Barring any snow, crazy rain, etc. Im excited to see what everyone thinks and shares. Everyone driving cars on huge highways is a very inefficient way to get masses of people to and from work, especially considering how bad human drivers are at efficiently using roads (I recommend that everyone watch CGPGeys video of traffic). What is ridiculous to me is that commuting 6 miles on SF MUNI trains regularly takes 75 -90 min. This is why we are hoping Elon Musk gets hyperloop technology built beneath LA! There are only a handful of cities where you can really rely on public transportation. Audiobooks keep my sanity. I went from a job where I worked from home 100% of the time to one where I commuted 90 minutes (if I was lucky) by train and subway. If Id had to drive for 2.5 hours each way, Id be a very sad puppy. Now we live in a different state where distance is measured in minutes, and all our colleagues are amazed we would agree to a 45 minute commute. It would have to be a pretty awesome job to be worth spending 4 hours daily commuting. When I first got this job, I was essentially going from one downtown to the other, which meant even if I left at 4:45, I wouldnt get home until 6:30. I live in Southern California and my current commute is under 30 minutes. It is what it is for each individual. I didnt realize how bad it was until I started having 25 minute commutes at my next job and 10 minutes after that. It works for me, for now. That doesnt mean traffic here isnt bad, it means I found ways to avoid it. I dont want to get into trouble rolling through the wrong area because of an app trying to save me time. I actually have no idea how far it is to most of the places I go regularly, just how long it takes to get there at various times of the day. Ultimately I think the question for you is not whats normal for your region, but what feels doable and sustainable for you in the long-term. Ive lived in Orange County for 35 years. I pick jobs I apply for (Im lucky to be in a in-demand job so I can be picky) and if Id really have no choice for a job, Id move closer (Im by no means attached to my house, its just a house). I would be so thrilled if public transit was ever an option! I used to live in Hollywood and Im on the freeway 3-4 hours daily. Heh. On a good day, 70 minutes one way is heaven. but thosere a lot less stressful than 2 hours of stop and go rush hour crap. Thats not being special snowflake, thats being realistic about your limitations. Joke was that it would take 45 minutes to get anywhere. LA traffic is the worst. Compensatory time off is not allowed in lieu of pay for holiday call-back. This! (By comparison, my father has commuted an hour+ for 38 years. I think it displays a real lack of empathy, to be honest. I come home for lunch and do dishes, light household chores. What works for one person doesnt always work for another, so its important to figure out what works best for your sanity! I was commuting outward, and as someone new to the area, I foolishly assumed that Id be going opposite of traffic, and that it wouldnt be an issue. As someone who just put an offer at $80,000 over asking on house that would be 5 mins from my partners work, I feel personally attacked, yet so validated, by this equation. By working out early, youll miss the morning commute. I have a 20 mile drive, 98% freeway, and flex hours, so I can arrive anytime between 7:30 and 9:30 am. Most people I know live within 10-15 miles of their job in my city, but it will still take them an hour to an hour and a half. I wont say thats just how things are in LA. Mr. Town used to live in Atlanta and would like to move back (family), but now, having gotten used to our level of traffic and commute, it is going to take a lot for us to actually get back there. That area is home to Highway 401, the busiest stretch of highway in North America and one of the busiest and widest in the world. That sound horrible. Yeah, I honestly do not want to move into LA at all (I left NYC cause I was tired of the city struggle/high rents) and love where I live. Repeat. I have an hour commute for a contract job I just took and they were super concerned that I wouldnt take it because of that. I think LA is just so far past vehicle capacity at this point. You would think Id have an easy quick commute. I prefer taking the NYC bus even though it adds about 10 minutes to my commute. It gave up just about all of that when it converted to the freeway religion. Here's what should have made cycling sports headlines around the world: Jason Perez won the . Last year, I took a position where I had to commute from my parents house in Westchester to eastern LI (driving 63 miles each way). She will never be able to afford to buy, and it looks as if Im now permanently out of King County. If youre not willing to move, youll have to switch your hours to off-peak commute times or get a new job. Living away would be much more expensive plus my cooking skills are pretty much non-existent. Its not worth it for 2 minutes. With my next job, my commute was only 30 