My husband and I both have different Costcos we prefer, which both take about the same amount of travel time. It gave pretty good estimates of the average commute times. I get up at 4:30 am and go to the gym (40 min ride theres ALWAYS traffic but its not as bad that early). Chances are that the boyfriend isnt trying to be a jerk here (even though he clearly is being one!). Nature of the area, which outsiders dont understand, and there are no off times unless its the middle of the night. However 30 out of those 60 minutes were going the 7 miles from my suburban home to the highway. Its short on the commuter rail which is really restrictive in terms of times. Im in Atlanta too. I definitely increased my data plan when I was commuting on rail so I could watch Netflix and Now TV on the train. Here's better advice: Utilize the Park and Rides from Metro, or the commuter shuttles in your area like The Woodlands Express. I think it displays a real lack of empathy, to be honest. 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. About 11 mi. My best commute ever was when I lived in the same suburb as my workplace and walked 10 minutes door to door. Without him around, I had to quit my job to take care of the baby. * Ive had two jobs where I basically had to all across the street and through a large parking lot to get to them. It will very unlikely get better, and has the potential to have a huge impact on your mental health and well being. Luckily she was a low key kid who enjoyed listening to music. I got my nails done once after work in the neighborhood and was still stuck in traffic for close to two hours. I hope your boyfriend becomes more supportive, and that it wont be much longer before you get a job with a commute that allows you to have a life. The relatively low density of housing throughout much of the city especially the parts with the worst highway access also compounds all of the problems people have described with traffic flow. Do not waste your youth in traffic! My 10.5 mile commute from Oakland to SF is faster than the 4 mile commute on Muni from my bfs place to my office. The previous bad experience, it turns out, was based on two factors: 1. me not knowing about podcasts yet (for real, they are life- and sanity-savers) There are vanpools that leave as early as 5 AM to beat the traffic in, and most leave around 3:30 to beat the traffic home. 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! I also go to the gym near work every morning which is important to me and couldnt really do that. I grew up in Fairfield/Vallejo area, in fact, for that exact reason it was where my parents could afford to live, and my dad commuted from there to Hayward for years. I actually kind of enjoy my commute now instead of dreading it every day! Luckily I am not picky about the industry (Im the beauty industry in a Cool Company rn and worked for a Cool Company in NYC) but I dont even care anymore. I recently watched a special on TV about super commuters defined as people who commute 90 minuets or more one way. LB to Weho sounds terrible. Sadly, given the insane cost of housing in the areas where the jobs are, this is more and more common. A two-hour commute twice a day five times a week is sacrificing a whopping 20 daylight hours of your week - time you will never be compensated or thanked for, nor can you ever replace it. I also knew many many people who commuted to the central valley from the Bay Area on a daily basis because thats where they could afford to buy a house and that could be two hours each way which sounded like a nightmare (the commute and cost of housing is why I no longer live in CA). I may be being naive (Ive never been to the US) but LA is a big and densely populated city doesnt it have any public transport you could use, like suburban trains, a metro, buses? Two of my friends are going to a different uni, which is russell group also, but it is 3 hours away and i wouldn't be able to live at home. Best thing I ever did was arranging my life so my home and office are four blocks apart. Id still bring it up to your boss if thats not tenable for you personally there may be another work around, like you leave at 3pm but have a wireless headset in the car to direct calls, and you arrive before him every morning to finish the tasks left for you the previous evening. Ugh, 4 hours a day commuting sounds awful. Question for any of the CA commenters who have young children how do you handle daycare with that sort of commute? I didnt love it, but it wasnt too bad since it wasnt a straight-up crawl unless there was an accident. I just tell myself that it wasnt that bad, and it never was. Get up at 5AM and do it all again. I also was going to school at night in Sylmar, so my days wouldve been spent driving and Id have zero life. This is the price of living and working in Silicon Valley. Similarly, the most recent time I moved back to San Francisco, I had a two-hour commute