The lonelyness of the long distance commuter

[fizzwheel]

My normal journey to work is 2 miles, either cycle or drive. I hadnt realised just how lucky I am.

I've been away in Bristol on a training course all week. For various reasons I decided as Bristol is close to home I would drive up and back to the training course. The course was being held in a training centre just off Junction 16. So easy access from the M5.

First couple of days was OK, today and yesterday I'm bl**dy knackered, stressed and generaly wanting to punch things / break stuff / hurt people. My back aches, I have a stinking headache.

Motorway is full of tw*ts, the A roads are full of tw*ts, its a dog eat dog world. All its done is confirm that I cant deal with a long distance commute, I cant even beging to contemplate what that would be like after a hard day in the office. I think I'd be a hospital case after 6 months of that.

Those of you who commute a long way to work everyday, my respects.

The only positive from it is that hire car I had ( Focus 1.6 TDCi ) I managed to get 65mpg average out of it.

[Bluepete]

I know how you feel.

I'm lucky that work is four miles and i rarely drive my own car in rush hour traffic. Job car is a different matter - people tend to behave!

When I do have to use my car though, I hate it!

My attitude tends to be slow down, relax and enjoy the scenery.

Pete ;)

[husky03]

I know how you feel.

I'm lucky that work is four miles and i rarely drive my own car in rush hour traffic. Job car is a different matter - people tend to behave!

When I do have to use my car though, I hate it!

My attitude tends to be slow down, relax and enjoy the scenery.

Pete ;)

same here pete-i love getting in the landy and pottering home after work, the thing never sees over 60, and by the time i get in i'm relaxed and chilled out.

[timwilky]

I spent 18 months commuting from Preston to Rugby, It did put me in hospital. The daughter now commutes Preston to Leeds. she has seen sense, goes on the train.

[orose]

This is pretty much the reason why I use the train to get back and forth to work - it's only 12 miles, and it takes me 45 minutes in the car and an hour on the train, but I'm a lot more sane arriving home.

[dizzyblonde]

Pete used to go to work 14 miles away in Bradford. I only have to say the town and you can conjure up the idea of hell it was to get to and from.
In the car it would take anywhere between 45 mins to a couple of hrs(0r more). On the bike it would still take 45 minutes, because you'd be insane to even think you could filter, or try make the journey quicker down to the amount of nutters trying to kill you!

Now he works in Huddersfield. Nine miles may not sound much different, but on a bike hes home in 20 mins, in the car its a max of 30.
Hes a much happier bunny, and its not costing over 200 quid a month in petrol either.

[leebex]

I only have a 4 mile each way commute, across town, and I get easily hacked off. Although I use the sv from january onwards, so most traffic is easily dealt with, not far enough to have fun either though.

When I use my car for the colder months i have to tell myself to chill out, even though its only a 12 minute journey :D:D

[Specialone]

I commuted before I went self employed, 50 mile round trip for 9 years, very stressful.
My wife couldn't speak to me for an hour after I got home some nights as I was so wound up.

I had a golf gti for about 3 years of that, problem is it frustrates you when you're in a quickish car because you wanna go faster, I got a passatt after that to try and relax a bit more.

[Lozzo]

In my last job I was doing regular drives of 3 hours before I'd start a full 8 or 9 hour day, and then drive 3 hours home again once I was done. My Fiesta van was given to me with 6 miles on the clock, I gave it back 7 months later with just over 28,000 on the clock, and it had been off the road for three weeks over winter due to xmas and snow.


Nowadays my ride to work takes 10 minutes. I don't have to wake at 4 to 4-30, I now wake at 7 and drift around before getting on the bike at 8-40 for the short ride to start work at 9, and then at 6 o'clock I hop on the bike for the 10 minute ride home. It's bliss and I am so much more relaxed and happy.

[kaivalagi]

I have a 4 mile commute at the moment but will have a 175 mile there and 175 mile back weekly commute soon enough....I am looking forward to it for now.

As it is I go the long way home clocking 20 miles most evening on the way back when it should just be 4 miles...

But saying all that I would imagine a daily commute of serious distance would be a bit much after a while.

