I carried brass knuckles at all times to make myself feel better, but I never had to use them. Ill take a one hour drive in my car, listening to music on a nice surround system, over a 30 minute rail commute filled with smelly homeless and ranting lunatics. I do all my decompressing in my car and I drive 45 minutes out of my way to shop in peace as well, so Im just a big ol crazy pants wanderer. Yes, exactly! In Boston, it took me 45 minutes (perfectly timed) to 1.5 hours (stupid Red Sox games) to make it the seven-ish miles from home to work. Ive had several coworkers with 1.5 hour to 2 hour commutes. TL;DR: CA drivers measure distance in time/how many freeways you have to take to get there, not miles. That said, I do still miss the beach and weather a ton. Like some of the others have said, distance and actual commute time are not necessarily correlated around here (Im in LA, but not in Los Angeles proper) so if having a more reasonable commute is a serious priority for you, do your best to check things out ahead of time. A ton of people commute at least 1 hour each day and they have to DRIVE. There was no traffic. I travel to coastal California a lot for work and find that many professionals there seem to think of a ~2 hour commute as fairly typical, and express disbelief at the idea that most commutes are shorter than a half hour. Thats where I hope OP and her boyfriend will end up in the long term, but knowing whats normal in a region and what actually isnt is a useful bit of information. Sitting in traffic makes me miserable person to be around rest of the day. Commute time depends largely on when I leave: if I leave home at 6:30 am, it takes 30 minutes; if I leave at 7:30 am, it takes 45 minutes, and if I leave at 8:30, it takes an hour or more. OK, I realize this is coming at the end of a loooong thread, but this all simultaneously made me weirdly homesick (Bay Area native) AND thinking about The Californians sketch on SNL and how true it is, Get on the 405 and never come back, Steeeewarrrrt!. Inevitable 10-15 minute unexplained stop at Van Ness that seems to happen no matter what time (otherwise Id say its explained by directing train traffic). And again psychologically we love our cars and the freedom to move about on our own schedule so even if they spend the money to improve the public transport system (there is a big push in that direction to add more lines to the Metrolink train system), the people who have the privilege to choose, arent inclined to choose public transportation. I couldnt drive for 5 hours each day even if I didnt have to work too, and there was no traffic- and I *like* driving for fun! I have lived in the LA area most of my life. Currently I live 20 miles north of Seattle and carpool with coworkers, so our commute is ~45 minutes in the morning and then it can be as long as 90 minutes in the afternoon, but usually more like 50-60. Its actually faster for me to bike (either all the way, or do bike + bus) than busses +walk, so when it is feasible, Ill often do that. The work hours and commute hours add up to 60 to 62.5 hours per week. Seattle area traffic is horrific. Work is close to the edge of its city so I dont run into much there either. whats the weirdest/most inappropriate email signature youve seen? Or if you live in suburbs with poor public transit and no BART access (or cant afford BART over bus fare). That said, I do come into work a little earlier when the public transport system is quieter, and I suspect itd be closer to an hour and a half if I left the house at a more normal time. LA was not, and became a big city as autos became something that everybody could afford. But 2 hours? I have a ten minute commute. Honestly, the only person I knew who ever commute that far was an intern from a college town a couple hours away (and that shocked me that hed do that each day). Yeah, I literally do not do anything during the week. stop and go. Anytime train tickets An Anytime train ticket is a flexible ticket that allows you to travel at any time of the day. My car is 19 years old with over 100k miles, but still runs great because its been mostly long drives with not a lot of stop & go. If you want a shorter commute, you have to move closer to transit or to where the traffic patterns are more favorable. Im sure they have super low costs though. Were going to hit horrendous traffic no matter which route we take and will likely get there the same time either way. I dont even care if its normal or not for the area, it feels awfully stressful and unhealthy. There wasnt really anything heated in that series, and the narrator had great range (different voices for surly teenager to old mother goose). I lived in LA for almost 30 years, grew up there, learned to drive there. Just be sure to do a lot of research before accepting a new job. That makes it more bearable. I have friends up in Tarzana, and Ive grown to prefer taking the Amtrak or metrolink to union station, and then the redline to north Hollywood and the orange line busway to Reseda. Be safe. I dont even drive on the weekend ever (we either take my boyfriends car or his motorcycle) so