How valuable is time and am I bat shít crazy?

MagicMarker

So here's the deal, I currently drive to work which takes me approx 30-45 minutes in the morning and 60-75 minutes in the evening. I'm currently contemplating on saving a few pennys by taking the bus instead, doing so would probably save me €80 a month in tax and insurance, the fuel saving would be spent on bus fare, saving will be more once the fuel and motor tax goes up.

Problem is, the bus route happens to be the longest route ever in the whole world (possibly exaggerated), with an OFF PEAK journey time estimate of approx 90 minutes. So I'm looking at 90 minutes in the morning and 2+ hours in the evening.

Pros and cons are as follows....

Pros.

1. Save 80+ quid a month
2. Less likely to murder someone due to road rage
3. Possibility of having the odd pint after work
4. I can read on the bus

Cons.

1. It's a bus
2. Having to be near people
3. Possibly spending whatever I save on beer therefore negating the whole point of this venture.
4. It's a bus

Am I mad for even considering it?

hondasam

You are mad if you think anyone in AH's will give a **** how you travel to work.

smash

Bus wanker!

skyhighflyer

Only if your time is worth around €2 an hour. Can you move closer to work?

MagicMarker

hondasam wrote: »

You are mad if you think anyone in AH's will give a **** how you travel to work.

Some day there will be a movie made about my commuting shenanigans.

hondasam

MagicMarker wrote: »

Some day there will be a movie made about my commuting shenanigans.

Who will get to the play the part of the bus driver?

Larianne

You will lose your mind travelling on the bus every day. Don't do it!

copacetic

You only save the tax and insurance if you give up car altogether? Some opportunity cost there not having access to a car at evenings and weekends. Have to be nuts to give up time to get the bus imo, only makes sense if it's quicker or you desperately need the money. Sounds like the kind of journey that would be perfect for cycling?

MagicMarker

hondasam wrote: »

Who will get to the play the part of the bus driver?

Robert De Niro.

stupidusername

depends on how much you need that extra bit of money. i've done the last 9 months on a minimum of 45 mins each way, with many problems and many a rage filled post because of the ***** that you get on buses and the buses that don't turn up or don't stop for you etc, but the thing is if you need the money, then that's what you gotta do.

Biscuits16

What car you drive OP?

MagicMarker

copacetic wrote: »

You only save the tax and insurance if you give up car altogether? Some opportunity cost there not having access to a car at evenings and weekends. Have to be nuts to give up time to get the bus imo, only makes sense if it's quicker or you desperately need the money. Sounds like the kind of journey that would be perfect for cycling?

I'd just declare the car off the road initially and if I don't go insane I could sell it. I'd have access to a family members car if I needed it but 90% of my mileage is the commute.

C-Shore

The chance of murder is probably the same on both; so many irritating things happen on the bus! Especially when other people talk, particularly on the phone.

On a serious money note though, the €80 that you save; can you not start driving at the same time as the bus would leave and get to work earlier? That way you can either earn more money(if your job has flexibility on your hours, flexitime if you will)? Or even other things you could be doing in the time saved by driving, opportunity cost etc..

Also, what about the savings on petrol? Or is the petrol cost the same as the bus fare?

Hazys

Buy your own bus and drive that to work, best of both worlds.

why dont you just try the bus for a month and see how it goes

jester77

So you want to travel 17 hours a week just to work :eek:

Why not take the €80 plus whatever you consider 17 hours of free time to be worth (lets be conservative and say €10 per hour) and put it towards a place beside work, gives you an extra €760 a month to put towards a place.

Tesco Massacre

Time is very valuable.

Every second draws us closer towards death's icy, vice-like grip. The ignoble slide towards the grave. So make the most of every moment!

Like me. Posting on an internet forum.

Wertz

copacetic wrote: »

Sounds like the kind of journey that would be perfect for cycling?

90 min to 2 hrs on a bus is a hell of a bike ride.

hardCopy

Cycle. The government are almost buying the bike for you.

You'll get F all else from them for the next few years.

O.A.P

Sure go for a few pints after work, then spend 2+ hours on a bus. You will only do that once.

Abi

MagicMarker wrote: »

Cons.

1. It's a bus
2. Having to be near people
3. Possibly spending whatever I save on beer therefore negating the whole point of this venture.
4. It's a bus
Am I mad for even considering it?

Yes. The above is why.

AnnaGram85

Seriously. It's a bus.

Don't do it.

copacetic

Wertz wrote: »

90 min to 2 hrs on a bus is a hell of a bike ride.