[madnlooney]

mines about 30 odd miles commute, i some times dont mine it really, gives me longer out on the bike :)

[speedplay]

It's why I bought the Mondeo.
Been doing the commute for well over two years to Birmingham and surrounding areas daily.
Clocked up 40k last year for work alone.
Grab a coffee, sit at 80 and try to relax.

[Nobbylad]

I've been doing 80 miles round trip every day to Manchester and back for the last 10 years in everything from a focus to an MG TF to a Renault Espace. The last 3 yrs I've used the bike. It's so much more fun and quicker!

[metalangel]

For a previous job, I had to drive for training in the head office in Abingdon from Cardiff, every day, 110 miles each way.

The job was based around the country, my first assignment was in Bradford, 250 miles from Cardiff. While they put me up in a hotel so I stayed up during the week and went home on Friday, I had to be in by 9am on Mondays. Now, they offered to get me a hotel in Bradford, which would mean I'd have one actual day a week at home, with Friday and Sunday both occupied by driving to and from. I declined and made my own arrangement: leave Cardiff 4am Monday morning, drive like hell to beat the traffic through Brum and stop at Keele services on the M6, have a nap for 30-45 mins, get back on the roads and end up in Bradford about 8:30.

When the project finished at 3:30pm I had nothing to do except sit in the hotel room, on my own, drink gallons of beer and play games on my laptop. THIS IS LESS FUN THAN IT SOUNDS.

I am grateful that my commute is now 25 miles round trip.

[G]

My commute in the UK I leave at 04:30 get to work at 07:30... Leave at 16:00 and get home at 19:30... If I'm lucky lol.

369 mile round commute, I do it 3 times a week at most.

[kitkat]

My commute in the UK I leave at 04:30 get to work at 07:30... Leave at 16:00 and get home at 19:30... If I'm lucky lol.

369 mile round commute, I do it 3 times a week at most.

omg G you must love your job. my commute is from sofa to the kitchen and back about 5 steps

[The Idle Biker]

9088

I commute on the train and see some lonely commuters. Some are so lonely they eat a Burger King mega meal in about 2 minutes flat, on top of a shed load of booze and fall asleep.

Caught this guy last night on a 45 degree angle just before he flopped into some shoulder down action.

(I would just like to add that I don't make a habit of taking sneaky pictures, I just saw this thread and thought why not? The case for the defence rests Your Honour)

[ravingdavis]

I commute a 33 mile round trip on my bike come rain or shine. I enjoy it quite a bit, just long enough to give me time to think about the day and what I will be doing yet short enough not to drive me mad. Also it helps that I never see a stretch of motorway.

[BBadger]

my commute to london was 30miles round trip but i loveed every minute of it and did it all year round. only had about a week off due to the snow being that bad.

Never again will i be taking public transport to london after that 1 week in winter, its expensive, to busy, slow and just a nightmare in general. even if commuting on roads gets boring its better than the latter.

[fizzwheel]

I was doing 140 mile round trip. I cant fathom why anybody would choose to do that regularly. Surely it would be better just to move closer to where you work ?

Especially with Fuel prices so high. I was doing 70mph on the motorway with Radio 4 on, just trying to let the miles roll by, it worked OK for the first few days, but by the end of the week I was chewing the steering wheel in frustration.

[G]

omg G you must love your job. my commute is from sofa to the kitchen and back about 5 steps

I am fortunate in that I'm probably on of the few that do love their job, and they do make it worth my while and treat me well.

I was doing 140 mile round trip. I cant fathom why anybody would choose to do that regularly. Surely it would be better just to move closer to where you work ?

Especially with Fuel prices so high. I was doing 70mph on the motorway with Radio 4 on, just trying to let the miles roll by, it worked OK for the first few days, but by the end of the week I was chewing the steering wheel in frustration.

Moving closer wouldn't be an option for me as my girlfriend works close to home. If I had to pay for the fuel I would be travelling much less.

As sad as it is I stick classic FM after Dev finishes on radio 1 at 06:30 and it chills me out.

