Neutral: How Much of Your Time Do You Waste Sitting in Traffic?

"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction) 08/21/2018 at 11:59 • Filed to: None

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100

Seems like a good topic of discussion for OPPO. I’m pretty lucky, in that I work in a not-too-big city and don’t have to contend with serious traffic congestion on a regular basis (unless there’s a wreck or construction on my route). If I leave my home just before 7:00, I get to work at 7:30, with some slow-downs in places but usually no stop & go, and if I leave my desk a few minutes before 5:00, I can make it home in about the same time (maybe 5 mins more). Half of my drive is country/suburban roads, and half is a straight shot on a freeway. Some days I envy people with a 15 min or less commute, but living out in the country is more than worth the additional half hour of my day.

So, who’s got the worst commute here, and who’s got the best? [edit] Wrong Wheel Drive might win the prize for most enjoyable! Wish I had more hills and curves on my way.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:12

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2 hours a day, bumper to bumper.  30 in the morning and an hour and a half in the afternoon

E90M3 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:14

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There is sometimes traffic on my way home, but there hasn’t been any traffic on my way in. Takes me 15-20 minutes each way. It’s a marked improvement over when I was driving 76 miles round trip each day and spending at least an hour in the car each day. I also work 7:30 to 4:30, so I think I might miss some traffic because of that. 

FSI > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:16

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Is walking to work considered cheating? If not my commute is 18 minutes by foot and about 5-10   minutes by car depending on traffic. 

Ash78, voting early and often > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:16

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My commute is to my living room, so not bad. I only drive to run errands or schlep the kids...and it’s amazing how ANY traffic can now send me into a rage. Once you no longer live in the “commute zone” your tolerance goes way down.

Old commute was 22-25 minutes in the morning (pre-7am) and 30-60 minutes in the afternoon (5pm). Half interstate gridlock and half suburban/small-town roads.

Ash78, voting early and often > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 08/21/2018 at 12:17

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Seriously, WTF is up with afternoons? It’s like everybody leaves in the morning at different times, but we’re all idiots in the afternoon. Same here.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > E90M3 08/21/2018 at 12:17

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Nice. Do you ever go home for lunch?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 08/21/2018 at 12:18

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Oof... and I assume it’s just impossible to avoid the late rush? What hours does it run from - 4:00-6:30?

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:18

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Depends on which route I take home.

If I take the interstate, I have a 20 min commute either way, with decent traffic.

If I take Hwy 51, I have a 20 min commute either way, usually involves passing a lot of stupid people and an extremely crappy road surface.

Or I can take any of the numerous back roads around, avoid all traffic, and have a fun relaxing drive home which takes between 30 mins and 2 hrs.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:20

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3 miles most of it looks like this

on hot days i cycle into the cannal....get some funny looks for that

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:20

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I start work at 6:30 and leave at 3:30.  Given my work, it is hard to change my hours more than that.

Wacko > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:20

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this is why i live in Rural Rural canada.

I have a 15 minute drive get to work in the morning, I have 15 kms of road to do.

but the downside is i’m a 7 hour drive to montreal,

8 hour drive to Toronto

5-6 hour drive to ottawa.

E90M3 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:20

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I haven’t because I feel like it would be cutting it too close and I would just feel like I’m rushing. I usually bring my lunch and eat at my desk. Usually oppo or something. 

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:21

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My commuter is pretty terrible . Sometimes I have to sit 4, even 5 minutes in traffic.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > FSI 08/21/2018 at 12:21

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Not at all! I’d love to have that option.

Milky > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:21

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40 minutes to work, usually 50 to get home. But if I’m going below the speed limit, someone is getting cut off for going to slow in the passing lane.

*not actually cut off, I just get back into the passing lane close enough so  they notice.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Ash78, voting early and often 08/21/2018 at 12:21

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I’m changing from a long commute to a local one soon.  I cannot wait.  Plus more money!!!!

AestheticsInMotion > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:22

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15 minutes each way, minimal traffic. I don’t have the fun drive that I did for my old job , but it’s not bad.

Spaceball-Two > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:22

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I live about 7 miles from my office. Mostly back streets no freeway driving so about an hour a day. Maybe a little more if it’s raining because Seattle drivers STILL can’t drive in the rain.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Ash78, voting early and often 08/21/2018 at 12:22

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Very nice. Do you miss anything from working not-from-home (adult interaction, etc.)?

