Long commutes - update and a job!

Gassage

OK, for a year my commute was thus:

Get up at silly o'clock.

Walk to station- Bham to Marylebone.
Get Tube from Baker St to Tower Hill.
Walk 15 mins from TH to office.

Total- c. 3 hours. Per day.
6 hours per day round trip.

So stop yer moaning.

mike_l

It's usually an hour each way for me. For 18 miles. Fucking A14.

RocknRollDave

My dad used to commute from Dudley (West Midlands) to central Milton Keynes by car every weekday...which I'd probably do for the money he was on just before he retired. My commute is about 25 miles, I think...45 mins on a good day, 30 on a very good day (school hols), but on a bad day it's anybody's guess. Love you, M6....As others have said, for the right money and end goal, go for it...otherwise, no.

Phil_aka_Pip

I used to do 20 miles in 35 minutes, 12 of which were on the A14. Now I do 10 miles in 50 minutes, 8 of them on the A143.

VimFuego

My commute's used to be so long I had to invent a time machine just to get there on time. You pussies got it easy. 

Axe_meister

One thing about long commutes is they are very tiring, especially by car.
I've done London to Nottingham in the past. My life revolved around driving working and sleeping. Weekends were a washout.

MtB

If it's your first real job after your PhD and it's a contract for a year and it gets you valuable work experience and twice the PhD pay I'd say do it. Especially if you can start and finish at the time you choose.

I took a job in 2010 that meant commuting from Hemel to Maidenhead. Initially it was a pain - about 90 minutes each way, sometimes longer (leaving at 7.30am and 5pm respectively). I decided to take it as a short term means to an end, now 4 years on I leave at 6am and 4pm respectively and the journey at those times takes 45 to 50 minutes - which to me is acceptable, and I don't see myself changing jobs any time soon.      

Lixarto

Where's Timmyo?

EricTheWeary

Lixarto said:

Where's Timmyo?

busy commuting? B-)

littlethoughts

I mean obviously there are other options, but most post doc positions tend to be limited to 12 months, but sometimes 2 or 3 years. The idea of taking up a position for 12 months where I would have to move etc. and the Mrs would either have to find her own place or move with me and try and find new work is not that appealing to me or her! There are other "commutable" jobs on the cards as well though.

stickyfiddle

A job should have a minimum of 1 or the following, and 2 if it requires shitty living conditions (e.g. a long commute):

- great career/CV points

- great money

- a great job you actually enjoy doing, ideally working with great people.

No point taking any job that doesn't have one of the above (temporary shelf-stacking etc to pay bills notwithstanding), and preferably at least 2 of those if it involves a shit commute, or living somewhere remote or shitloads of travel you don't otherwise want to do

vasselmeyer

My commute is 15 seconds when I walk from the kitchen into my home office. Mind you, I do spend inordinate amounts of time in airport lounges.

musicegbdf

Been commuting between three and four hours a day for forty two years now! Has been a fairly big waste of my life.... but I try to make use of it. I actually did a three year correspondence course and passed professional exams.
Most people sleep on my train, but I have made some good friends over the years from my fellow commuters. It is also a good time to unwind and reflect on things.

chrispy108

stickyfiddle said:

A job should have a minimum of 1 or the following, and 2 if it requires shitty living conditions (e.g. a long commute):

- great career/CV points

- great money

- a great job you actually enjoy doing, ideally working with great people.

No point taking any job that doesn't have one of the above (temporary shelf-stacking etc to pay bills notwithstanding), and preferably at least 2 of those if it involves a shit commute, or living somewhere remote or shitloads of travel you don't otherwise want to do

Spot on, same as most decisions in life really; am I going to enjoy it now, will it help me get places, or will I get money?

Got to be at least one, if not two of the three for me.

chillidoggy

My commute can be 30 minutes if the kids are school, or 15 minutes when they're on holiday. But that pales into insignificance when compared to the amount of time I waste on here.

ToneControl

I used to do 150 miles a day, about 85 min each way when it went well

consider these ideas:
stay over on night a week (I never did this, so ignore it)
buy a bike and leave it in the station at Cardiff, then cycle when you get there
Get one of those Brompton folding bikes
Leave your car parked in Cardiff during the week, and drive it after the train (sounds expensive to me) - bring it home at weekends
45 min walk must be 2-3 miles I assume

mudslide73

I've done 340 miles a week for 11 years but I was on the road before that (sometimes 1300+) so I'm used to it. You do tend to get through cars quicker than most people. I try to spend as much time with my son as possible - my only regret really is missing all his school stuff.

Our old bass player put 230,000 miles on a VW Transporter in 18 months. He would do Scotland to the south west regularly fixing snd cleaning industrial pumps. So compared to that I've always felt lucky.

mellowsun

In my last job I was commuting 2.5 hours each way. I stuck it out for a year. The upsides were that I loved the job, got some great experience, liked my colleagues and the hours were fairly flexible.

In my current job I have a 30 minute commute but I get home later and have less of a life outside work. Pay is much better though. On the other hand, in central London salaries are irrelevant now because property is out of reach.

I'd say take the job and commute by train. When things run well it's a nice way to travel.

ICBM

RocknRollDave said:

My dad used to commute from Dudley (West Midlands) to central Milton Keynes by car every weekday.

Interesting! My dad used to do Worcester to Cranfield daily. Not far off the same route probably.

There's a chap I know who commutes from Edinburgh to somewhere near Dublin. By bus/Ryanair/bus it's not actually very expensive, and doesn't take that long.

Mine is only once a week rather than daily - near Edinburgh to central Glasgow, 50 miles, 1 hour. I wouldn't do that daily.

littlethoughts

It certainly sounds like I wouldn't be the only fretboarder who has faced a long commute! It would be a very good job. There are other very good job opportunities! I guess my decision will be made by whoever offers me the job...