[maviczap]

9088

I commute on the train and see some lonely commuters. Some are so lonely they eat a Burger King mega meal in about 2 minutes flat, on top of a shed load of booze and fall asleep.
Caught this guy last night on a 45 degree angle just before he flopped into some shoulder down action.
(I would just like to add that I don't make a habit of taking sneaky pictures, I just saw this thread and thought why not? The case for the defence rests Your Honour)

I had a spell of commuting by train for 5 months, whilst I enjoyed the novelty for a while & read books, eventually I said sod this and returned to my towny job.

I couldn't face a life of get up,eat,travel, work,travel,eat, sleep any longer.

Best decision I ever made. I live 10mins from work and live by the sea, why would I want to work in the City. Not for me I'm afraid.

[fizzwheel]

Though saying that Liz does 50 odd miles each way a day to get to and from work. But she only works part time now. I can understand alot more now why she is so knackered at the end of each week. She said changing the car to the A6 we have had made a huge difference. I wander if I would feel different about it had I had a car more suited for mile munching rather than a Focus.

[Milky Bar Kid]

I do a 54 mile round trip. The road is rubbish, its the A75 and its mainly single carrageway however, it is a main Euro route and the traffic on it at times it atrocious. Especially if you get stuck in ferry traffic which is made up mainly of HGV's.

It used to drive me mad but I have gotten over that stage now and I don't mind it. Except when I have worked a ridiculously long shift or sometimes after nightshifts I hate it.

[maviczap]

I wander if I would feel different about it had I had a car more suited for mile munching rather than a Focus.

I certainly notice the difference if I drive a decent car, or one with good sound insulation and a good driving position

I quite regularly drive from Felixstowe to Liverpool

I can do it in one go in a diesel Honda accord, its comfy and I don't feel as tired, as if I'd done it in one of the Vectra's we used to have.

The VW vans quite good driving position wise, but sound insulationis poor, so I get tired from that.

I've just driven back from there in my own Zafira, and it was ok, although its not as quick as the Accord.

Think the best long distance car I ever had was my old Saab 900, great driving position and great sound insulation and comfy suspension

[keithd]

i did 9 years on the M3, 90 mile round trip daily. it was horrendous. the only option was a31 which made the journey longer by about 15 minutes. now we have relocated its not quite half the distance (50 mile round trip) but its nearly all back roads and the only hold ups a get are cows crossing the road (honest) and tractors, which isnt a problem as there are many passing places. its a 35 minute journey but its a really pleasant run, scenic and no idiots

if i had an opportunity to earn more money but it involved motorways again i know i would not take it. my sanity is priceless

[Viney]

My normal journey to work is 2 miles, either cycle or drive. I hadnt realised just how lucky I am.

I've been away in Bristol on a training course all week. For various reasons I decided as Bristol is close to home I would drive up and back to the training course. The course was being held in a training centre just off Junction 16. So easy access from the M5.

First couple of days was OK, today and yesterday I'm bl**dy knackered, stressed and generaly wanting to punch things / break stuff / hurt people. My back aches, I have a stinking headache.

Motorway is full of tw*ts, the A roads are full of tw*ts, its a dog eat dog world. All its done is confirm that I cant deal with a long distance commute, I cant even beging to contemplate what that would be like after a hard day in the office. I think I'd be a hospital case after 6 months of that.

Those of you who commute a long way to work everyday, my respects.

The only positive from it is that hire car I had ( Focus 1.6 TDCi ) I managed to get 65mpg average out of it.I hear ya Fizz. Although i dont travel by road now, the transition between road to public transport also has its drawbacks. My commute would be a 46 mile round trip right through the ass end of London (South/North Circ). When i have done it a couple of times, the journey in isnt too bad, its getting home. Traffic everywere and people get a bit angst with you using the pavement.

I remember though when i was on a training course at our Uxbridge office. Doing the journey in the car for 10 days was hell.

[Balky001]

Fizz. Get a nice 4x4 with auto and climate. Makes commuting a breeze. ;).

I used to do a 80 mile round daily commute in to London on my SV then GSXR. Definitely an experience best left to the young and fit. Summers were fun though. Easier by train but still a pain

[Viney]

my commute to london was 30miles round trip but i loveed every minute of it and did it all year round. only had about a week off due to the snow being that bad.