Longtime Lurker > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:23

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Total commute time is about 15-25 mins, but that's driving to work in the morning, home at lunch, back work, then home at the end of the day.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:25

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About 10-15  minutes. It can be faster but it depends on how slow others want to go; the last drive I took there was some cunt who drove 10km/h below the limit and braked for no reason when coming up to intersections where we had no stop sign and had the right of way anyway.

The last straw was watching this wanker brake and come to a complete stop at an intersection where we had the green light. I lost it and laid into the horn; not a staccato *beep beep* just to get their attention, but a full, uninterrupted 10 seconds or so since it basically took them that long to get moving again.

Ash78, voting early and often > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:26

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It’s been 2.5 years so hard to remember. Quite honestly, it’s probably 5:1 in terms of improvements vs drawbacks. I do miss the occasional chit-chat about various topics, but now I can use that time for multiple lunch breaks, errands, kids’ events, lunch with wife/friends, etc, and nobody bats and eye. On the flipside, I’m putting out 3x more work product than ever before because they expect us to be focused.

That old saying about 90% of success is just showing up? I truly believe it. Now imagine you’re completely judged on the other 10%. It doesn’t matter if you’re well-mannered, well spoken, have good presentation skills, etc. It’s all about the tangible work product, which can be monotonous because it means everyone is just looking for errors or issues. And no face time will inevitably limit any chance of promotion because I’m out of sight (along with about 30-40% of our extended team)

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:27

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My house is maybe half a mile from the highway, and my operators work 12 hour shifts so I work 6-4ish. The mornings it’s obviously dead, the evenings I either go to the gym (a block from work) and drive home with no traffic, or since my exit is halfway between I71 and i75, I’m able to exit right before the I71 traffic starts. I can’t complain.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:29

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leave around 7:40 and get to the office just after 8, then leave right before 5 and get home around 5:20. Not too bad. 

FSI > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:30

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Sadly that’s about to change in two weeks with my new job. That will take about 20 minutes in the morning and between 25 and 60 minutes in late afternoon...

Milky > Wacko 08/21/2018 at 12:36

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This seemed like a fun google maps game. Do you live by Saint-Dominique-du-Rosaire  ?

Wacko > Milky 08/21/2018 at 12:40

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nope, you have to look north of ottawa and montreal, And lower than Jamesbay. And not to far from the ontario boarder on the quebec side.

Pickup_man > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:41

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I live in a little bedroom community about 20 miles from work in essentially a different bedroom community . I have multiple ways to get to work, but usually take the back roads that are far less busy. It takes me 20 minutes to get to work, and home, every day. The other ways to work technically take faster roads (highway/interstate), but because people can’t maintain speed to save their life it’s usually 5-10 minutes slower. Some days I take gravel roads home, usually during harvest season, just so I can watch all the equipment in the fields. 

TheRealBicycleBuck > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:52

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It’s all about the timing. In both Baton Rouge and here in Houston, I have a 20-minute drive. Most of that is bec au se I leave early enough in the morning and the afternoon to miss the worst of it.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:53

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***NOTE: I typed all this out, then realized it only really related to the title and not the actual question. I’m not deleting it.***

Less time than I would waste on transit.

The difference in travel time between driving and taking transit, is roughly $6500-7000 a year. Year one, that would just cover my insurance, now one direction will cover insurance. All told I’m $9-10k in the black... subtracting ALL my fuel costs from that (not just from my commute) I’m about $3000 in the red again. One year of transit fares I didn’t have to pay is roughly that much. The other 3 years put me ~$9500 in the black again. That nearly pays for half the value of my truck. It’s also less than the depreciation. And at the end of the day I have an asset and can go places that aren’t in the city.

I’d be interested to see other people’s math on this. For me it clearly makes sense, for others I’m sure it’s the opposite.

Nothing > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:55

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Working from home, my traffic sit time is zero. Even taking my son to school, we walk. Prior to working from home, I didn’t mind my commute either. I rode the bus in, and would read on my Kindle. Man, I used to burn through books. That’s  a habit that I should get back into. Book reading, not commuting.

Textured Soy Protein > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 12:59

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My commute from Rockville, MD to Tyson’s Corner, VA is 15 miles and mostly highway. In the morning, it’s not too bad, but there can be slowdowns. On certain rare occasions there’s basically no traffic and it’s 25-30 mins . It can sometimes take up to 45 in the morning but usually no worse than that.