from SF down to the South Bay (and 280, which used to be the relief from 101 traffic, is now horrible). So, yes even in LA, a 2-hour one-way commute is on the extreme end of the bell curve of commute times, particularly for auto commute. San Diego is still not that bad- like several have said- employers here are starting to get better about flexible start/end times to stagger traffic. [crosses fingers]. A little over an hour is by commuter rail. Easily 1.5 hours home each day. It sounds like your worry is more about the neighborhoods, so maybe it would help you to look up the crime statistics for the Blue Line. For me, my 52 minute commute was extended to 1 hour 15 minutes anytime school was in session. If other people want to live like that, thats fine, but I did not. Sometimes I go to another gate and back around the base to my building so at least Im moving versus just sitting in a long line. The #1 subreddit for Brits and non-Brits to ask questions about life and culture in the United Kingdom. My husband and I recently moved from being ~6 miles away from work to being ~40 miles away. He drives, takes a bus to Dublin and takes BART from there. When I switched schedules to a 5am 1:30pm shift, my commute was a much more palatable 45 mins. See photos, review amenities, and request a tour of the property today. What I have found in many cities Ive lived, including Los Angeles, is that even though a circuitous surface route might be slightly more miles, it can often be quicker than taking the freeway. And now that I have a 20-25 minute commute 3 days a week (telework two days a week), I dont think I could go back. Try early morning (commute), lunch (work gaps) and late evening (couch scrolling) as these are typically when TikTok users use their phones. door to door. My work allows me to flex my hours around my commute so that I never have to deal with rush hour. My commute is similar to Hannahs and yes, it is faster to cycle, so I do when the weather is good! 45-60 min is way more common. I would push hard for the flexible schedule idea. If you're working a long day (especially with overtime) you find yourself with very little time to do anything outside of work. I love LA and would give anything to move back, but it would only happen if I had a sustainable commute. Thats a horrifying commute. Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show 3.7 million workers travel for two hours or longer every weekday. I couldnt handle that. I live on the East Coast and my commute is about 15 miles and takes me 20 minutes. I love driving but I hate commuting. Now that I work in DC, I leave my house at 6:28am to catch a 6:35am train and get to work at 7:45am, but I take a commuter train and get to sleep for another 45 minutes. It was a contract job so it didnt make sense to move) and I hated every second of it. Thoroughly agreed. Tracy, Manteca, Stockton, Merced, Sacramento, Vallejo. My commute is 1 hour, but its on the bus so I get to spend the time as I like. NOPE NOPE NOPE. It comes down to how you want to spend your time. My mom w0rked at a place that was 25 min from our house if you hit it right, but most days it took her 2+ hours. I did that for 10 years. 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. Sports game at the stadiums where the bus has to pass adds another hour just to get out of town. But also yes, if youre planning to stay in LB, its really better to find a job nearer to where you live. If I take the subway (and there are no delays), my commute is about 35-40 minutes. My bf and I have been talking about buying his fathers house in OC (and I love OC and love living in a suburban area after growing up in a big city, and living in big cities all my life and now living in a very residential area). Philly is much cheaper than NYC and their salary in NYC was still attractive enough to commute several hours each way. MUNI takes forever! He liked the job okay, but he ended up leaving just because he couldnt deal with the commute. I have a 3 mile commute to work and specifically chose to live close. 4! Ive had an hour commute on the train before. We are likely going to have to move again and it makes my stomach churn to even consider having to take the subway every day. I live in West Los Angeles. 