Never again will i be taking public transport to london after that 1 week in winter, its expensive, to busy, slow and just a nightmare in general. even if commuting on roads gets boring its better than the latter.Not so my nocturnal firend. Its actually cheaper at this time to use public transport for my trip to Wembley every day than it would be on 2 wheels(£150 a month compared to in excess of £160(fuel alone) on the bike). I agree with everything else though

[-Ralph-]

My 'commute' is from the kitchen at breakfast to the spare bedroom.

I do still do a lot of miles though, but at least that's visiting customers so it's a different journey each time. Pretty much weekly commute from Northants to Leeds is a bit of a pain in the rrrsss, 4 1/2 hours driving in a day if I don't have reason to, or don't want to, stay overnight.

I don't get stressed driving through, it's just sitting in a chair watching a very boring widescreen TV programme to me. When you do a lot of miles you can't allow yourself to get stressed, or it would put you in the loony bin. Just use the cruise control, find something interesting on the radio, or a good CD, an audio book, or perhaps make some phone calls. If someone cuts you up brake, raise your eyebrows and sigh, wait 'til they move then hit resume on the cruise control. If someone sits on your tail, let them past, or flick your mirror and ignore. Shouting, swearing, shaking fists and driving aggressive achieves nothing more than raising your own stress level.

[busasean]

I commute 1000+ miles per week, mon - fri and most of the time I enjoy it although I do think the standards of driving are rubbish - middle lane drivers, people with fogs lights on at night in the rain, cars with lights out, and general empathy to other road users. still as long as people dont speed they dont have to care how they drive......

some days I do get completely and utterly knackered though..

[mattneighbour]

I have a 30 mile journey to work, so 150 miles a week, and I do it on the SV650s most of the time. I used to take the train but it simply annoys me, so expensive and I usually have to stand for half or all of the return journey. A car is pretty hopeless, the drive is single carriageway A road and there is always a lorry or OAP's Nissan Micra to get stuck at 40 behind.

The bike is great, I make progress and enjoy my commute. I got a bike to commute, to make my life more interesting.

[Viney]

I miss commuting on the bike a lot. It waht i bought my bike for and it spent 10 years commuting all year round. My weekley commute was 100 mile a week but through london.

[Sir Trev]

I used to be a typical company car driver - to hell with wear and tear and who cares how much fuel I use - and got into some terrible habbits. After a while I realised the stress would just build and build which was bad for me and bad for the people around me. Thankfully I never went too far.

Have now adopted the sensible-speed-and-just-relax style of motoring and feel a lot better, even though I have the unpleasant experience of using the M4 each day I commute in (three days a week). It can be a bit boring but then you look over to lane three and realise that you have a line of BMWs and Audis all trying to overtake each other going no faster than you anyway...

The only reason I accepted a job 30 miles from home was on the understanding that some days (like today) I could work from home. Relax y'all.

[ccookie]

My commute is 45 miles, 90 mile round trip.That includes the A21, M25, A20 and the Black Wall Tunnel on the SV. Takes me about an hour each way and often i do feel lucky to have made it.

Sometimes its the last thing i want to do after my 12 hour shifts but i will not pay £4300 per year to use the most diabolical train system in the world. Southeastern trains will never see one more pound from me :smt011

Having said that! On the days that is nice and clear on the way home, flying down the A21 on the bike is fun and the best cure for a bad mood :D

[L3nny]

For my first job after leaving school in 1998 I had a 40 min commute along country lanes around the Cotswolds in my Golf Gti

Was the best part of my day, and the perfect. By the time I had got home I had completely forgotten about work.

Only downside is the cost in Petrol. If I was still doing that job now in the same car for the 9k a year I was getting paid I think I would actually be running at a loss.

[Ratty]

My work has just been re-located close to Preston from Stockport and my commute has gone from under 20 miles round to nearly 90. It’s mostly not so bad on the motorways, with just a manic 5 miles section of M60 referred to as ‘Death Valley’ to liven it up. I used to cycle to work once a week and miss that, but a few of us are planning to do the odd cycle home via the A roads which reduces the run to mid thirties.

Ratty

[diamond]

I cant fathom why anybody would choose to do that regularly. Surely it would be better just to move closer to where you work ?


People do it because they have to, i do 110 miles a day because my mean BF won't move closer.:D

It's only taken you 6 years to realise why i hate my commute so much.