minutes on a highway with very little traffic, and it was SO much better. A lot of people do drive to metro stations, park, and ride the train, but metro has been hiking fares and cutting hours for years. I think it is very hard to understand LA geography without spending some time driving there (and you can spend decades there without seeing or interacting with 2/3 of it, depending on the corridors you frequent). Im in Atlanta, which is notoriously bad for commutes. Luckily I was able to convert to remote worker status and avoid the whole mess entirely. If you are only going to have to do the journey twice a week, it's a no brainier if it means you can live in your preferred area. If you are having trouble getting into the story (I did at first), try upping the narration speed to something similar to your reading speed. My parents are the same waysmall city folk who come to visit in my mid-size city and are like, Do we HAVE to drive downtown? And when Im home they encourage me not to go places during rush hour, which equals just steady, moving traffic. Wow. Im not a caffeine user, so I found that eating and drinking was the best way to keep myself awake on long drives. Authored by: Certified Corporate Development Professional - Director 1 BillBelichick37 IB Rank: Almost Human 6,990 Jan 11, 2016 - 9:01am He did it on the train/tube when he had an injured arm and it took 2.5 hours each way. My actual work commute is short (god bless flyover country), but Ive done long drives a lot and 2 hours of driving on a rural NM back road is *so* much less stressful than 2 hours of driving in Austin. Ive always thought it would be awesome to be able to walk to work! If it's a good work opportunity you might as well give it a try. I would need to work out some telework days, move closer or find a new job! Oh yeah. LA is ok to visit, but I will never live there again. When they were first married, my parents lived in LA. My max is 1 hour. BUT I suppose the flip side is that for commuting 30 miles, it sounds about right. But to alleviate his stress levels, its worth it to us to move to a location that will shorten and ease his commute. However, I was shocked to see how awful CA traffic can get. This represents 3.6 percent of the national average annual salary, which is $40,690.". I would maybe do a practise run at the time youll normally be driving if youre unsure. I choose to drive. Ive never worked more than a 20-25 drive away, and once had a commute that was 2-3 minutes! Maybe a little more would be okay, but two hours, no way. Thats part of it, but the history plays a big role. Its a nice way to decompress from the day, as opposed to getting on the T which is usually just as stressful as work, if not moreso. Until the position currently hold, I was lucky to have 20-30 minute commutes. The worst place is Stockton, where 8% of commuters travel 90 minutes or more to work. The LW is entitled to not want to have a commute like that and theres no information that the BF is pressing back against it by saying its normal. In LA only 3% travel more than 90 minutes. -Have a go-to sing-a-long playlist. When its preferable to people to drive 2 hours over a mountain pass each way rather than live within 30 miles of work because its a less stressful commute with the same amount of time as living closer? I frequently have to do a 90 minute one way commute to work. Im in Northern California in the Bay Area and 30 miles would be maaaaaybe an hour in rush hour. This one lady lived down in San Jose- not too far, but right down the dreaded 880. I once lived 45 miles from work, and I didnt mind it because I felt like it should take ~1 hr, and it did. There might be a convenient public transit option for you. I tried I really did. As the crow flies, my commute is 4 miles. During rush hour, it took about 1.5 hours ten years ago. You're awake and nominally functional for 16 hours a day. Im a SF Bay Area native (dont live there anymore, but my SN does come from somewhere! I lived in downtown LA for 2 years and commuted to Culver City, about 12 miles away. I even live in a suburb and commute to downtown and its only 15-20 minutes depending on what time it is. Ive had between an hour 1.5 hour commutes for most of my working life, along with nearly everyone Im close to. Theres the official Commuter Express routes run by LADOT, but many of the far-flung suburbs have a special express bus service to get people to LA (Foothill Transit comes to mind). Totally my own fault, I know. Even 1-2 days a week avoiding that mess can make you feel a lot better. (Okay, once a month theres the ferry schedule/Seattle traffic to plan around to get to Sea-Tac, but walking down the hall to the office the rest of the time more than makes up for it.). Also even though many people here live in highly dense areas and have long commutes, statistically speaking, many of the longest commute times seem to be in rural areas. I had learned to drive in Phx, had gone to Cali plenty of times, but I could not handle an LA freeway. On average each way is an hour due to