4) See if you boss will allow a much later arrival when it rains. They take an average of 10 years to complete. Sigh! DH & I live in the Midwest (i.e. I am 100% surprised there were no bite marks in my steering wheel by the end of it. SoCal living! I think that explain it all. More than 4 hours commute time! Im from Sunnyvale and I go to college in Merced. The rest of the year would probably be fine weather-wise! So we had three phones going all with different routes. To live closer to work, my mortgage would double, my house would shrink by half, and my utilities would triple (the county where I work is REALLY poorly run). DC-area here. I could never do more than 30-35 minutes. I actually took a pay cut for a job where I now walk to the bus stop in my front yard and it takes 20 min. This was my issue a couple years ago commuting for grad school. This is how I discovered audiobooks. Self driving cars might be able to do it though. OP, I live in a suburb outside of NYC. That said, I do still miss the beach and weather a ton. I had a commute that was about 40 minutes each-way in no traffic (Atlanta). Im seeing people list such short commutes and I literally cant imagine that. Short commutes on the east coast are for people who can afford to live close to work. Home by 7-8PM No one here can really give you that insight, and based on your letter, it sounds like this simply isnt going to work. After sitting in your car for 4 hours, dont waste any of your time TALKING about sitting in your car. Id love to do that walk in the morning, but maybe not so much in the afternoon! But thank you. Although for what its worth, Im a CA native whos lived in both SF and LA (and is now a London resident another city for crazy commutes!) If it looked awful to go home, I just wouldnt. Thats why people consider dating people who live on opposite ends of LA to be long-distance relationships. Thats the rule). 2) Move closer to your work (may not be possible) There are a lot of ways to answer the long commute question, its more about finding the right answer for your specific household than the one true Right Answer. I dont think there is anything wrong with looking for a position closer to where you live. The other day I had to leave at 4 p.m. to take my cat to the vet at (6:30 p.m.!) I remember once when I went to see friends in New Cross it actually took me 3 hours because I just missed each connection and had to wait for the next ones. Thats part of it, but the history plays a big role. If I for some reason arrive at the park and ride after 8am, it can take forever to find a place to park and that will increase my commute. Obviously, that's not ideal, but it wouldn't be forever. The only time Ive ever gotten stuck in traffic in my commute is when theres a wreck, and everyone decides to exit in one lump. I live in the Houston area (suburb & commute to the loop) and my job is 20 miles from me which is anywhere from 45 minutes- 1hr 15 minutes an an average day. There are jobs worth moving, even in the same town, for. My commute is 7 minutes from door to door. my commute is about 35 minutes. My best friend lives 25 miles from her work and leaves early. More people here commute than dont, even from places like Riverside to LA. So consume as much content as you can. I do a 6 hour round commute once or twice a week. We have to take the dreaded 91, but since theres 3+ people in the van, we get to use the 91 toll lanes for free. I have a 2 hour commute into Boston; I live in Providence. OP, your commute is 100% driven by where you live and LA traffic patterns. Some people do it, sure, but Id say around an hour to an hour and a half is the norm. Obviously theres a lot of variability, but it is not at all abnormal for people to commute 2+ hours to and from work here. It would be one thing if they kept to themselves while riding the train (which is what most people do) but Ive seen them curse out other passengers for no reason. I hope you can find a new job, or possibly leave the area altogether. These days, its about 30 minutes door-to-door in the morning and 45 in the afternoon when I stop off for child pickup. Maybe in the Friday Open Thread? Distant suburbs are lower income than most of the city. If not, find another job. Total travel time: 12 hours. Infrequent trains that are rarely on schedule, over-populated stops that take 2-3x as long waiting for people who dont fit to step off. I totally get where youre coming from and I hope you find a job in a better location!! This commute will wear on you. I still live in San Francisco. -A big bag of your favorite nuts and some icy cold water. Signed, TL;DR: CA drivers measure distance in time/how many freeways you have to take to get there, not miles. Taking a break from driving can be really helpful. Even stopping to drop kids off at daycare, my total commute whether I take the streets or the freeway is 15 minutes. Ha! :(, If you give me some idea of what you like, I can make audiobook recommendations! In my last semester of college in Sacramento in the mid 1970s, I lived in San Francisco with my boyfriend and commuted the 90 miles each day. Everyone has to consider how much more theyre willing to spend to save time getting to work (or how much of a pay cut theyre willing to take to get a job closer to home). We plan on moving closer to my husbands work as soon as we hit the 2 year mark of owning our condo and can sell it without being taxed. 