In the evening it often will take an hour or sometimes longer to get home. The stretch of the Beltway from Chain Bridge Rd in Virginia where I get on, up to I-270 in Maryland, is often jammed. 270 can also get jammed up.

There are some side roads that I can take north from my office to get on the Beltway at Georgetown Pike, but if those side roads get clogged, the intersections snare up so badly that it makes for a way longer commute than just getting on the B eltway at Chain Bridge. So before I leave work, I check the traffic on Google Maps and see if A) the Beltway traffic has gotten as far south as Chain Bridge Rd; and B) if the side street intersections are jammed up; and then from there I decide whether to get on the Beltway at Chain Bridge or to try and make the run up to Georgetown Pike. I might make that run once a week, if that. More often than not those intersections pile up and I learned the hard way to not mess with Georgetown Pike if there’s anything remotely resembling traffic being indicated on those intersections.

Then, once I get into Maryland, I have to decide whether I want to take the direct route, which is to go up 270 only briefly, and then get off at the exit closest to my house. But 270 can be hit or miss. If there’s traffic on 270, the left side lanes of the B eltway get jammed up for a good mile or so before the split.

So I hang to the right in the stay-on-the-Beltway lanes, and check the route overview screen in Google Maps to see if I should go up 270, or instead stay on the Beltway and get off at Old Georgetown Rd, which has nothing to do with Georgetown Pike in Virginia. There are a bunch of lights on Old Georgetown but if 270 is slowed down, it can end up being quicker to take Old Georgetown. This one is more of a toss-up so I’m always having to figure out which way to go on the fly, unlike the decision of where to get on the Beltway where I make that call at my office before I go down to the garage. But there’s a good farm stand at a middle school on Old Georgetown, so that’s a nice perk. 

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 13:01

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I think I win the award for the most exciting commute lol. Here is a clip from part of my drive home every day in the STi :

Or the same section the Miata:

So I spend almost no time in traffic most days. I think I actually hit more traffic on the weekend going into LA pretty often. But even still, it is not all that far so I probably waste like a half hour to an hour per week total on traffic. Considering most people in LA waste that or more every day, I am doing pretty good.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Textured Soy Protein 08/21/2018 at 13:03

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Decisions, decisions... choose wisely!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Nothing 08/21/2018 at 13:06

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Sounds great! My wife has an Audible account and a big library - I really need to start listening to books on my way to & from work.

Chariotoflove > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 13:07

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Very little since I moved jobs 10 years ago to be 5 miles from work.  I may still jump onto I30 for a quick jaunt for simplicity, or I can go by the city streets past the country club and the lake.  The only problems come when there is construction.  Then, the lake becomes an obstacle that limits what detours I can take.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 08/21/2018 at 13:07

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I like to say that my drive home takes 1 hour. But I have had it take three hours before and I had absolutely zero traffic. I was just enjoying the back roads too much lol.

smobgirl > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 13:08

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It depends how long the asshole in front of me sits stopped at the end of an on-ramp AND FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY PLEASE LEARN HOW TO FUCKING MERGE

sorry my commute this morning hit  a new level of stupid.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 08/21/2018 at 13:09

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I think this is worth its own separate post. Would be interesting to know how many Opponauts have this option, and what they each decide to do.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > TheRealBicycleBuck 08/21/2018 at 13:10

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Nice that you work somewhere that gives you that flexibility!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Pickup_man 08/21/2018 at 13:11

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Nice! I’ll definitely have to drive an extra few extra miles during harvest season this coming year.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > FSI 08/21/2018 at 13:12

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Bummer. Hope it’s worth the trade!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 08/21/2018 at 13:12

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Not bad at all!

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 13:13

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I might just. I’ve definitely made a few replies similar to this one, so getting it all together and visible wouldn’t be a bad plan.

Textured Soy Protein > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 13:15

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Thankfully the evening traffic, while certainly heavier than I would like, follows recognizable patterns. There are different sections of the commute where hanging to there left or right lane gains a lot of progress, for various reasons . So I try to ride those patterns. Usually if Google Maps estimates my drive  time as like 57 mins to start with, or whatever it is, I can gain back several of those minutes. 

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 13:17

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35-40 min in the mornings, 45-50 min in the afternoons unless I leave early.

