July 9, 2008 at 9:38 am
I knwo in all the cities where I have lived in the US - it is primarily due to a limit in public transit. When I was working in europe I never even owned a car.
July 9, 2008 at 9:38 am
as the saying goes Americans think 100 years is a long time whereas Brits think 100 miles is a long way
or something like that !
the point being I guess is we're a tightly packed little island and youve got the wide open spaces (or so I imagine !)
July 9, 2008 at 9:50 am
I also think that the car (generic here) is also a symbol of freedom. You can go where you want when you want. I did a very short stint consulting. The two weeks I was in Chicago, I had to rely on a taxi to get to and from work. If I wanted to go out for lunch, I had to walk or call a taxi (I walked). Hated it, felt trapped the entire time I was there.
😎
July 9, 2008 at 11:04 am
Fair enough, The only place I have been to in the US is LA where everyone seemed to drive, though the traffic was so bad they didn't seem to be getting anywhere fast.
July 9, 2008 at 11:08 am
Here are the highlights of my commuting career (not in chronological order):
Best commute - now in OK - 3.3 miles to work in 8 minutes, home in 12 minutes (due to extra traffic).
Shortest commute - 1.2 miles to work in 6 minutes - did this for 3 years in NW Indiana.
Longest drive - 117 miles one way - NW Indiana to Milwaukee WI - 2 days a week (Monday morning and Friday evening) for 2 years.
Most brutal drive-wise - 67 miles one way - NW Indiana to North Chicago, IL - 1 hour 20 minutes to work, 2 hours 45 minutes back on good days - did this one for 6 months.
Most consistent commute - 58 miles one way - NW Indiana to Northbrook, IL - 1 hour each way - did this for 5 years.
Most average commute - 35 miles one way - NW Indiana to Chicago, IL - 1 hour 15 minutes each way consisting of 20 minute drive to train, 35 minute train ride followed by 20 minutes of walking - did this for over 8 years.
Most brutal time-wise - 52 miles one way - NW Indiana to Chicago, IL - 2 hours 10 minutes one way -25 minute drive to train - 1 hour 15 minute train ride followed by a 30 minute walk - did this for 3 years.
Have template, will travel !
RegardsRudy KomacsarSenior Database Administrator"Ave Caesar! - Morituri te salutamus."
July 9, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Well I have it easy now, but the best commute was riding my bike down the beach 2 miles to bartend. Lots of scenery!!
July 9, 2008 at 6:04 pm
I have lived in the usa, Japan and England, And I have to say the only places I love Living are London, Tokyo and New york because I dont need a car, I can go to the station by foot and sit on the train right to my work no traffic its a dream and I know I am doing my bit for the earth.
T
July 9, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I bike to work every day, 14 miles roundtrip. When I bought a house 3 years ago, I purposely bought a house that was within reasonable biking distance to work because I hate driving (which is appropriate because I work at a traffic company!)
Regarding the worst commutes in the US, you may be interested in this report the company I work for put together (I did all the calculations for it). It shows the worst traffic bottlenecks in the US:
Let's hope none of your commutes are along the Cross Bronx Expressway in NYC - parts of it are congested over 90 hours a week! They should call it the Cross Bronx Parking Lot.
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elsasoft.org
July 10, 2008 at 1:38 am
Matt and I are obviously in the same area as I hurtle round the M60 and exit just before the M62 for the very reason Matt gives. If there is bump on the M62, the M60 and M66 stop. Then Manchester comes to a halt. For hours and hours and hours
And don't start me on the Manchester Congestion Charge. I live in an area which is divided by the M60. How's that going to work?
Madame Artois
July 10, 2008 at 1:58 am
S Hodkinson (7/10/2008)
Matt and I are obviously in the same area as I hurtle round the M60 and exit just before the M62 for the very reason Matt gives. If there is bump on the M62, the M60 and M66 stop. Then Manchester comes to a halt. For hours and hours and hoursAnd don't start me on the Manchester Congestion Charge. I live in an area which is divided by the M60. How's that going to work?
I totally agree! I live in Bury and travel a couple of miles down the m66 to join the M62 at Simister Island (where it meets the M60) and some days that junction can take upto 45 minutes to get round..depending on what time i hit it!
Im lucky with the congestion charging, that wont affect me, but i still dont like the idea of paying twice to use the roads. Isnt that what my Car tax is for????
Matt.
July 10, 2008 at 3:04 am
I was thinking about this thread as I drove in via the a14 today.. almost every car was hovering around 57-60mph mark .. and its been like that for weeks now .. whereas previously its a racetrack
must admit it made the commuting quite relaxing
July 10, 2008 at 6:54 am
Let's hope none of your commutes are along the Cross Bronx Expressway in NYC - parts of it are congested over 90 hours a week! They should call it the Cross Bronx Parking Lot.
I grew up in NYC and that is exactly what we called it!!:D (along with every "Expressway" in the Metro area)
MG
"There are two ways of constructing a software design. One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies. And the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies."
Tony Hoare
"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair.
July 10, 2008 at 7:04 am
Steve Jones - Editor (7/8/2008)
Well I'm lucky. It's either 3 ft to grab the laptop off the dresser and RDP downstairs, walk 75 ft downstairs to the office, or another 120ft to the basement to shoot podcasts 🙂
Steve, are you saying you live in a six story house??? 75 feet downstairs is a pretty tall house! 🙂
Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes
July 10, 2008 at 7:09 am
I've got another thing that ticks me off..................Those drivers who change lanes from the fourth outside line to the inside lane and vice versa. It is usually at 70mph and above, no indicators, nearly hitting your front wing and straight across the hatchings onto the slip road. Plus there are the guys going the opposite way i.e. they were asleep until they realised they were about to leave the motorway.
For Matt: Junction 20/21 Anticlockwise M60 at Oldham/Chadderton. I've learnt to position myself in the third lane for what I call 'The Chaddy Shuffle'!!
Madame Artois
July 10, 2008 at 7:23 am
Currently: I drive 4 hrs (260 miles) twice a week (Sunday pm, Friday pm)
Last job: drove 1 hr each way (50 miles) once a week (WFH remainder of week)
Last job (before moving): drove 1.75 hrs each way (115 miles) once a week (WFH remainder of week)
Next job: looks like I'll be driving ~ 1.3 hrs each way, daily. Unless they let me WFH some.
Just bought a Toyota Corolla on June 1st. Already have > 4000 miles on it. 🙁 But, it gets twice the gas mileage that my truck was getting :), so the savings in fuel costs alone make the payments.
Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes
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