4 ms·

When I did my on-site interview with Google in Mountain View, it was very obvious to me I would almost certainly be car commuting every day, for (at least) two

When I did my on-site interview with Google in Mountain View, it was very obvious to me I would almost certainly be car commuting every day, for (at least) two reasons: 1) Cost of houses close to Google was ridiculous. 2) The city is very car centric. Fixing the second may be possible, but the first seems like a more insurmountable (and more important) problem. Where I currently live, I can bike commute to and from work on a daily basis because I can afford to live four miles away, and it only takes 18-20 minutes. It's one of the reasons I still live where I do, and I haven't accepted further interview offers from Google. Also relevant: http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/06/the-true-cost-of-commuting/ http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/06/the-true-cost-of-c...

hueving 11y ago
Keep in mind big companies like Google have buses that run pretty far and you can just count the ride on the bus as part of your work schedule because you can work on your laptop.
- QuercusMax 11y ago
  Yup. I live in Saratoga, about a 13 mile bike ride to where I work at Google West Campus (still part of North Bayshore). I typically ride my bike in every morning (takes just under an hour) and take the bus home - there's a bus stop a mile from my house, plus another one 2.5 miles away. I usually end up taking the bus to the farther stop because I forget to leave my desk on time. :D I started biking every day partly to try to get in shape, but also because my kids' school schedule is such that I can't catch the bus at the time I'd prefer. (During the summer I took the 7:30 bus near my house, which got me in to work in 20 minutes.) It typically takes me about 25-30 minutes on the bus to get home, plus 5-15 minutes biking home from the bus stop. I had a 13-mile commute to my old job in Cleveland, and I find I'm significantly less stressed commuting this way, even if it takes slightly longer. The locations of the bus stops are not publicized to non-employees, but there are lots of them, and some are pretty far out - as far as Santa Cruz. I can't imagine working on the bus to/from SC, though - you'd better bring some dramamine or barf bags!

hueving 11y ago

Keep in mind big companies like Google have buses that run pretty far and you can just count the ride on the bus as part of your work schedule because you can work on your laptop.

QuercusMax 11y ago
Yup. I live in Saratoga, about a 13 mile bike ride to where I work at Google West Campus (still part of North Bayshore). I typically ride my bike in every morning (takes just under an hour) and take the bus home - there's a bus stop a mile from my house, plus another one 2.5 miles away. I usually end up taking the bus to the farther stop because I forget to leave my desk on time. :D I started biking every day partly to try to get in shape, but also because my kids' school schedule is such that I can't catch the bus at the time I'd prefer. (During the summer I took the 7:30 bus near my house, which got me in to work in 20 minutes.) It typically takes me about 25-30 minutes on the bus to get home, plus 5-15 minutes biking home from the bus stop. I had a 13-mile commute to my old job in Cleveland, and I find I'm significantly less stressed commuting this way, even if it takes slightly longer. The locations of the bus stops are not publicized to non-employees, but there are lots of them, and some are pretty far out - as far as Santa Cruz. I can't imagine working on the bus to/from SC, though - you'd better bring some dramamine or barf bags!