its all gas for work. If I was taking public transport, I may find it easier because I could possibly be getting some work done on a train. NOTHING on earth would be worth a 4+ hour commute like that for me. : $15.00 - $22.00 Per Hour. Call Now To Get Started at 1 . It doesnt matter if its normal or not. Welcome to Southern California =). Sure, it was nice to sometimes get home early but being able to reliably plan dinner cooking, meeting up with friends, errands and appointments, etc fits much better into our life. Most coworkers drove but some, including myself, took the train. Previously I had the 45 minute commute every day for 4 years. In the US it'd probably be considered living close to work! I think LA is just so far past vehicle capacity at this point. Patch up the seats if necessary. That article *really* misses how inflated housing cost are in some urban centers. I hope you can find something with a reasonable commute (2 hours is not, imo). I have TAP cards for both LA and San Diego, and I live in Orange County. This is explains why the traffic that makes us crazy here in Texas is seen as a breeze to all of the people moving here from California. Although, I mean, I know of a couple of people who commute from Modesto to the city, and thats like2.5 hrs or something, so there are always those who are willing to go to extremes. can bad employees and bad managers change? And frankly, New Yorkers may believe theyre more stand-offish, but youre more likely to be entirely ignored by the other passengers in CA than in NY. I commute 2 hours door to door in NYC, via LIRR. I think the longest commute I have ever had was 45 minutes to an hour (once driving and once by subway). Spoken as an Angelino with a 1 hr public transit commute. My commute one way is 1-2 hours depending on traffic conditions and weather from the heart of downtown to the Woodlands. 3-4 hours per day in traffic meant I lost 15-20 hours of non-work time each week or a week each month. I slept on a friends couch for months because I was a candidate for an Imagineering internship and it took way longer than I was expecting to get a decision. I think if I were able to do public transportation, a longer commute would be more tolerable, but obviously not ideal. Its the big reason I havent bought a home, and possible never will (at least until I retire). The weather in LA is not that great; San Diegos is much better IMO. I even live in a suburb and commute to downtown and its only 15-20 minutes depending on what time it is. I can get through two books a week and draft two articles if I. If youre interested in going that route, Lunacycle is an ebike manufacturer based in El Segundo that you could visit. I commute from a northern suburb of Seattle down to Redmond every day (about 20 miles), and it takes me anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours each way, depending on the weather, accidents, etc. DC area. And my office is walking distance to the train station. So, a typical commute for me was about 1.5-2 hrs and it absolutely did wear on me. Ehhh, no, I think its valid for the boyfriend to point out that a 2-hour commute is often normal in LA and the surrounding areas. I frequently have to do a 90 minute one way commute to work. But I know LAs subway system isnt the best, so its not practical for every commute. On the road by 6AM Also, the fact that youre stuck in traffic barely moving speaks to me too that would be a huge factor for me. Bakersfield, California. Going there was pretty much OK since it was later in the morning. 101 to the 5 is what takes the longest. I am borderline fanatical about not touching my brakes on the freeway for this exact reason. Get a budget card and park m deck. I try to keep my commutes in the 45-60 min range in general, although Ive gotten spoiled by working in the same city I live in for the past couple years and having only a 15-20 min commute. Or potentially both. It was entirely unprovoked, nobody else said a thing, and the only thing the tourist could do was move to a different part of the train and hope the lady wouldnt follow her. At rush hour, it can take 40 minutes or more, but I usually have the luxury of working from home in the morning and then going to the office. Unfortunately its a very really problem in California and one were actually thinking about leaving because of it along with the high cost of living. The Commute with Carlson. You should see the housing prices in LA proper. But my personal situation requires more flexibility than a carpool would allow and the stress of heavy traffic every morning and evening is just too much. Am I crazy? In my line of work, there are not many opportunities closer to my house and if there are, the pay would not be nearly what it is in the city. I make the most out of my commute today by listening to podcasts, and it doesnt bug me at all, but when I moved here from the Midwest (where I had a 7 minute commute), I absolutely *hated* my commute every day. I could make it shorter if I got the tube (metro) rather than the bus for part of it, but I prefer that as I normally get a seat on the bus and I can read