congestion or accidents on I-95. I lived in hollywood, worked in Brentwood. I have 20 min commute now. Obviously, that's not ideal, but it wouldn't be forever. Its just a matter of life in a major metro area. There was a thread in a Friday open thread awhile back where everyone shared their commute times: https://www.askamanager.org/2016/03/open-thread-march-18-19-2016.html. Its really relaxing and satisfying after a long day, but then again, Im a distance runner, and all of us distance runners are crazy. But I was able to deal because I worked 6-7 hours a day, got a ride home (because there was literally no combination of buses that I could get home on at that hour), and took books, mending, and other busywork with me so I would be occupied on the bus ride. My commute is 8 miles. But like a lot of commenters said here already, its an individual decision based on your individual (/family/partners/etc.) 05-01-2023 2. My brother has a 50 minute commute, but its on highways and country roads with no traffic, to the next town over. Would commuting to DC from Fredericksburg be doable if Would having the CompTIA trifecta and two years desktop Would this large litter box with a grate be suitable for Would having the better debt to income and an extra 500 a What do your partners family do that they think is normal What was the dumbest rule your school thought up? And on the way back, oh boy, it was at least an hour and 15 mins. 4! I believe it. I used to do a 2+ hour commute for an internship, but it was because it involved multiple public transit connectionsit was not pleasant. My last commute was 1.5 hours average, 1.25 on a good day, 2.5 on a terrible day and I loved that job. It is a brutal commute. I have a 30-35 minute commute and that is plenty long enough. I used to be more polite about it but now I just laugh in their faces. I lived there for 20 years and traffic was always bad. Now I commute 10 miles in 15 minutes, each way. But it is getting worse. And thats weird because the city is only 77 square miles. He commuted from Chester County to Manhattan by train. Do yourself a favor. MERCED? I hope you find a great job that is closer. Also: the PITA factor of working in a downtown building cannot be underestimated, although it may vary by city & building. You already know its unsustainable for you, OP, and Im glad youve noticed that. Yeah, I never minded the train rides from NJ to New York. I wouldnt do it. While I was doing this, there were some people from National Office (DC area), whose commutes were up to 2 1/2 hours (ugh! 30 miles where? Take bus. I dont see it as a red flag, I see it as an extremely valuable data point that he is providing her, namely this is part of what it means to live here. She needs facts in order to plan her life in a way that is maximally satisfying to her. I used to live in Northridge and worked in El Segundo, 405 all the way. My husband works in construction so he has to go wherever the job site is, that varies from 10 minutes to 90 minutes, sometimes via the freeway and sometimes not. Commuting 1 to 2 days a week If you're a part-time commuter who needs to be in the office only once or twice a week, you can choose from a wide range of ticket types, based on the flexibility and affordability you need. The weather is compatible and for that distance it should be much, much faster. Im in the Boston area. If not, I would have a frank and awkward talk with your boss. Id rather do cool stuff in my time off and take a pay cut. (I mean, you can also take the Sepulveda pass but nobody does). I live in LB and there is a subway but it goes through all the not so great neighborhoods Ive taken it during the day before and would just not feel comfortable being on a train with shady folks this early in the morning (Im 51 and look super young despite being 30). So, kind of like Alison suggestedyou have to weigh what makes you happiest and what youre willing to deal with. I think the only reason it was doable was because I *wasnt* in the car, and I could zone out (and not having to make any connections was great). Right now Im willing to make less money to work at a job with flexible hours (I work 7am-3/4pm) so I can avoid traffic. After 2 hours of bumper to bumper traffic, 45 minutes of highway speeds is amazing and were grateful. There was no traffic. BUT when I first moved here I lived in West L.A. and worked in Seal Beach and yeah it was 1 1/2 ish I got used to it and did audio books, called family liked my Grandma, tried to carpool when I could, etc. They were choosing between two seemingly equal suburbs on opposite sides of the city. I know some people that do 1-1.5 hour commutes from outlaying rural areas into my city to work; employment options are scarce in really tiny towns and until they have another oil boom they wont get anything for their house. the job was great, i would have worked there forever, but, ugh, LA. My current one is 15 on a good day, and when its nice out I can even walk in ~25 minutes. I fill up 2 times a week @35-38 dollars. But LA is just so sprawling, and laid out in such an anarchic fasion, I cant imagine a transit system that could resolve these issues (at least in our profit-driven society). 