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I don't have a drivers license either, and in the US I find myself cycling a bit. Cars don't really know what to do with you there. ^_^ When I mention that I'm

by drostie 15y ago

I don't have a drivers license either, and in the US I find myself cycling a bit. Cars don't really know what to do with you there. ^_^ When I mention that I'm not cycling to work and it takes me 30 minutes to walk, even my fellow Nederlanders look at me in shock and disbelief. 30 minutes, for reference, is about the duration of a typical podcast, and is also pretty standard for downloadable audio lectures, so it's not like I lose productivity -- and even without those, it really does clear my head to spend half an hour with my own mind and no internet to distract me. When I had a bike, I lived further away and spent 50 minutes cycling to work. The thing is, that was only maybe 5 minutes longer than my next-best option, public transport (bus-to-train-to-bus). A car would have been a tremendous, polluting investment, and I lost something like 35 kg just because I got my daily exercise in. So yeah. If you live in an urban environment, driving works but seems lazy.

JoshTriplett 15y ago
While I agree with what you've said about cars, I'd consider it just as crazy to have a 30-minute or 50-minute commute by alternative transportation as an equally long commute by car. Either way, you waste a significant portion of your life going back and forth to work. If you have a commute longer than 5-10 minutes, and you don't work from home on the vast majority of days, consider changing either your work location or your home location. That holds regardless of your preferred mode of transport.
- adrianN 15y ago
  That is doable if you're single and live alone. When you and your preferred room mate work at different locations, it becomes impossible for both of you to live within 5-10 minutes of your workplace.
- merraksh 15y ago
  True, you spend a lot of time going back and forth, but while commuting by car requires that you focus 100% on driving (and the same goes for biking or walking), doing it by train or bus lets you do actual work if all you need is a laptop.
  - JoshTriplett 15y ago
    True enough. While you'll still have some overhead due to the walking in between, you'll probably end up with something comparable to a 5-10 minute commute. Still not ideal (due to the working conditions), but not a complete waste of time.
  - secoif 15y ago
    I take public transport for exactly this reason. I have also found being on public transport somehow makes me feel incredibly focused and productive.
- techdmn 15y ago
  I think that a 30 minute walk or bike ride is not "wasted" the same way 30 minutes driving would be. Driving can be a huge stress, especially in rush-hour commuting traffic. A walk or a bike ride is a chance to unwind.
  - JoshTriplett 15y ago
    Some people consider driving a means of unwinding the same way. Personally I'd consider all three a waste of time compared to actually being at the desired location. Couldn't you unwind more easily at home?
    - stdbrouw 15y ago
      You probably also don't see the point in home cooking when you could eat out, or growing your own vegetables when you could just buy them in a grocery store?
    - freehunter 15y ago
      God, I love driving. If I'm trying to think through a hard problem, I hop on the freeway and let my unconscious mind work through it while my conscious mind is focused on driving. It's as good for problem solving as sleeping is. Biking, while healthy, is much more stressful for me. There's too much to watch for, too much that can go wrong too quickly, and no safety net if it does. I can't stop my mind of thinking what would happen if the rim collapsed right now, or if a squirrel ran out in front of me, or if the seat or handlebars broke... any system fails in a car you're still pretty well protected. On a bike, you're screwed. Doesn't stop me from commuting by bike, though.
      - matthavener 15y ago
        Agreed. I think commuting by bike on trails, small streets, or separated from traffic is must less stressful than biking on a busy street. Even taking a bus is a bit more stressful than driving (for me) because the buses are so infrequent. Missing a crucial bus can cause an extra 30-45 minutes of travel time.
      - 15y ago
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
- saalweachter 15y ago
  Firstly, I agree: working within a few minutes of your home is the greatest luxury money can buy. That said, my two favorite activities while on a train: 1. Read. 2. Sleep. I really miss sleeping on the train in the mornings (my current commute is too short for a quick nap). I always felt so refreshed afterwards. Neither of these is really feasible when commuting by car; having them available to you makes a world of difference between cars and trains or busses. When my commute was Too Long (~50 minutes), I would even occasionally program on the train. That's harder to do, though, because you need a seat, and if you commute during vaguely normal hours (7-11am, 6-10pm) a seat on the subway is a rare commodity.
freehunter 15y ago
I had a friend come to visit a few months ago. He came over from Finland (Helsinki) with his fiancee to my mid-size Midwestern city. He says he had explained it to her previously but I guess she didn't understand that there is really no public transport here. She doesn't have a drivers license because she's never needed one. While my friend and I were out and about, he got a call from her asking where the train station was. The only train here is Amtrak...