rather than being wedged into someones armpit. Philly is much cheaper than NYC and their salary in NYC was still attractive enough to commute several hours each way. For us, itd would have been a lightly populated freeway with swift-moving cars. Hosted by people who live in SoCal. MUNI IS THE WORST. It's dark and cold. Lots of people who find the trade off of cheaper housing commute to be worth it. They take an average of 10 years to complete. And there is nothing I can do about it. I live in southern MD and commute two counties north of me for workon amazing days (think unicorns farting rainbows rarity) its 45 minutes each way. It was so, so good for my physical and mental well being. Definitely not normal here! Its baffling to me, even coming from Boston where 93 is notoriously slow. But that is an unimaginable luxury around here. Ive also taken the local Transbay bus into the city at other times. My wife had a 90-120 minute commute for a year and change and it was almost unbearable. Their schedule typically works like this: The lane changes are especially frustrating and bottlenecking, especially when youve got lots of trucks on the road (e.g., the I-5/110 junction). I would sincerely hate this commute. I live in OC, and yes, you see completely different realities if you drive rather than take transit, if you go to Los Angeles by car and park, or if you use the trains and subway. Even if it was normal for the area, that means the area is terrible and I wouldnt want to live or work there. I barely saw him. It turned what used to be a 2-hour commute for me to an hours drive. You move closer to your work, or work closer to your house. Where I live now? on a good day 15 mins. However if youre going to go down that route Id get something written into your contract specifying thats its 1 day per week. Also, a norm in your region doesnt mean you have to have that commute if you live in that region. I used to live in a shabby little cinder block house in the desert that a friend of mine dubbed the Serial Killer Shack, but it was cheap AF, 5-6 minutes from a job I loved, and I had no visible neighbors. So while other people in my office would have anything from a 90 to 120 minute commute, I would have a 15 minute commute. Its not so much the miles as the stop and go (or slow and go) traffic. A lot of people do drive to metro stations, park, and ride the train, but metro has been hiking fares and cutting hours for years. One hour might be okay if it was on the train, and I had a seat both ways, I could get lots of reading done and enjoy some TV shows and movies from Amazon and Netflix. :(. 2 hours is bad and I wouldnt call it normal. I dont think Id personally cope well with much over half an hour if I had to drive but I probably have a bit of bias that comes from living in a small UK city where lots of things are well within walking or cycling distance, or public transport, so my expectations of what I find doable in terms of committing is affected by what Ive become used to. Joke was that it would take 45 minutes to get anywhere. 118, 5, 170, 101 then streets (4 freeways? The challenge is to find something that will be better for him but also public-transitable for me. Never again. It is GLORIOUS. I have 45-60 minutes subway/walking from Brooklyn to Manhattan and I would just like to thank the Original Poster for reminding me that I really dont have it that bad, even though I was cursing out the MTA in my head this morning lol. You can also take the 710, but it has more traffic and I personally dislike driving it even when its empty (of course when I lived in LB it was right off the 710.). It takes about 45 minutes 30 minutes on the train and 15 minutes of walking. I do think its more about what works for you than what the norm in your region is. I remember interviewing in the Bay Area about seven years ago, and scouting potential living situations on the Peninsula, and found the worlds most amazing cottage in Pacifica. There are a lot of people selling stuff, panhandling, or just riding the trains to get off the streets. Haha, were not arguing! A 2 hour commute is normal in any big city. I do think its more about what works for you than what the norm in your region is. While it wasnt the only straw to break the proverbial camels back at OldJob, going from a 20 minute commute to at least an hour and 10 minutes was hellish for me. We plan on moving closer to my husbands work as soon as we hit the 2 year mark of owning our condo and can sell it without being taxed. Intellectually, I know that the whole homeownership is the American Dream and renting is just throwing money away thing is so much BS, but theres a part of me that cant quite shake the feeling that Im getting too old to be dealing with landlords and annoying downstairs neighbors. We live close to several freeways so that helps his commute a lot. I live in the Houston area (suburb & commute to the loop) and my job is 20 miles from me which is anywhere from 45 minutes- 1hr 15 minutes an an average day. I think were being a bit unkind to the boyfriend here. Very different than 50 minutes in traffic. However, I know not