It's only 30-45 mins in a car in morning rush hour so it can't be too far. 5/6 miles? OP mentioned bus went some crazy round the world route which presumably wouldn't be the cycling route. Bike is more pleasant than a bus in pretty much all But very worst weather, cheaper too.

Wertz

O.A.P wrote: »

Sure go for a few pints after work, then spend 2+ hours on a bus. You will only do that once.

Aye, bring a bottle to piss into as well...

themadchef

Bat **** crazy is working for you money in the first place.

Social, few cans, bitta craic, ya know. Relaxin... That workin lark... :pac: Madness.

(clearly tongue in cheek)

Yeah keep your car because im sure you must use it for other purposes at the weekend? social outing? doggin, going to see the Mammy? Ya know, shopping even, stuff!
I know i couldint hack the bus after having the comfort of a car.

Naos

Count yourself lucky to have a job!!!
















Am I doing this right AH?

Jesus Wept

Work commute times have a massive impact on quality of life.
The times you are suggesting are bad bad bad, do not do it imo, find another option if need be.


Unless it is Bus 62:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkTw7J-hGmg

MagicMarker

Wertz wrote: »

90 min to 2 hrs on a bus is a hell of a bike ride.

While the bus journey to ridiculously long, it's going from South Dublin to Dublin 4, but it's going ****ing EVERYWHERE in between!!

I do have a bike, it would probably take an hour to cycle, but I'm lazy, unfit and it's cold outside.

EDIT: Plus I don't have access to a shower.

Chuck Stone

As Bluewolf says try it for a while.

If you like reading the time will feel short.

If it works out take the car off the road and mothball if it's an old one in good shape - or sell if you will lose money on depreciation.

Good luck MM.

Larianne

MagicMarker wrote: »

I do have a bike, it would probably take an hour to cycle, but I'm lazy, unfit and it's cold outside.

Cycling is the way to go !

Tesco Massacre

Lot of bus haters on here, I see. It's not as bad as people make out.

I've encountered many interesting people on public transport. Only yesterday there was a guy picking his nose in full view of everyone and then wiping his fingers on the seat beside him.

What a character!

Jesus Wept

MagicMarker wrote: »

While the bus journey to ridiculously long, it's going from South Dublin to Dublin 4, but it's going ****ing EVERYWHERE in between!!

I do have a bike, it would probably take an hour to cycle, but I'm lazy, unfit and it's cold outside.

46a? Are there any buses with a more direct route that you could walk to in 10-20 minutes?

MagicMarker

The-Rigger wrote: »

46a? Are there any buses with a more direct route that you could walk to in 10-20 minutes?

77a.

There's a couple of other buses I could take which would leave me with a 30 minute walk.

Chuck Stone

The-Rigger wrote: »

Unless it is Bus 62:

I would have slip-streamed the bus in my car. Like following Moses.

copacetic

MagicMarker wrote: »

While the bus journey to ridiculously long, it's going from South Dublin to Dublin 4, but it's going ****ing EVERYWHERE in between!!

I do have a bike, it would probably take an hour to cycle, but I'm lazy, unfit and it's cold outside.

EDIT: Plus I don't have access to a shower.

That's a grand cycle in, do a similar one myself when in the mood. Pretty much downhill all the way. Just coast in taking it easy, 30 mins mostly likely, no need for shower. tougher on way back but doesnt matter then, 45 mins or so and sweaty on way home don't matter.

Will always take the exact same time too and you can hope on the bus if weather is terrible. I'd bet it will be the last thing you'll ever want to do after a few weeks of cycling though.

Biscuits16

MagicMarker wrote: »

but I'm lazy, unfit and it's cold outside.

You know the bus stop is not heated right?

C-Shore

Tesco Massacre wrote: »

Lot of bus haters on here, I see. It's not as bad as people make out.

I've encountered many interesting people on public transport. Only yesterday there was a guy picking his nose in full view of everyone and then wiping his fingers on the seat beside him.

What a character!

If you're not agreeing about hating the bus, then there's a chance you could be one of the reasons people hate the bus!

MagicMarker

Biscuits16 wrote: »

You know the bus stop is not heated right?

But I'd time my approach to the bus stop to coincide with the very minute the bus arrives, every. single. time.

44leto

Could you cycle sometimes, you get to enjoy it.
But not in this weather. I just got a used car and I had economy absolutely in mind.
My ins 400 a year
Tax 104 a year
Juice, don't know yet but its meant to unbelievably good and with power.
A diesel so it wont break as much and it will last.