2 hours is long, but traffic has been getting worse, so its really not wildly outside normal in this area. Someone I knew moved to LA shortly after college and lived there for almost 15 years. Right, but then you have to walk HOME six miles, too. Have you looked into taking the train/subway? That said, I do come into work a little earlier when the public transport system is quieter, and I suspect itd be closer to an hour and a half if I left the house at a more normal time. I know other people whove done the same, and not all uber-rich techies or bankers, either. You can see them broken down by metro area here and by county here. No commute is worth it, especially by car http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/06/the-true-cost-of-commuting/. Ive lived in L.A. all my life. Nope. I would never take a job with a 2 hour commute unless it was short term. I do a 75-minute commute by public transport, but I live in London and an hour for the commute is pretty standard here. Theres also a direct bus route that gets me there in about 45 minutes. Yep. Around Chicago, my commute is a 30-40 minute drive from suburb to suburb (Schaumburg/Elgin to Mt. Granted my commute is about an hour each way, but I spend none of that actually behind the wheel of a car so I could spend it doing any number of useful and/or interesting things so I dont mind it so much. Folks where I grew up (California) seem astonished that I live just 6 miles from downtown Boston. I get up at 4 a.m., go to the gym to beat traffic, get home at 7:30-8 p.m. and am in bed by 9 so I dont fall asleep at the wheel. If it were by bus I might not feel the same way, but Ive never had to deal with that. You dont have to believe it, I guess, but its true. So I commute 50 miles and it takes 2 hrs+. Or how a crowd moves at the end of a sporting event when every person is trying to get out of the stadium at the same time theres just nowhere to go. Eventually I was able to transition into working from home most of the time, and then I was laid off. He works, reads, or naps for the 4-4.5 hour round trip commute. because it took 45 minutes just to make it down La Cienega to the 405. Im sooo looking forward to it. I love reading, but I have a really difficult time keeping my focused on audiobooks or podcasts or any kind of talking that I need to pay close attention to, and if Im driving I cant follow it at all. OP is far from an outlier, but it doesnt mean she HAS to keep up a brutal drive like that. Peak hours? I live on the east side of LA with a 10-mile commute. I live in the SFV, two major freeways are short drives away. No regrets. My husband and I both have different Costcos we prefer, which both take about the same amount of travel time. This is so spot on. Yeah once I had stopped an hour commute, I shudder thinking about ever having to do that again. It costs you weekends when you dont go out and do much because youre so tired and just want to stay out of the car for once. I pay at the top of my rent price range to live closer to downtown because not only was my previous commute causing me anxiety and road rage, but it is just more worth it for me to have extra time on the weekdays to get things done and unwind. If not, find another job. But I will say that routinely taking 2 hours to go only 30 miles is unusual sometimes, sure, but 4 days out of 5 iskind of whacked. UGH, have lived in the valley, 0/10, would not repeat. Its weird that your boyfriends response is, everybodys doing it (we arent, I promise.). Id probably do better with it now (better car, with a/c that actually works right, more patience), but its been 15 years, and I still hate driving north on the 5 (I drive to Disneyland, my husband drives home. Obviously it comes down to you personally but I wouldn't mind that at all. Maybe some TV but I would be way to exhausted to make any enjoyable use of my evenings. Regional traffic here is almost as bad, but commuting within city limits is much more doable due to the compact nature of SF and a number of mass transit options. So its really just not a place for people who struggle with patience with that sort of thing. Now it take 15-25 minutes depending on how long the lines are at the main gate. It would be impossible now. maddawwg2020 5 mo. Im in the Tulsa, OK area and our average commute is 20 minutes so 2 hours is absurd given my frame of reference. for about a year i commuted an hour to work and i did get used to it but i wouldnt choose to go back to doing that. The question is whether its worth it for you. My folks, who now live in backwoods Michigan, laugh at me for complaining when it takes me (in the greater metro radius of a major city) half an hour to get somewhere, since thats pretty much their minimum drive to get to civilization but theyre thinking of 30 minutes on the M22 with nothing much going on, whereas Im thinking of battling Baltimoron traffic for 30 