2015 12:44am

15 to 20 mins each way.

I used to go to Europe on a Monday and come home Friday. I did that for four years. I also did 45 mins each way for a number of years.

Looking back the 45 mins would be the absolute maximum for me now unless I fell on really really hard times. I couldn't ever see myself doing that airplane commute thing again. Good money but no life and looking back it wasn't anywhere near enough money for the hell that it was.

In my forties now and with that added 'wisdom' my advice is it's not worth it. The whole rat race thing is bad enough as it is without wasting years of your life behind a steering wheel.

antodeco · 30-01-2015 12:48am

A year ago I'd be out the door at 7:25 and home around 7/7:30. Now I'm out the door at 8:20 and home around 6/6:30 depending on traffic. It's great!

AMKC · 30-01-2015 12:54am

Elvis_Presley wrote: »

Right now 15 mins door to door, up until three weeks ago 50 mins each way in public transport. I dont know what to do with the extra free time, I need to get hobbies again. Commuting sucks, it absolutely killed me, and the loss of time and energy is such a waste of life.

You could watch some good tv with the extra free time you now have. Lots of good shows on or starting on tv at the mo. Gotham,Scorpion and Extant just to name a few. Halle Berry:p is in Extant

Mickey H · 30-01-2015 12:56am

Candie wrote: »

I walk five minutes down a tree lined path beside a landscaped garden.

Sorry.

Get.
Out.

============>>

_Brian · 30-01-2015 1:10am

I commuted from Cavan to Dublin for 13 years.
Every other month days or nights..

Days I'd leave home at 5:20am, arrive at 6:45, home at 8:30 in the evening.
Nights id leave home at 4:30pm, arrive at 6:45 and be home at 9am, only sleep for 3 hours.

I often had to stop and sleep along the road in the morning as id be drunk tired from nights..

I've sense now and wouldnt consider such madness..

Now I work 30 minutes from home, but three days a week I dont go to the office so its much more flexable...

All this takes a 50% cut in wages :eek:

How Does a Long Commute Affect You?

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