[Quedos]

16 mile and it takes me 45 mins. Very few overtaking spots car or bike. 9/10 im in the car as its not professional to turn up in leathers if I have meetings all day. (pants). Get stuck behind someone you've had it. NOw got to go through Kirkie and it miles of roadworks and impatient parents taking their wee darlings to school. - thats what makes the bulk of sitting about waiting!

I miss my old commute 9 miles - but alongside the canal and the farms could be slippy but great to see the lambs and plant spring into life it was defo relaxing on the way home

[appollo1]

my commute to work depends on what mode of transport i use

if i go in the car it takes 5 minutes
if i walk it takes about 7 minutes
if i cycle it takes 3 minutes
i don't go on the bike as it takes too long getting leathers etc on

i normally end up driving so i can have a cig on the way to work.

[454697819]

People do it because they have to, i do 110 miles a day because my mean BF won't move closer.:D

It's only taken you 6 years to realise why i hate my commute so much.

well thats stuff'd ya..

[Paul the 6th]

35 miles each way or 30-45 mins depending on the time of day... great fun.

Good chance to have some alone time to solve problems & consider new ideas though.

Not so fun in winter

[keithd]

People do it because they have to, i do 110 miles a day because my mean BF won't move closer.:D

It's only taken you 6 years to realise why i hate my commute so much.

I'd bin him if i were you. He sounds very selfish...

[Luckypants]

I commute 1000+ miles per week, mon - fri and most of the time I enjoy it although I do think the standards of driving are rubbish - middle lane drivers, people with fogs lights on at night in the rain, cars with lights out, and general empathy to other road users. still as long as people dont speed they dont have to care how they drive......

some days I do get completely and utterly knackered though..

I used to do that too, never again though! The mileage is insane after a few months and you get worn down by it. Hope you are not as grumpy as I apparently was - you need to be told because you just don't realise it.

[punyXpress]

. . . and doing backfires in the Black Wall Tunnel ccokie?
( or is yours a pointy)

[PsychoCannon]

I commute 100 miles a day mostly A-Roads and M1 but it's not so bad, I tend to pass my time playing catch the bikers to see how many bikes I can catch up with, +1 point per bike, -1 for each one that catches me.

Actually made a few random ...well friends is a bit strong but got chatting to a few of the regulars who ride largely the same route as me into London.

I agree that you get a lot of idiots but then i find that's true of any road regarldess of size.

[markmoto]

moral of the story to everyone is get out of the rat race if you can and choose to live a free/free'er life instead i made this choice along time ago and could never go back...

[ravingdavis]

moral of the story to everyone is get out of the rat race if you can and choose to live a free/free'er life instead i made this choice along time ago and could never go back...

I would imagine for many people that is easier said than done.

[markmoto]

I would imagine for many people that is easier said than done.

Indeed but we have to try and make our lives what they want them to be i at the time chose freedom over money and i would personaly choose this every time, i did a 40mile commute every day and it ground me down until i woke up one day and decided i didnt want to do it anymore, usualy the reason people have to commute such distances are they are doing it to acheive a level of pay they couldnt get closer to home in which case id always choose to live a simpler life and be able to live on less and enjoy more free time, the way the government is screwing everyone is also a contributing factor and until enough of us get involved to change the corrupt government then it will not change. Obviously everyone thinks differently and this is just my opinion in an infinate sea of opinions.

peace

[ccookie]

. . . and doing backfires in the Black Wall Tunnel ccokie?
( or is yours a pointy)

Mine is a pointy :)

Don't stop me from blasting my Beowulf exhaust sometimes.

[punyXpress]

Good Man! :thumbsup:

[busasean]

I used to do that too, never again though! The mileage is insane after a few months and you get worn down by it. Hope you are not as grumpy as I apparently was - you need to be told because you just don't realise it.

Pretty much been doing it for the past 16 years... and yes sometimes my GF tells me I'm a grumpy, miserable sod - then I take a few days off/WFH and I'm ok again.....

[tweakedtay]

I love my ride into work. I have to be in at 5am, and living in a smaller city, the streets are empty.
Quite often I find myself in one of those 'not a worry in the world' moods. It's wonderful.