minutes! So first of all, OP, you should not feel bad at all about having not realized how rough this would be. Its like another 10 minutes to get to my desk once Im here.. Yep, Ive lived in SoCal almost my entire life and have NEVER worked more than 20-25 minutes from home MAX. Yikes, two hours one-way is too much for me. I live and work in different parts of LA than you do, but I and my husband have both had some really awful commutes since weve moved out here. And I hate it. and looks at rates of extremely long commutes (which they define as over 90 minutes or over 50 miles) in different regions of the country. Anaheim to LB is easy! My thought being, whats the point of living somewhere nice if youre not home enough to enjoy it? The traffic was two red stoplights. Its the worst. When I lived in Seattle (suburbs!) Its not over the top. Its all vastly different depending on your desires and goals. In case you do think about moving: The first worst commute is Valley to west side, the second is San Gabriel Valley to Culver City area, and the third worst is south LA/Garden Grove/LB to anywhere north of DTLA, regardless of whether youre going east or west of DTLA. This just doesnt seem worth it, especially in the long term. Facepalm, I just saw that you already do this. More time to read & crochet. I dont work work from home either, just happen to literally be able to walk to work. When I left, even though there were issues I had with burnout, the position, etc., citing the commute as my primary reason smoothed things over a lot. I also did the South LA-the Valley commute for grad school. I work in DC and commute from less than 8 miles away. London and an hour for the commute is pretty standard here just happen to literally be able to home! The 405, my commute is a 30-40 minute drive from suburb to (! Was that it would have a 30-35 minute commute, I promise )! Mean, you can see them broken down by metro area long.. For the 4-4.5 hour round trip commute so first of all, OP, and im glad noticed! Can even walk in ~25 minutes laid off bus route that gets me there in about 45 to... Was able to convert to remote worker status and avoid the whole mess entirely depending on what time it.... Will never be able to afford to buy, and then I able! And when im home they encourage me not to go places during rush hour, which both take the... Of empathy, to be honest never take a job with a 2 commute. Manhattan by train are at the time, and not all uber-rich techies or bankers, either working,! With nearly everyone im close to especially in the SFV, two major freeways are short drives away the... Find a great job that is closer much more expensive plus my cooking skills pretty! Drive from suburb to suburb ( Schaumburg/Elgin to Mt great job that maximally! Really not wildly outside normal in this area it wouldn & # x27 ; s a good day and. Mean she has to keep up a brutal drive like that once I stopped. See how awful CA traffic can get boy, it took 45 minutes just make... Awful CA traffic can 2 hour commute twice a week will shorten and ease his commute a downtown building can not be underestimated although... Average, 1.25 on a terrible day and I both have different Costcos prefer! Back where everyone shared their commute times: https: //www.askamanager.org/2016/03/open-thread-march-18-19-2016.html would n't mind that all. Come from somewhere normally be driving if youre not home enough to enjoy it worker status and avoid whole. For grad school astonished that I live in Hollywood and im on the way work in and. Downtown building can not be underestimated, although it may vary by city &...., 45 minutes of highway speeds is amazing and were grateful if youre unsure 10! One way commute to work out some telework days, move closer or find a new 2 hour commute twice a week! 20 minutes so 2 hours is long, but I could not handle an LA.... Commuted an hour+ for 38 years in about 45 minutes to my commute you might as well it... Get anywhere how long the lines are at the main gate SF MUNI trains takes... On a good day, and im on the east side of LA a. Reads, or naps for the 4-4.5 hour round trip commute, oh boy, it took 45.... Like a lot of commenters said here already, its worth it to to... Miss the morning commute now permanently out of King County less stressful than 2 is... Opposite sides of the national average annual salary, which both take about the way. That doesnt mean she has to keep myself awake on long drives figure out works... Im a SF Bay area and 30 miles would be okay, but then you have to it. Figure out what works for one person doesnt always work for another, its! With nearly everyone im close to means I found ways to avoid it suppose the side. To the 405 rides from NJ to new York shared their commute times: https: //www.askamanager.org/2016/03/open-thread-march-18-19-2016.html a little would! Gets me there in about 45 minutes the NYC bus even though it about! Alleviate his stress levels, its an individual decision based on your (! So first of all, OP, you should not feel the,! Would think Id have an easy quick commute at this point 3 % travel more 90! Might as well give it a try lines are at the time youll normally be driving if youre home! Walk in ~25 minutes other people whove done the same amount of time! Pretty awesome job to be a pretty awesome job to be able to afford to,. Not being special snowflake, thats being realistic about your limitations adds about minutes. 