It’s quite nice to spend this time in a spacious car lined with leather and wood, the sound system is decent too. Would have been much less patient driving any of my previous cars—the XJ makes me immune to road rage .

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Ash78, voting early and often 08/21/2018 at 13:17

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Interesting - my wife has a similar experience working 30 hours per week. Because she’s focused and on-task in those 30 hours, she probably gets more accomplished than if she worked a normal 40 hour schedule.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Longtime Lurker 08/21/2018 at 13:18

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Haha - wow.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 13:18

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My cube is 9.7 miles from home. In the morning, it takes 10-2 0 minutes, depending on how many accidents are on I-5 (this morning there were two at the same exit -_-). Commute h ome? 30-35 minutes. Add more time if it’s a Friday.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Spaceball-Two 08/21/2018 at 13:19

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And this, boys & girls, is what automatic transmissions are made for...

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Spaceball-Two 08/21/2018 at 13:19

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That sounds... awful. That’s like 9 minutes per mile.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion 08/21/2018 at 13:20

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Oh dang... didn’t realize that. Short is nice, though.

interstate366, now In The Industry > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 13:21

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My commute is short. 7-10 minutes going, 5-10 coming home (all left turns going to work, all rights coming home, but I work in retail so it very much depends on time of day). I usually sit in traffic more when I’m running errands or visiting friends since everywhere I go outside of work  is either suburban, urban, or underposted and traveled by The Olds who follow the speed limit to the letter.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Milky 08/21/2018 at 13:21

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That’s a lot. How do you pass the time in the car?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 08/21/2018 at 13:21

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Haha! #Spoiled

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > E90M3 08/21/2018 at 13:22

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Yeah, I can see that. Nice to have the option if you need to run home, though.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > interstate366, now In The Industry 08/21/2018 at 13:24

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Nice. So much more time for activities!

Roundbadge > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 13:25

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I work 11 miles from home, by the most direct route over surface streets. The highway route is the fastest, by a 4-5 minutes , but it’s an extra 4 miles out of the way. This morning I left home at 6:35 and arrived at 7:00, and part of that was because of the school zones (I usually leave at 6:15 or so). Tonight it will take me around 30 minutes to get home.

To answer another reply, I have no option for mass transit.  I live in a fairly dense area, and my workplace is in a developing suburb that still has few bus stops.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Roundbadge 08/21/2018 at 13:27

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That’s right about what my old commute from the suburbs took. Added 5-10 minutes on both ends when we moved out to our new place.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/21/2018 at 13:27

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Not bad. 

Milky > Wacko 08/21/2018 at 13:31

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Well damn, I don’ t waste the entire on google maps. Seems like an area that you would have to like the  outdoors.

kanadanmajava1 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 13:36

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None. I commute my short distance of 5 km with a bicycle. If I really need to take a car with me to work, I go to work outside the rush hours.

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 13:37

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Strictly for work, exactly 0 minutes per day. I work from home. It varies if/when I have client visits since they’re scattered all around the city and suburbs, but most weeks it’s nil.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 08/21/2018 at 13:38

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If it weren’t for all the stupid people...

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > smobgirl 08/21/2018 at 13:39

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THE WORST. Seriously, those people should have their licenses revoked on site and be told to walk home.

Here in Tulsa, we do have some on-ramps that are seriously short and seriously visibility-impeded, so I get the challenge of it. But you know what, IT DOESN’T MATTER. Get on the throttle and find a gap! These idiots are putting themselves and way too many others in serious danger whenever they do this.

Sidenote: I actually think, in very specific cases, the right- most highway traffic should have a yield sign to the merging lane (just because too many people are dicks and give no consideration to the cars trying to get on).

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 13:44

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Commute now is very similar to yours. ~25-30 mins in the morning leaving home at 7am. About 5 mins on a moving freeway, the rest on surface streets. Evening a bit more traffic on the freeway stretch that adds about 5 mins more total.

But damn was it bad when I lived in San Francisco and worked down in the valley (Sunnyvale). I’d jump in the car by 6.15 to get on 101 by 6.30 (this part was fun, felt like a scene out of Bullitt timing the lights and bombing down the hills through the city) before traffic got bad. I’d be at work by 7-7.15, so about 45 mins to an hour. Evenings were way worse. Constantly monitoring traffic as the workday came to an end – do I take surface streets to 280 which in general is less stressful but a longer drive, but still bottleneck getting in to the city taking 1.5-2 hours total? Do I cut across 380 to 101 or go straight up? Do I just risk taking 101 all the way instead? Or on days when both 101 and 280 have wrecks just take the streets to Skyline Blvd and enjoy the scenic route? Beautiful drive but rarely did it given just how much longer it would take.