Tesco Massacre

C-Shore wrote: »

If you're not agreeing about hating the bus, then there's a chance you could be one of the reasons people hate the bus!

Hadn't thought of it like that.

Biscuits16

MagicMarker wrote: »

But I'd time my approach to the bus stop to coincide with the very minute the bus arrives, every. single. time.

You have so much to learn

Wertz

To be fair that cycle sounds do-able... I wasn't sure if it was a town to town bus journey.
On with the headphones and wet gear if you want to save the cash...feck the bus.

Tonyandthewhale

MagicMarker wrote: »

While the bus journey to ridiculously long, it's going from South Dublin to Dublin 4, but it's going ****ing EVERYWHERE in between!!

I do have a bike, it would probably take an hour to cycle, but I'm lazy, unfit and it's cold outside.

EDIT: Plus I don't have access to a shower.

So it's:
A) A minimum 90 minutrs round trip in a car, costing you hundreds if not thousands a year, subjecting you to stress and road rage and possibly contributing to a sedentary life-style that could possible kill you.
3 hours or so round trip on a bus, full of commoners and sneezing and waiting at bus stops and finding exact change and more commoners and timetables.
C) A maximum 2 hour cycle (which will probably decrease the more you do it and the faster you get). The cheapest option and the least stressful and although it takes slighlty longer than the car (provided there aren't any unexpected hold-ups), cycling to work will ad several years to your life so you're not actually losing any time on balance. Also, if you're going from south dublin into D4 there's probably a downhill trend to the route so you should be able to get in without getting too sweaty.
You'd be mad not to. You could save thousands of euro a year, live longer and due to the increased exercise you're likely to be happier, less stressed and more productive as well as fitter. Complete no brainer.

biko

Bike it.

ha ha hello

My walk to college takes about 35 - 40 minutes but I find it's a good time to clear my head and incorporate a bit of 'exercise' into my day, as well as save 10-15 euro a week on the bus. I also don't waste time standing around waiting for the bus. When the weather is really bad, like this morning, I fork out for it though. I'm not sure if I'd be up for a 40 - 50 minute cycle in and back every day though, that would feel very daunting to me, 5 days a week!

How many hours a night do you sleep? You could gradually learn to carve half an hour from your sleep requirement?

RachaelVO

MagicMarker wrote: »

While the bus journey to ridiculously long, it's going from South Dublin to Dublin 4, but it's going ****ing EVERYWHERE in between!!

I do have a bike, it would probably take an hour to cycle, but I'm lazy, unfit and it's cold outside.

EDIT: Plus I don't have access to a shower.

I think I know the bus route, especially if its going from south Dublin, that route is a mother fcuking nightmare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Goes all around the world to go in a straight line!

Is that bus your only option? Is there no option to get to a DART station? I know D4 is huge and it can be quiet a walk from any of the D4 stations.

I think you're bat sh1t mental to think that 80e is enough of a saving to sacrifice your sanity!

JuliusCaesar

You could use the commuting time on the bus productively, by reading etc. I mostly read on my journeys. The occasional time I forget to bring a book is quite interestingly taken up by observation of the people and events around me.

Cycling and walking is great for clearing the head and blowing the cobwebs off. Weather is an attitude. I got soaked today, but that doesn't happen often and I had a spare pair of shoes at work anyway that I could change into while everything else was festooned to dry.

Driving is my least favourite. Mainly because what the hell am I going to do with the car when I get there. Parking is €3ph.

It's all to do with mental attitude.

TheZohanS

Get a scooter/motorbike. Best of both worlds.

Senna

If i had those choices, and just moving isn't an option, i'd buy a scooter. Taking your life in your hands, but i'd take the risk rather than spending an hour in traffic.

Latchy

Privacy and ' I vont to be alone ' issues aside ,the Irish public transport system come in for so much criticism on so many threads on boards.ie , it must be dire . Of course driving in one's own car to get from A to B is a pleasure and far better than sharing a bus with 40 odd other people as long as your getting to destination in good time but it's mainly in Ireland that you see how much public transport is despised and for all the right reasons to I know , just not so much in other european citys .

wandatowell

2hr+ commute in the evenings, nasty but you could........


get a toning machine to work your abs while working your way through 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die on you brand new android tablet you can afford from the savings on your car tax.


Considering if you watched 5 movies a week on the bus it will take you around 5 years to watch 'em all and you'll have rock hard abs.


DO EEEEEEET!!!!!!