How does your commute affect you?

[EmilieT]

Hi guys, 

We've had some conversations previously around your ideal workplace, and how employers can support their staff better; something that came up a few times was how the quality and length of your commute can affect you. More and more, companies are embracing flexible hours, and offering the option to work remotely, which can help mitigate the impact of commuting on your day to day life.

I found an interesting article here that talks about some of the less obvious benefits of a shorter commute, and thought some of you might find it a good read too. The main points raised were around the opportunities that it can open up, reducing our carbon footprint, getting more quality personal time and nurturing relationships. 

How long is your current commute, or how long was it in the past?

Whether it was a short or long one, did you find it had an impact on you, and if so was it positive or negative?

Can you think of other benefits or disadvantages to having a very short or a longer commute?

Looking forward to hear your thoughts on this! 

[gmarkj]

Since changing jobs in September last year, my commute now is between 25 and 30 minutes each way (16 miles).
Before I changed it was 45-50 minutes each way (38 miles).
There were good and bad things about the change.
Old commute I had plenty of time to get my head out of work, as well as listen to podcasts/music on. It was further and on busy roads (J15-J18 of M1).
New commute is shorter, so less time to listen and get my head straight. But I get to pick my daughter up from school more often which means more time with her, and because of the shorter time I don't have to get up as early!
So my benefit of a longer commute is time to switch from work mode to home mode and listen to music/podcasts.
Shorter one means more time at home.

[Cleoriff]

Hi @EmilieT 

I have been incredibly lucky with commute times for all of my nursing jobs.

I worked in 3 hospitals and ALL were within walking distance.

When I moved into management I had to travel to other hospitals, all within a 25 mile radius.

That was no problem as I had a company car.

When I left the NHS, I joined nursing agency and never worked further than 10 miles from home.

So in conclusion and unlike many people, commute time was never an issue. Lucky me.

[jonsie]

On leaving school I was an apprentice motor mechanic and lived 5 miles from work. As I wasn't old enough for a car, a motorcycle was the obvious answer as bus times  either got me to work 45 mins early or 15 minutes late. Of course, riding a motor cycle was addictive. Apart from the daily commute I was out all hours simply riding to motorbike cafes and riding in convoy at weekends.

On passing my driving test for a car, again out for hours driving, tinkering ith my own car and doing all the boy-racer stuff. Repairing all makes of vehicles for a living, there was roadtesting and going out for parts. Driving anywhere was a joy. Being an MOT tester, before rolling roads, agin the roadtesting of braking systems.

Fast forward 10 years and going into service management, this meant driving 15 miles to work, longer hours and driving became a chore. Roads were much busier and cars queueing to get onto the motorway meant being mentally drained. Once on the motorway, outside lane and upwards of 100 mph to get home quickly (brand new company car). The journey to and from work around an hour so plans to go out in the evening meant rushing around once home. The beginning for me of road rage!

My last job meant the same distance commuting to the very centre of Manchester, a mere 12 miles from home, but a journey fraught with stress. Stop, start, stop all the way. Just awful. Setting out at 7am to et there and find a parking spot for a 9.30am start. he same going home . Add a few snowflakes and that was a disaster, easily adding an hour to a journey.

It was then I changed to the nightshift. Same journey 20 minutes each way. I worked 3 nights (12 hour shifts) and then 4 nights off.

But as the years rolled on, I hated driving. My wife drove us everywhere. I don't drive at all now due to unexpected circumstances but with so many cameras, average speed zones, parking problems and over zealous jumped up twerps booking people if they are millimetres over a white line, I can't say I miss driving. I've discovered public transport and I must say that the buses run on time  and often around these parts.

Sadly, not many people use public transport. It seems that the older generation are the only ones using buses during the daytime. Yes, trains are packed during work commute times. Now there is a massive roblem as to why more carriages are not added by those companies who have the monopoly on train services. More people would be able to then rely on getting to work by train.

I pity people who need to drive for work or pleasure during the manic school runs. This alone must have a heavy toll on the planet. Why little Johnny can't walk or get the bus to school is beyond me!

[Glory1]

I never really commuted when I worked. My longest travelling was when I worked for Bank of America in Bromley and then it was a fast train from Victoria straight to Bromley with one stop. 

My last job was in my local Waitrose which was a 7 minute walk down the road from home. 

As I hate the tube I always managed to get jobs where I could use the bus and unless there was a problem, my journeys were never longer than 10-15 minutes in the morning and 20-25 minutes in the evening. This, by the way, is working in London. Never worked, or lived, in any other part of the country.

[jonsie]

I spent a couple of weeks in London when I was doing a work related course. It was horrendous driving from the hotel to the business centre on the outskirts. At the time there was no public transport to the new centre so it was either an expensive taxi or self drive. I'm talking nearly 40 years ago and the traffic was crazy even back then. Whenever I've visited London since, I've always taken the train.

[Glory1]

Traffic in London has got worse in the 40 years you spent time here @jonsie but it's certain areas that are affected more depending on the time of day. The City and most parts of central London are bad in the morning and early evening as people go to and leave work. The West End can be bad with cars, taxis and buses during the middle of the day as people shop, get theatre tickets and so on. Where I live is busy up until about 8:00pm and then eases off, though my road which leads on to a Bridge is busy except in the early hours when there's little or no traffic.

I've never understood why people have cars in London as there's fairly decent public transport. It would certainly ease the congestion in London if there were less cars on the road. Unless you regularly go out of London for work or pleasure, then you really don't need a car in London.

I did quite a lot of temp jobs in offices all over London and managed just fine using the tube or the bus, and once Docklands Light Railway. One reason I haven't driven since I left New York, I moved from there to London.

To be honest, I only had a car in New York to be able to visit my friends all of whom, bar one, lived out of New York City in upstate New York or New Jersey. Trains (not the subway) stopped running about midnight/1am and buses were the same. The car allowed me to come and go as I pleased not tied to a train/bus timetable.

[pgn]

Years ago, I could fall out of bed, walk across the road into a Sainsbury's, grab a fresh roll, then walk across a dual carriageway and up a short hill into my work.

These days it is about 8 miles and 20mins, by car. 🚗