It was all either sitting in horrible bumper to bumper traffic, or bombing down the freeway at 80 trying to beat it as quickly as I could. Looking back, having done that every day for years it’s a miracle I didn’t get in to a single wreck or have a mental breakdown. Needless to say, I was cranky AF every single day by the time I got home from work.

Things have only gotten way worse out there since we moved away from what I’ve heard.

fintail > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 13:47

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Mine isn’t bad, but I pay for it via increased housing costs being closer to work.

I’m ~4 miles from work. In the morning it is seldom more than 10 minutes, as I leave early and beat traffic , and sometimes exceed the limit a little.  In the afternoon the traffic can be a hellscape, the same 4 miles is often closer to 15-20 minutes.  One snowy day, it took nearly an hour.

AestheticsInMotion > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 13:49

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It is. I loved my old commute, but it was 25 minutes each way, and if I stayed late I could hit some pretty bad traffic coming back. The new route is clear of traffic all hours of the day, despite being just a few miles away from my old job

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Chariotoflove 08/21/2018 at 13:49

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I’m not sure if there’s a job to be had 5 miles from my house... Unless I want to take up farming, of course - ha!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 08/21/2018 at 13:50

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Shit, I got you two confused - sorry! I definitely was thinking of your commute as the best.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 08/21/2018 at 13:52

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Very nice! Congrats.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 08/21/2018 at 13:53

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Pretty.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > fintail 08/21/2018 at 13:57

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Yup, some places are just like that. Definitely better to bite the bullet and pay more for a smaller house to not have to live with 1.5-2 hours of commuting each day.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 08/21/2018 at 13:59

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I can’t imagine dealing with the stress of traffic like that every evening. Ugh. Glad you were able to make the change.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 14:01

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its a good wind down after work

actually makes me want to work less on the way in

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 08/21/2018 at 14:05

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Switching to Podcast on th e commute has helped my self loathing of people being stupid.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 14:05

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Haha well we do similar silly stuff with high mileage Miatas and also like Subarus. So it is not all that surprising to mix us up. 

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 08/21/2018 at 14:08

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Do you live/work on/near PCH/Malibu/Thousand Oaks? That very well might be the sweetest commute you could have of that length.

fintail > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 14:08

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That’s how it works here, indeed. Detached houses that are affordable for me might be 25 + miles out, which could be a 2 hour commute on even a slightly bad day. Seattle metro is an insane asylum for both the housing market and traffic.

Spaceball-Two > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/21/2018 at 14:11

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I could take 405 but it would take me longer to sit and wait for metered ramp and what not. I don’t mind. Gives me a chance to sip my coffee and count the homeless folks.

CaptDale - is secretly British > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 14:11

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I live a mile from work. I hate it! I wanna drive my car. Not just put down the road. 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 08/21/2018 at 14:12

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Haha - I can see that! It was beautiful here this morning, nice and cool, windows down on the drive in. Hard to come inside.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 08/21/2018 at 14:13

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Fuck that looks like an amazing commute . I can’t even imagine how much fuel I would waste consume enjoying that route

Milky > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 14:13

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Looking for potholes, looking for cops, NPR, music, the usual things.

Reminds me that I’ve tried not speeding for road trips and I get bored, r eal quick.  Trying to get through pack of cars and looking for cops really helps pass the time.  

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Spaceball-Two 08/21/2018 at 14:14

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Well I also misread your post as “about an hour each way.” 30 minutes in eastside is obamanotbad.png

KnowsAboutCars > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 14:14

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I basically currently have two jobs (although I only get paid meaningful wage from one). Job 1 is your basic 8 to 4 deal. Getting to work takes about 20-30 minutes travelling mostly on a ring road. Going back is closer to 30. Maybe 10 minutes spent bumper to bumper per direction .

