Do-able Commute to work

TELLIT01

The longest I've done is about 45 minutes by car. I knew one guy who commuted from Northampton to London daily and that took over 2 hours each way. There honestly isn't enough money in any job to entice me to effectively give them 4 to 5 hours extra each day.
I was actually phoned out of the blue by a company wanting to know if I was interested in a job in London. My name had been put to them by a person I had regular business contact with. They were shocked when I said I wasn't interested, saying they hadn't mentioned salary. I said salary didn't come into it, I wasn't prepared to travel that far and certainly wasn't going to move.

CreditCardJunkie

I used to work 30miles from home. It took an hour and a half each way, often longer if there was an accident on the motorway. I done this for 5.5 years to get experience and left before wanting to start a family. There's no way I could do that now with a child.

I was also diagnosed with ME/CFS, I literally couldn't get out of bed and went to bed after dinner at night. After getting into my new job all symptoms disappeared, turns out it was stress and exhaustion.

I wouldn't do that commute again for any amount of money.

SensibleSarah

Well done for lasting 2 years Bamgbost! I did less than a year of my longest commute before I absolutely burnt out. It was only 30 miles each way but with the traffic it was taking anywhere between 1.5 and 3 hours each way - so up to 6 hours in the car on bad days.

My mental and physical health was taking a hit - not sustainable for me. Was leaving at 6.30am to get in for 9 and still sometimes being late - then not home some days until 8.30pm - just way too much for me!

Now my commute is only just over 5 miles, but still takes 45+ minutes some days with the traffic (that does include a 10 minute walk from parking space to office). The same journey not during rush hour is 20 mins max. The company was 1.5 miles away from my house when I joined but has since moved office

bamgbost

Woweee.... seems like a lot of us have had a spell of a long commute.
@sensiblesarah... not sure how you lasted doing 2-3hours a day! Thats extremely long.

I havent been ill or anything doing my own tbh. But its definitely taken a strain to my patients and irritability which in turn leads to arguments and issues @ home.

Speaking to many folks who have done the transition. Apparently you only realise how much of a drain it was, when you finally stop and have a significantly shorter commute. So lets see how I feel in the new year!

KiKi

I do approx 1h 45m each way. It's a 20 min walk to the station, then three trains, then a 7 min walk to the office - and the same back. That assumes no problems! Done this particular commute for just over 8 years. Previously did a slightly shorter commute of 1h35 each way for around 11 years.

It was only when I lived in Australia that my commute was about 20 minutes on a tram. It was very odd!

motorguy

bamgbost wrote: »

Started this thread almost 2 years ago....
And I have had enough of the commute. IT's doable...but when you think about the time lost, wear and tear on car, etc. It doesnt add up. esp when one has a young family....my Mon-Fri is a near write off with the kids!
So...got a new job offer roughly 9miles from home compared to the 50miles currently. The Pay is near enough the same... but the saving in fuel costs, work/life balance will make it better in the long run i reckon!

I assume more people take this option of moving nearer home. Are many still doing the massive commute. And how long did you do it for before deciding enoughs enough.

Funnily, i did similar at one point - approx 1.25 hrs each way every day. Its draining and hard on a car too - i was doing 25,000-30,000 miles on my Golf.

Two years at it was my limit.

Like yourself perhaps, it was a means to an end. I got great experience which has led me on to better opportunities.

amandacat

I did a 54 mile commute each way for a while. Took just over an hour. The time itself didn’t wear on me too much, particularly as inner city in a lot of places, you can spend that long getting 5 miles home. What got difficult was when there was a traffic incident and that journey took me 2 hours or heavy rain, dark evenings in the winter when everyone drives slower and you have to concentrate even more. I like driving but I did start getting tension pain in my shoulders from driving and concentrating on the motorway.
Plus the fuel cost, heavy depreciation of your car. I wouldn’t do it again, not everyday anyway but I know plenty of colleagues who still do and it doesn’t faze them.

SimonSaysWhaaa

I don't drive so my last job was a 20 walk to the bus stop, bus 1 around 15 minutes, 35 minute wait, bus 2 around 35 minutes, and then a 10 minute walk. I had to leave around 5:30am to be at work for 8. Hated it.

worried_jim

The most I've done is an hours drive leicester to Stratford, but with a 6am journey start there was no traffic on the way. For the last 20 years I've worked no more than 5 miles away and occasionally even walking distance. My office is now 3.5 miles away in lovely Hove and I can park on site as I lift share and even better I work from home 2-3 days a week. I am very fortunate and the mere thought of having to commute again sends a shiver down my spine!

I've been in the work place since 1990 and in that time I have used my bike, car, walked and the train but in 29 years of working I have never caught a bus to work.

robatwork

SimonSaysWhaaa wrote: »

I don't drive so my last job was a 20 walk to the bus stop, bus 1 around 15 minutes, 35 minute wait, bus 2 around 35 minutes, and then a 10 minute walk. I had to leave around 5:30am to be at work for 8. Hated it.

This isn't a job it's purgatory.

Or did it pay a 6 figure salary?