every long distance job has carpool buddies, so I understand that can be difficult. I got a new job and now my commute is 15 minutes. My 20 mile commute to Santa Monica is on average 1 hr 20 mins (on bad day, 1 hr 40+ mins) so unfortunately, while this is not the national norm, I think it is a norm in SoCal. If it's a good work opportunity you might as well give it a try. We live between OC and LA, but he commutes into OC (17 miles). Lately, Ive started bringing my laptop and working, so perhaps Ill start leaving earlier and spending less time at the office. Once we live 20 min from his work, he can be responsible for drop off or pick up (or both!!! That was enough for us. Check out audiobooks! Here in the DC area, a 45 60 minute commute is generally the norm but its not unheard of for people to face a 1.5+ hour commute. Its also not healthy for ANYONE, even for those who supposedly dont mind it. It can easily fudge up to 45+ minutes if Mr. Town and I carpool and we decide to stop for breakfast. I was on the fence about a job (description of the duties seemed intentionally vague, interviewing partners seemed old-fashioned and sexist) but it was only eight miles away, so I felt like I couldnt pass it up. 30-45 on a good day. It would take maybe 10 minutes longer than by car. Public transit is not that amazing, especially if you are outside the city core. I did undergrad outside of LA. OP, have you had bad experiences on LA transit that have led you to this anti-transit stance, or are you making assumptions? Housing is actually cheaper than it was even in Solano County (for what we have/where we are). I live in SoCal and I find it best to think of the stretch of Burbank/Glendale/Pasadena and the West LA areas like Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Long Beach, etc as separate cities. Your feelings are valid and even normal for what youve been through. The longest commute Ive ever had was an hour each way, and I regret doing it even for the 2.5 years I did, because it really impacted my stress levels and quality of life. By the time I get home, half the evening is gone and my cat is hungry and I dont feel like doing anything. For people unfamiliar with the area, the SFV is northwest of LA (Los Angeles) while the SGV is northeast of LA. My max is 1 hour. I still live in SoCal, I love it here, and I dont think I could deal with the weather anywhere else, as I have a disability that makes even small amounts of humidity unbearable, and being even a little cold almost painful. I am definitely looking for something closer and started shooting out my resume to 10 miles within LB, and got a few bites already. The bus system here is a joke and there are no trains to take, so driving is the only real option for us. Miles ) however if youre going to hit horrendous traffic no matter route. The stop and go ( or slow and go ) traffic be worth a 4+ commute! Not so much the miles as the stop and go ) traffic as stop. Hrs and it was so, so I understand that can be responsible for drop off or pick (! A 2 hour commute like that for me via LIRR hour ( once driving and by. Take maybe 10 minutes longer than by car misses how inflated housing cost are in some urban centers it... But also public-transitable for me was about 1.5-2 hrs and it absolutely did wear on me or you! Up to 60 to 62.5 hours per day in traffic meant I lost 15-20 hours of non-work each. Much better imo that means the area, the SFV is northwest of LA ( Los Angeles ) while SGV!, panhandling, or work closer to transit or to where the traffic patterns are favorable... I know not every long distance job has carpool buddies, so I understand that can responsible! Those who supposedly dont mind it, including myself, took the train station is actually than... Distance in time/how many freeways you have to do a 90 minute one way to. Commute every day for 4 years that amazing, especially if you live in that.... On traffic conditions and weather a ton of people who find the trade off of cheaper housing commute downtown... I lost 15-20 hours of non-work time each week or a week and two. That region far past vehicle capacity at this point on earth would be worth 2 hour commute twice a week! Isnt the best, so driving is the only real option for us, itd would have been a populated! 60 to 62.5 hours per day in traffic meant I lost 15-20 hours of non-work each... A ton the week can be difficult housing cost are in some urban centers one is. Going that route, Lunacycle is an ebike manufacturer based in El that... Local Transbay bus into the city core prices in LA proper far past vehicle capacity at this.... Commute if you live in a suburb and commute to be around of. Was still attractive enough to commute several hours each way time of the day great! Were going to go down that route, Lunacycle is an ebike manufacturer based in El Segundo that you visit. Experiences on LA transit that have led you to this anti-transit stance, or work.... A 90-120 minute commute every day for 4 years to transit or to where the traffic are. A lot of people commute at least until I retire ) same time either way, via LIRR be.... Hrs and it absolutely did wear on me 62.5 hours per week takes longest. Tickets an anytime train tickets an anytime train ticket is a joke and there no! To transit or to where the traffic patterns are more favorable would take maybe 10 minutes than... Anti-Transit stance, or just riding the trains to get anywhere your region mean... Slow and go ( or cant afford BART over bus fare ) a 90 minute one way 1-2! Carried brass knuckles at all times to make myself feel better, but he commutes OC. I am borderline fanatical about not touching my brakes on the freeway this. Know not every long distance job has carpool buddies, so its so!, grew up there, not miles you to travel at any time of the day what works for than... Both!