Do You Have The Best Commute In The World?
 

Gawd. I had to drive out to Hillsboro this afternoon to look at an engine at an auto wreckers. Wasn't too bad going out there. Coming back, traffic started getting thick and soon we were crawling, stop and go, accordion style, through the interchanges and over the river and all the way to my exit. It was hot, slow, frustrating, and unspeakably horrible. Well, maybe it was just regular "sucky traffic". But it was horrible to me, because I never see that stuff anymore.

I have the Best Commute In The World.

Indisputably.

Proof: In the morning, I get my bike from the garage, ride 3 miles in 9 minutes, on empty dark streets at 5:15 am, and lock up in the parking garage. In the afternoon, I ride to a pub, have a beer, stop by the grocery store, pick up dinner stuff, ride home and voila! that's my commute, and my basic cardio workout for the day, rolled into one. Okay, in the winter it is cold and raining when I do this, but with the rain gear nowadays, I could stand in the shower and not get wet (a bit damp, I can live with). And in the summer it can get pretty darn hot, but then I just stop by the locker room in the building and put on shorts and a T shirt for the ride home. I buy gas for my car maybe three times a year. Don't pay $250/mo for parking at the office. Never get road rage.

So, that's the challenge, guys. If you think that you have The Best Commute In The World, describe it and show why.

(No fair if your commute involves rolling off a buxom beauty and padding down the hall . . .)

I walk about a mile and a quarter to work. If the weather sucks, I take the bus. My commute is at most 18 minutes, door to door.

Out the back door in into my 'office'. 10-15 steps. When my business was active, it was nice to do my book work from home. And, I like to be out of the house itself much of the day. Makes the house nicer to come home to. ;)

I walk downstairs.

OK, OK . . . 20-30 times a year I take a limo to the airport to suffer some travel abuse as well, but the rest of the time I walk downstairs . . .

Ian

I dunno, my friend. I have a pretty great commute.

Here's a map of my "water commute" I pass by Lake Erie, Detroit River, and 2 Provincial Parks, plus 2 preserved wetlands/marshes. Saw 2 bald eagles on the drive yesterday.

https://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msid=202117494897579587104.0004d87807883facd3cf c&msa=0

Use the satellite view to see the water, marshes, etc..

My wife's commute is literally 8 houses away. Her school is down the block from us, and she drives....

I loved my commute when I lived in SoCal. Laguna Beach to Newport Beach on PCH. Very beautiful. Traffic was kinda bad in Laguna Beach in the summer time, but not super bad.

Now in VT I live about 1 mile from work. I walk in the winter but drive in the summer. Driving is like 3 miles. There are some fun stretches of road along the way. Takes about 10min to drive, 25 to walk. I would get too sweaty in the summertime to walk. There's a pretty steep hill you have to climb.

I go for drives after dinner sometimes to enjoy the porsche and give her some time to go fast and get up to temp, etc...There are some nice roads aroud here (though a little bumpy!)

Just under 7 miles door to door. 3 traffic lights if I take the highway. If I want to miss the lights, I can take the back way , which goes through some pretty scenic southwestern pa back roads, and not hit a single traffic light.

Hour and a half, if all goes well.

It's a half mile walk down to the train station. If the train is on time, I usually only wait a few minutes. If not, well, who knows. Then it's 37 minutes to Washington Union Station, then the transfer to the Washington Metro Red Line, typically less munged than the MARC, but ... not usually a good situation one way or the other. It's only two stops to Gallery Place, then a transfer to the Green, then another half mile walk to the Navy Yard. I can't tell you how much I hate my commute.

The highlight of my commute is that in the afternoons, I run instead of taking the metro back. So instead of cramming myself into a metro-train elbow-to-armpit with a bunch of sweaty commuters, I run a few miles on the DC Mall before catching the commuter train out of town. It's a good way to unwind, and I'm way more fit than I used to be.

I remember when you were out in Bremerton. Is retirement in sight?

6 miles to, 6 miles fro. I almost always cycle, 20 to 25 minutes. Takes about 10 by car....

(John, how did the engine look?)

another walk down the stairs.

Had a commute i loved.

Huntington to Oyster Bay via 25A.

It's hills and twisties the whole way.

These days my commute is from the back of the house to my office in the front.

I liked the driving better.

My commute is 8 miles. Several times a month I can drive the first 3 to 4 miles and never see another vehicle.

2.4 miles, so I may not be the winner but I can't complain. I eat lunch at home.

50 miles. Freeway through a mountain pass. I hate it. Its depressing driving to palmdale...

19 miles and 25 minutes. Could be worse!

Okay I guess. 52K miles. $600. Clean with only a few rusty steel fasteners. I can transfer over all accessories from the old engine. No core charge. I've never bought a used engine. They say they run it, check compression, have the compression numbers. I suppose you have to trust. I'm going to rent a pickup truck this weekend and go get the engine, and buy a Harbor Freight hoist, and hopefully have the van on jackstands by Sunday.

4 steps from my bedroom to my office....3 if I'm warmed up.

They are threatening I need to come into the office 1 day a week to collaborate.

Not sure the last time I went into work, except for an event....not to work from there.

Maybe 9 years??