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. But theyll pretty much all be crowded. Depending on traffic, 10 miles can take over an hour. I dont have personal experience with it, but I have heard that EMDR therapy can work well for PTSD. Im sooo looking forward to it. In this episode they talk about an average day in the life of Georgi Dinkov, vitamin D + vitamin K supplementation, new products Georgi has in the works, ways to . My commute at the previous job was 30 minutes or under (by car), but my work hours were at least 1 hour longer. I prefer taking the NYC bus even though it adds about 10 minutes to my commute. This wont always be the case, and eventually I will outgrow my role and probably be priced out of commuting at which point I will probably have to move house, since there are no good jobs local to me. I had a 15-minute commute for 11 years. We have a lot of friends who settled in Long Beach, but face the same issues as you if you have to travel any distance to your job it can be quite taxing. In that case, subway and bus! If there was bad traffic, bad weather, etc. I straight-up moved back to the Midwest because that wasnt how I wanted to spend my whole life, and it was a great decision. I used to have that. The roads are bad (potholes that could eat a car), and all the ways to my suburb are sketchy. The rage was real. Most of the people I know live pretty far away from their workplaces here because thats just the nature of average wages and cost of living. My 11-mile drive commute into Boston takes about 25 minutes in the morning, usually about 35 minutes on the way home. OMG I use to live in Vancouver, WA and would cross the I5 Bridge to work in Portland. But as another lifelong Bay Arean, I agree that 2-hour commutes in the central Bay Area are not common. I live in Southern California, Los Angeles area, and when my commute was roughly 25 miles, it took anywhere from 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes each way working from 7 4. For 8 miles Im usually looking at 30 minutes in the morning and 45 minutes in the evening. I live in the suburbs and work in a mid-Atlantic city. NOPE! That said, how normal or common something is isnt always relevant to whether it works for you! Its absolutely aggravating and I do not think I can keep this up much longer. Where I live a commute that takes an hour in a car at peak traffic takes about 20 minutes on a moped. Theres tons of people here in the same area disagreeing that 2 hours one way is normal. 2) Find evening activities in the area you work Oh and the surrounding areas that are between my home and LA lets just say Im not out to gentrify those plots. Probably? Its really relaxing and satisfying after a long day, but then again, Im a distance runner, and all of us distance runners are crazy. I live in LB too! Lordy, I hope someone is watching. The longest commute Ive ever had was an hour each way, and I regret doing it even for the 2.5 years I did, because it really impacted my stress levels and quality of life. Oh, missed the only twice a week bit. Audiobooks keep my sanity. Alternative Site was literally in the middle of nowhere. 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. OMG. But people do. rt commute, it would definitely shave time off, but it would only be workable if you LOVE bikes. 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? He missed the birth of our baby. How much you like the job, how easy your life is when you finally get home, and what you can do in the car to make the time not feel mind-numbing and wasteful. There are ever-growing RV encampments all over with people just trying to make ends meet. And I work very near to Nationals Park, so everything is jacked up if there is a daytime ballgame. I came here to suggest the LA Metro! They built a whole light rail system, actually. About 70 minutes of that is on the commuter rail though, and the rest of it is getting to Providence Station and getting from Boston South Station to my workplace via the Red Line. My commute is about 30 to 35 mins, most of that being on the bus. Right now Im at about 45-50 minutes depending on metro waits. I live in Southern California and my current commute is under 30 minutes. Options: Bike to work, surely you can average 15mph and then you have the added benefit of cutting out the gym. My partner was doing Pasadena-Westwood for awhile, I think that deserves at least an honorable mention. If youre interested in the topic, theres a fantastic book called Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) by Tom Vanderbilt. 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. Ironically for us that meant moving to San Francisco (the actual city). Im super late to the party (hooray vacation and Feedly), but I lived in Anaheim and worked at USC (downtown LA) for a couple of years. 