Job 2 is on evenings and weekends. Again, mostly highway. About 20 minutes, no slowdowns to speak of.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 14:15

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It’s actually a pretty long commute which is my only complaint. I head all the way home to Woodland Hills for a total travel time of about an hour from Point Mugu. At least I have no traffic but I do wish I could drive a bit less. My only “traffic” is getting stuck behind a single Prius going 40 in a 45 or something like that and not having a passing zone for a while. It would be sweet if I could live in TO or Malibu instead but my girlfriend commutes to Hollywood so we are pretty stuck where we are. If anything, we may move closer to her work some day but we are about equal in terms of time traveled right now. My distance is double hers though so its kind of unfortunate the traffic she faces.

There is the 101 Freeway which obviously is a more direct route for me, but that has AWFUL traffic in the evening. I usually take it in the morning since I head in early enough to avoid the traffic and it takes just under 40 minutes. But going home, google maps says 1 hour+ minimum on the freeway in red most of the way whereas I can eek it down to ~57 minutes on the backroads.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 14:24

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Thank you! When we moved to Portland quality of life was a huge driving factor. There are other parts of town we would’ve enjoyed living in, especially a few areas across the river (= bottlenecks due to bridges), but commutes would’ve been pretty bad with a lot of those. So we prioritized getting the space we need in a neighborhood that we like well enough (although not particularly exciting) that gave us both an easy daily commute. On weekends/evenings we can still get to any area we want to have dinner/wander in less than 15 minutes so it really felt like the best solution for daily life.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > CaptDale - is secretly British 08/21/2018 at 14:28

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Interesting... and not great for your car, either - hardly ever getting up to temp. Is there any way to add an easy, scenic 5 mile drive to your route?

Just Jeepin' > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 14:28

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We’re all rank amateurs.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 08/21/2018 at 14:29

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The sped up Subaru video sounds like a hive of angry bees.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Milky 08/21/2018 at 14:30

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“Gamifying” your drive, however you can, definitely helps keep your mind involved and makes it seem to go quicker. If I ever am in heavy traffic, I like the game of seeing how long I can go without touching the clutch or brake.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > KnowsAboutCars 08/21/2018 at 14:32

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What’s job 2? 

Ash78, voting early and often > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 14:34

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I have maintained for a LONG time that the per-hour wage of a part timer should be at least 25% higher than an equivalent full-timer. Not just for the reduced benefits, but for the hourly productivity and expectations.

The year before our first was born, my wife went to 25 hours a week and worked harder than 40 hours at her previous role.

Wacko > Milky 08/21/2018 at 14:35

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Well i do own a boat, snowmobile, and a side by side. and I don’t have to trailer them to use them(except the boat...)

I live 15 minutes away from  Rouyn-noranda, Which is our biggest city in the region

CaptDale - is secretly British > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 14:42

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Oh yeah, I drive to the gym after work every day and the weekends get long drives .

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CaptDale - is secretly British 08/21/2018 at 14:43

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Haha well I surely know the feeling. Any time I take the Subaru, I am getting at most 20mpg on my commute if I am driving pretty relaxed. I have achieved an average of 17 on more than one ocassion though and I am sure I could make it worse if I tried. So my gas expenditure is a lot.

Miata is a fuel sipper and gets 25-26 easily most of the time. Both use premium though so my gas budget  is a lot regardless. And I drive a bunch on the weekends too so I just go through gas all the damn time.

Spaceball-Two > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/21/2018 at 14:43

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True. But that’s right now while school is out. Once the districts and U start back up and the weather starts turning to shit you can tack on another 15 minutes or so.

Speaking of UW, I saw a not so frequent Oppo poster driving like a complete ass hat the other day. I feel bad for the beating that little VW is taking.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 08/21/2018 at 14:45

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I’d probably be looking at closer to 15 on those roads. 

t0ast > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 08/21/2018 at 14:46

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I wouldn’t call mine the worst or best, so maybe I can go for most viable options? I travel ~15 miles daily between Independence, MO and southern Kansas City, MO. This commute has 3 main routes available (I70 + I435, hwy V + hwy 350 + I470, or hwy V + surface streets), each with 1-3 additional variations, and each taking within 5 minutes of the others. With a quick scan of live traffic reports, I can just pick the one that looks the least bad and get the commute done in 20-30 minutes 99% of the time.

I tend to lean towards the interstates in the morning because the traffic problems tend to stay beyond my exits. In the afternoon, I shoot for the small highways and surface streets because the interstates frequently get messy and minimizing interactions with other drivers works wonders for decompressing at the end of the day.