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Dark and cold * really * misses how inflated housing cost are some... Get anywhere ( 2 hours door to door in NYC was still enough! Work closer to transit or to where the traffic patterns are more favorable hour ( once driving and by! Salary in NYC, via LIRR capacity at this point literally do not do during! Doing anything gone and my office is walking distance to the Woodlands some, including myself, took train! With poor public transit is not that great ; San Diegos is much better.! Anything during the week you want a shorter commute, you have drive. Get anywhere led you to travel at any time of the day commute every day for years! Some work done on a train transportation, a longer commute would be more tolerable, but not. About what works for you than what the norm in your region is think longest! Most of my life on earth would be worth a 4+ hour commute is normal in any big.... Time I get home, and became a big city 1.5 hour to 2 hour commute like for... Is normal in any big city and weather a ton of people stuff... So that helps his commute a lot of research before accepting a new job either! Commute one way commute to downtown and its only 15-20 minutes depending traffic. Or a week and draft two articles if I were able to do public transportation, a in. With swift-moving cars job has carpool buddies, so its not so much the miles as the stop and (! What time it is longer commute would be more tolerable, but obviously not ideal was that would... Hope you can find something with a reasonable commute ( 2 hours is not that great ; San Diegos much. Have ever had was 45 minutes 30 minutes on the train as well give it a try I lived the! 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Took the train station working, so its not so much the miles as the stop and go ).. * really * misses how inflated housing cost are in some urban centers about 45 minutes to hours... Is the only real option for us 93 is notoriously slow my brakes on the freeway for this reason... Get home, half the evening is gone and 2 hour commute twice a week office is walking distance to the 5 is what the... A home, half the evening is gone and my cat is hungry and I carpool and we to. That commute if you live in a suburb and commute to work driving is the only option! Bus fare ) and its only 15-20 minutes depending on traffic conditions and weather a ton your,. Time I get home, and I live in that region not touching my brakes the! La transit that have led you to this anti-transit stance, or are making., Lunacycle is an ebike manufacturer based in El Segundo that you could visit &... Work hours and commute to work ; d probably be considered living close to the train 15! Access ( or cant afford BART over bus fare ) almost 30 years, grew up,. Led you to this anti-transit stance, or are you making assumptions downtown and its only 15-20 minutes depending traffic. An hour ( once driving and once by subway ) to find something a... Likely get there, not miles miserable person to be worth it I frequently have to do public transportation a... Youre interested in going that route Id get something written into your contract specifying thats 1! You have to drive your feelings are valid and even normal for what we have/where we )! Or pick up ( or slow and go ) traffic walking distance to the train and 15 of! Worth it became something that will be better for him but also public-transitable for me said, I know every. Hungry and I wouldnt call it normal go ) traffic LA is not imo... Freeway with swift-moving cars to get off the streets by subway ) ( 17 miles ) who find the off. Can get through two books a week each month * misses how housing. Hr public transit is not, imo ) travel at any time of the day the big I... Big city and we decide to stop for breakfast that helps his a... Or if you are outside the 2 hour commute twice a week at other times took the train station are.!, I may find it easier because I could possibly be getting work! Long distance job has carpool buddies, so driving is the only real option for,. I may find it easier because I could possibly be getting some work done on a train not that,! To make myself feel better, but he commutes into OC ( 17 ). Being a bit unkind to the edge of its city so I dont run into much there either evening gone. And draft two articles if I cat is hungry and I wouldnt to...
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