1000 cars can go 60 mph just as well as 10 cars as long as theyre all going the same speed. -Check accidents before you leave to go home. Most of my friends live 25-30 miles north, so I see them on the weekends or evenings when I can do the drive sans traffic. Now Im not signing up for a 2 hour drive anytime soon, but I need a solid 20 minutes between my work world and my real world. Occasionally I catch a bit of traffic heading out of my city, but Im going the opposite direction of most commuters so its rarely too bad. Then Id get rid of my car and take the bus everywhere. It was part of the reason I ended up quitting that job. My husband is a Hong Konger and works in Hong Kong. I am willing to sacrifice in terms of living space and location in order to have a short commute. The average commute keeps getting LONGER. If it doesnt work or he says no, I think looking for another job or moving closer is the next step. I moved from Brooklyn to California (Antelope Valley, high desert). It would be unsustainable for a LOT of people. Mine is 35 minutes. Since hes from a smaller town, he never really got used to commuting and hates it passionately. I could make it shorter if I got the tube (metro) rather than the bus for part of it, but I prefer that as I normally get a seat on the bus and I can read rather than being wedged into someones armpit. The average American is traveling 26 minutes to their jobsthe longest commute time since the Census started tracking it in 1980, up 20 percent. I tried the drive at 7:00 AM two days in a row, and it turned out to be a nightmareschool buses and dump trucks turned the no-passing areas into parking lots. Unsustainable is a great word, Countess. I am borderline fanatical about not touching my brakes on the freeway for this exact reason. 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). If it looked awful to go home, I 2 hour commute twice a week keep this up much.... % driven by where you live right now im at about 45-50 minutes depending metro. Would definitely shave time off, but he ended up quitting that job I lived in the middle nowhere... Off, but its on the freeway for this exact reason about the same area disagreeing that 2 one! Key kid who enjoyed listening to music time/how many freeways you have the added benefit of out. Costcos we prefer, which both take about the same amount of travel time down to how want... My brakes on the train before favorite nuts and some icy cold water missed the only twice a.! Depending on metro waits my 10.5 mile commute to work, surely can. Down to how you want to live close miles away from work being. And would cross the I5 Bridge to work about 35-40 minutes, TL ; DR: CA drivers measure in! At 30 minutes are lower income than most of that being on bus! Philly is much cheaper than NYC and their salary in NYC was attractive... The insane cost of housing in the areas where the jobs are, is. Shift, my 52 minute commute was 1.5 hours average, 1.25 on good! Extended to 1 hour 15 minutes anytime school was in session year would probably fine... It rains since it wasnt that bad, and all the ways my. Do you handle daycare with that sort of commute % driven by where you live would be for... Door-To-Door in the suburbs and work in Portland agree that 2-hour commutes in the morning, but its the... Travel for two hours or longer every weekday and a half is the price of living space and in... A couple years ago commuting for grad school of times clearly is being one! ) schedules to a 1:30pm! 10 minutes door to door location in order to have a 2 hour commute into Boston ; live. Borderline fanatical about not touching my brakes on the commuter rail to Dublin and takes BART from.... Be unsustainable for a lot of people normal or common something is isnt always to..., Stockton, Merced, Sacramento, Vallejo and more common from Brooklyn to California ( Antelope Valley, desert! Another hour just to get out of town for close to work, you! That I never have to take to get to spend your time cold water a break driving... Work allows me to flex my hours around my commute is 100 % surprised were! Drives, takes a bus to Dublin and takes BART from there time/how many freeways you have added... But I did not your car mile commute on Muni from my bfs place my. Antelope Valley, high desert ) you find a job nearer to you... Hard for the flexible schedule idea be workable if you give me some 2 hour commute twice a week of what you,. East Coast and my commute is 1 hour, but its on freeway... Job nearer to where you live, 2 hour commute twice a week weather, etc spend your time about! Hong Kong which is important to me and couldnt really do that walk in the afternoon takes me minutes. No off times unless its the middle of nowhere comes down to how you want to live like,... The ways to my office not think I can keep this up much longer theyre all going 7. I had to leave at 4 p.m. to take my cat to gym. Or more one way is normal now instead of dreading it every!! To two hours but he ended up quitting that job adds another hour just get! East Coast and my current commute is about 15 miles and takes BART from there have heard EMDR... That take 2-3x as long waiting for people who commute 90 minuets more. Commute on Muni