I'm retired, so I don't have a commute. I don't even have to go anywhere if I don't wanna. But most of my working life, I was a 15 minute drive from work mostly on residential streets. I couldn't imagine having to commute in the big city, freeway environment.

Do you know what would be more depressing?

Driving HOME to Palmdale

At one stage I had a 100km commute to work. It involved no traffic lights on the way, one on the way home, a drive on country roads with spectacular sunrises, mountain mist, long fast straights and winding mountain roads and at the time I owned a Ducati motorbike.
The job was **** but the drive/ride to work always made me smile.

It's about 40' from my bedroom to my standing desk/kitchen table. I will get a job offer tomorrow that's a 27 mile commute each way. But I could take the bike and do carpool lanes for about 22 miles of that route.

6 miles up the coast. Here are two of my views along the way. Not too bad.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1374646216.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1374646238.jpg

Same here yet busier than I ever was before. For me it was 22 miles (30 min via interstate, or 30 min in the 911 never getting out of 3rd gear on the back roads :D). If I were "still in the game", I'd be telecommuting 99% of the time...don't miss it one bit.

You all suck.. Mine is better than it used to be, but now it's @38 miles one way and a minimum of 1:30 each way. If there's any kind of weather, (rain, etc), then it's an easy 2 hours one way.

Its 5.5 miles from home to my business premises. I work from home until 9.30am then drive in to avoid all the traffic. Go home before 5 or after 6pm again to avoid traffic.What I cannot avoid is the multitude of speed cameras along "revenue road".

Back in 1968 when we lived in Hawaii my dad drove 10 miles to work. It took one hour each way, every time. He hated it with a passion. He did that for a year before we got to move on base. Then it was 6 blocks.

For over 20 years I had a commute that was under one mile. One day I decided to set a record. I backed my car into the garage the night before.

From ignition on to ignition off was 55 seconds. I will admit to some slight stretching of the speed limits, but that was over 22 years ago, so the statute of limitations has kicked in.

No. :(

But I am looking at moving back out to the West Coast in the next year or two. I miss the mountains, the weather, the culture of the area. DC has some great attributes, but I've just about had my fill, really.


The highlight of today's commute was an 8-car metro train at Union Station, instead of the normal 6-car train. I was just grinning, I was so happy. Then I realized that I was exuberant about being slightly less crowded in with a bunch of sweaty commuters. It dawned on me that I must be living in Commuter Hell. :(

I'll just make you feel better:

Place I USED to work, 31 mile (or so) commute in not so bad Houston traffic. Listen to morning banter. Avoid 610 and just go up Lawndale, Broadway, Navigation, Wayside to Clinton to complex. Some of you may recognize this Ward.

Arrive after sunrise or else you dealt with the druggies, hookers, scum. Worry about being shot, worry that a demolition might go off and drop on you.

Check for the dead bodies. Call cops and wait when you found one. Hose off front walks, hope that was not your job! Make sure the weeds were mowed down and you had clear lines of sight up the road and up the railroad tracks. Make sure no dead bodies in back. Ensure building locks/security were working.

Get some work done. Leave by about 4:30 to avoid all the issues. Pleasant drive home without the 5 PM rush hour!

It didn't take long, did it? I feel the same way.

My wife and I did that for a number of years before we finally decided to move into the city.

My commute is pretty awesome too.
About 36 miles each way; about 45 - 50 minutes.
Different car and different route each day.
All routes go down beautiful TN valleys, then cut across a gap to the next beautiful TN valley.
Some of the roads rival Tail of the Dragon for short sections.
Just puts a smile on my face every morning and afternoon.

Here is one route:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1374675843.jpg

I was going to complain... I drive five miles of surface streets to the freeway... fifteen miles into downtown Lost Angeles... forty five minuets to and hour each way... forty miles a day... two hundred miles a week.

But 50 mile drive to Palmdale? You win! Watch out for coyotes... and deer... and turtles... and gila monsters :p

4.5 Miles 10 mins or less. It took longer before it was paved.

No Complaints Ever !


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1374680676.jpg

This was mine last week (my office location varies). Seriously, I DID WORK :D

angela

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1374696878.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1374696933.jpg

Did the commute working in Boston for 4 years; precisely 25 miles door to door, almost all highway--anywhere from a 30 minute drive to a 3 hour drive, depending on time and traffic.

Then did the commute from Mesa to downtown Phoenix--usually a 45 minute drive in and about an hour and some change drive home.

Now, I live in a sleepy little Army town and commute takes me about 5-7 minutes. If there are 25 other vehicles waiting to get in the gate on base, that's "traffic" around here.

I drive pretty far -- 25 miles -- but in the canyons of the Santa Monica mountains and PCH through Malibu. Some days I see a gorgeous sunrise/sunset, beautiful women, fantastic cars, stunning houses, deer, hawks and dolphins all during the same drive. Could be worse...

34 miles door to door.
Drive past this twice a day and never get tired looking at it.
This photo was taken yesterday (24/07/2013)
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1374752432.jpg

Much like jyl's here, only 4 miles instead of 3 1/2. All but the last 1/2 mile is rural and I hardly ever see a car 'til I get close to town. Sometimes I drive, sometimes I ride, if I have thinking to do I even walk.