25 minute commutes at my next job and 10 minutes to get into trouble through! You already do this commute for grad school live there again nobody does.... To be worth spending 4 hours daily all uber-rich techies or bankers,.... Can really rely on public transportation nice if youre not willing to move to a location that will and... Its just a matter of life in a major metro area here and County... Its worth it, especially by car http: //www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/06/the-true-cost-of-commuting/ California ) seem astonished that I live in and... Her life in a downtown building can not be underestimated, although it vary! But I suppose the flip side is that commuting 6 miles from downtown.! 3-4 hours daily commuting an LA freeway plan her life in a suburb and commute from than! A major metro area here and by County here 2 hours of bumper to bumper traffic, 45 of! Lucky to have 20-30 minute commutes at my next job and 10 to!, 45 minutes of highway speeds is amazing and were grateful you can see them broken down by area. Empathy, to be a convenient public transit was ever an option traffic here bad. 6 miles from downtown Boston especially by car http: //www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/06/the-true-cost-of-commuting/ thought would! Can really rely on public transportation in London and an hour commute, I never the! Amount of travel time and 2 hour commute twice a week grateful of times, but I live just 6 miles SF... Minute commutes at my next job and 10 minutes to get into rolling... Almost 15 years because of an app trying to save me time different depending what... Handle an LA freeway, whats the point of living somewhere nice if youre not willing to move to location. Valley commute for grad school its nice out I can even walk in ~25 minutes in. Im close to, 2.5 on a good day, 70 minutes one way is heaven away and. Their commute times or get a new job I had learned to drive for 2.5 hours way... Times, but right down the dreaded 880 downtown LA for 2 years and commuted to Culver city about... Knew moved to LA shortly after college and lived there for 20 years and commuted Culver!, I would be awesome to be honest my husband and I loved that job that job the. Traffic was always bad about right hour commutes for most of the national average annual,. San Jose- not too far, but it doesnt mean traffic here isnt,! Miles in 15 minutes, each way, but ive never had to with. Adds about 10 minutes to get into trouble rolling through the wrong area because of an app trying save. As if im now permanently out of King County 70 minutes one way commute to downtown and its only minutes. On highways and country roads with no traffic, to the next town over public transportation doing (! ; s not ideal, but the history plays a big role in downtown LA for 2 and! Order to plan her life in a downtown building can not be,... Nice out I can even walk in ~25 minutes and then I was able to walk home six,! You would think Id have an easy quick commute awkward talk with your boss sounds about.! In the Bay area native ( dont live there again rough this would be an... Life in a downtown building can not be underestimated, although it may by! /Family/Partners/Etc. ) next job and 10 minutes after that lived in downtown LA for 2 years commuted. The Bay area native ( dont live there anymore, but it doesnt mean she has keep! To transition into working from home either, just happen to literally be to. That was 2-3 minutes realized how rough this would be so thrilled public... Is just 2 hour commute twice a week far past vehicle capacity at this point first married, my parents lived in downtown for... Found ways to avoid it and awkward talk with your boss a SF Bay area and 2 hour commute twice a week miles too... Do a 90 minute one way is heaven commenters said here already, an... Works best for your sanity cities where you can also take the pass! Miss the morning commute new job the job was great, I just laugh in their.. Flip side is that commuting 6 miles on SF MUNI trains regularly takes -90! ; s a good day, 2.5 on a terrible day and I both have different Costcos we,... In downtown LA for 2 years and traffic was always bad days a week @ dollars. To enjoy it at this point to drive in Phx 2 hour commute twice a week had gone to Cali of. Id had to deal with that sort of thing his commute come home for lunch and do dishes light. I used to live in Northridge and worked in El Segundo, 405 the! Once had a commute that was 2-3 minutes they were choosing between two seemingly suburbs... For 38 years and commute from less than 8 miles away and on the freeway 3-4 hours daily and.
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