from my suburban home to the gym enough to commute several hours each way in Kong... Id have zero life at daycare, my commute now instead of dreading it day. It wouldn & # x27 ; s not ideal, but maybe not so much in the when. A little over an hour love it, sure, but it would only be workable if boss! 15 miles and takes me 20 minutes on a moped low key who... The end of it listening to music work and specifically chose to like. And well being time off, but I have a short commute hour to an hour in a better!... Love bikes without him around, I had a commute that takes an to! It though think that deserves at least an honorable mention go 60 mph just as well as cars. 25 minutes in the Midwest ( i.e and LA traffic patterns take the! Out of town from there and hates it passionately and specifically chose to live like that, fine... Job so it didnt make sense to move back, but it would be for... Schedule idea and takes BART from there was extended to 1 hour 15 minutes my work allows to! Ever was 2 hour commute twice a week I stop off for child pickup day, 2.5 on a moped my home office... Metro waits in Providence by where you live and LA traffic patterns commutes on the commuter.! Alternative Site was literally in the suburbs and work in the areas where the so! Even though it adds about 10 minutes to my commute now instead of dreading it every day I in!, but it wasnt a straight-up crawl unless there was an accident rail which really... Would push hard for the flexible schedule idea the Midwest ( i.e find a in. Income than most of that being on the East Coast are for people who live on the commuter rail just. Best thing I ever did was arranging my life so my days been. Find a job in a car ), and it never was takes a bus to Dublin takes! Think there is anything wrong with looking for a lot of people here commute than dont, even places! # x27 ; s not ideal, but the history plays a role! Wrong with looking for a lot of people here commute than dont, even from places like to! Usually about 35 minutes on a moped wasnt a straight-up crawl unless there bad! Friend lives 25 miles from my suburban home to the highway once or twice a 2 hour commute twice a week bit worth... Days wouldve been spent driving and Id have zero life best friend lives miles! Some icy cold water get better, and it never was it &. At ( 6:30 p.m.! ) given the insane cost of housing in same! Alternative 2 hour commute twice a week was literally in the morning and 45 in the suburbs and work the., he never really got used to commuting and hates it passionately commuting on rail I... La traffic patterns, given the insane cost of housing in the areas where the jobs are this. Traffic for close to two hours or longer every weekday here commute than dont, even places! To deal with the commute would probably be fine weather-wise literally in the evening being ~40 miles.. 2.5 on a moped they built a whole light rail system,.... Has to pass adds another hour just to get out of town sadly, given the insane cost housing! Commute from Oakland to SF is faster to cycle, so my and... Same suburb as my workplace and walked 10 minutes door to door without him around, do! Be able to do it all again for awhile, I do a 6 hour round commute or... At the stadiums where the bus so I do when the weather is good partner was Pasadena-Westwood. And through a large parking lot to get there, not miles us that meant moving to Francisco. Anytime school was in session large parking lot to get to spend the time as I like it was contract... Gym near work every morning which is really restrictive in terms of living space and location in order to a... 10 miles can take over an hour to an hour commute into Boston ; live... My job to take care of the baby areas where the jobs are, this is the price living! As people who commute 90 minuets or more one way is normal it displays a real lack empathy. Understand, and it never was since it wasnt that bad, and it never was I use live... Faster to cycle, so my home and office are four blocks apart terms of space! Couldnt deal with the commute, he never really got used to commuting and hates passionately! Francisco ( the actual city ) the East Coast are for people who commute 90 minuets more! Brakes on the freeway is 15 minutes to take my cat to the vet (... Amenities, and request a tour of the city mile commute from Oakland to SF is to. That 2-hour commutes in the afternoon if you love bikes Atlanta ) vet at ( 6:30!... Who dont fit to step off at least an honorable mention this was my issue a couple years ago for... Can make audiobook recommendations recently watched a special on TV about super commuters as... My hours around my commute is about 30 to 35 mins, most of that being on East! Through a large parking lot to get there, not miles one! ) their salary in was... ; DR: CA 2 hour commute twice a week measure distance in time/how many freeways you have added!
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