by drostie 15y ago

JoshTriplett 15y ago

While I agree with what you've said about cars, I'd consider it just as crazy to have a 30-minute or 50-minute commute by alternative transportation as an equally long commute by car. Either way, you waste a significant portion of your life going back and forth to work. If you have a commute longer than 5-10 minutes, and you don't work from home on the vast majority of days, consider changing either your work location or your home location. That holds regardless of your preferred mode of transport.

adrianN 15y ago
That is doable if you're single and live alone. When you and your preferred room mate work at different locations, it becomes impossible for both of you to live within 5-10 minutes of your workplace.
merraksh 15y ago
True, you spend a lot of time going back and forth, but while commuting by car requires that you focus 100% on driving (and the same goes for biking or walking), doing it by train or bus lets you do actual work if all you need is a laptop.
- JoshTriplett 15y ago
  True enough. While you'll still have some overhead due to the walking in between, you'll probably end up with something comparable to a 5-10 minute commute. Still not ideal (due to the working conditions), but not a complete waste of time.
- secoif 15y ago
  I take public transport for exactly this reason. I have also found being on public transport somehow makes me feel incredibly focused and productive.
techdmn 15y ago
I think that a 30 minute walk or bike ride is not "wasted" the same way 30 minutes driving would be. Driving can be a huge stress, especially in rush-hour commuting traffic. A walk or a bike ride is a chance to unwind.
- JoshTriplett 15y ago
  Some people consider driving a means of unwinding the same way. Personally I'd consider all three a waste of time compared to actually being at the desired location. Couldn't you unwind more easily at home?
  - stdbrouw 15y ago
    You probably also don't see the point in home cooking when you could eat out, or growing your own vegetables when you could just buy them in a grocery store?
  - freehunter 15y ago
    God, I love driving. If I'm trying to think through a hard problem, I hop on the freeway and let my unconscious mind work through it while my conscious mind is focused on driving. It's as good for problem solving as sleeping is. Biking, while healthy, is much more stressful for me. There's too much to watch for, too much that can go wrong too quickly, and no safety net if it does. I can't stop my mind of thinking what would happen if the rim collapsed right now, or if a squirrel ran out in front of me, or if the seat or handlebars broke... any system fails in a car you're still pretty well protected. On a bike, you're screwed. Doesn't stop me from commuting by bike, though.
    - matthavener 15y ago
      Agreed. I think commuting by bike on trails, small streets, or separated from traffic is must less stressful than biking on a busy street. Even taking a bus is a bit more stressful than driving (for me) because the buses are so infrequent. Missing a crucial bus can cause an extra 30-45 minutes of travel time.
    - 15y ago
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
saalweachter 15y ago
Firstly, I agree: working within a few minutes of your home is the greatest luxury money can buy. That said, my two favorite activities while on a train: 1. Read. 2. Sleep. I really miss sleeping on the train in the mornings (my current commute is too short for a quick nap). I always felt so refreshed afterwards. Neither of these is really feasible when commuting by car; having them available to you makes a world of difference between cars and trains or busses. When my commute was Too Long (~50 minutes), I would even occasionally program on the train. That's harder to do, though, because you need a seat, and if you commute during vaguely normal hours (7-11am, 6-10pm) a seat on the subway is a rare commodity.

freehunter 15y ago

I had a friend come to visit a few months ago. He came over from Finland (Helsinki) with his fiancee to my mid-size Midwestern city. He says he had explained it to her previously but I guess she didn't understand that there is really no public transport here. She doesn't have a drivers license because she's never needed one. While my friend and I were out and about, he got a call from her asking where the train station was. The only train here is Amtrak...