Who is dreading the commute into work once lockdown is over?

M1ck · March 2021

I’m looking forward to getting out, not necessarily the commute, my commute isn’t too bad compared with some though it is about 1.5hours out of my day, 1.5 hours I’ve been using for guitar practice and I will miss that! If I worked closer to home and there was a proper cycle path I’d be tempted to cycle to work. I’m not so sure it’s the commute that’s a problem for some but what’s at the end of the commute, I look forward to the commute home more than the one to work, I guess if I was going to work outdoors in pleasant surroundings doing something I really enjoyed the commute wouldn’t matter at all.

p90fool · March 2021

I've worked the whole way through, but commuting has never been a drag because I refuse to be Reginald Perrin.

Here's my winter hack and one of my routes home.

drofluf · March 2021

Looking forward to seeing at least some of the people in the office but not relishing the journey; 45 minute train ride followed by crossing London from Paddington to Canary Wharf (which I'll probably do by bike) and I've got to get to the 32nd floor (or 34th? it's been so long I can't remember!). Last summer when they were allowing a limited number of people in the lifts the building managers were predicting 90 minute waits for the lift to allow social distancing.

Fortunately my job has always been officially working from home; I used to go in 2 - 3 times a week; hopefully that will be less now.

lovestrat74 · March 2021

RandallFlagg said:

Lockdown and being away from being in the immediate presence of the work office has magnified my loathing of being a subservient employee exchanging my time for money. I don't enjoy the work and feel like an imposter as I have zero enthusiasm for the company and have no career aspirations within it. It's been a lot easier to hide these feelings remotely and I don't look forward to going back.

But, back I must go, the pay is good and I need to keep earning at this level for a few more years to meet help us our financial freedom targets and there are zero alternatives that pay like this in my area which amplifies the feelings of being chained with golden handcuffs.

At the end of 2023, I will be in a position where I could take a lower income without compromising our personal goals. Ideally, I would like them to make me redundant at the end of that year as the payout would be significant after 20 years employment, that would be ideal and I really could get out of the rat race.

Paragraph 1. Same. Would love to find a way out and do a job I really enjoyed but bills need paying

Musicwolf · March 2021

lovestrat74 said:

RandallFlagg said:

Lockdown and being away from being in the immediate presence of the work office has magnified my loathing of being a subservient employee exchanging my time for money. I don't enjoy the work and feel like an imposter as I have zero enthusiasm for the company and have no career aspirations within it. It's been a lot easier to hide these feelings remotely and I don't look forward to going back.

But, back I must go, the pay is good and I need to keep earning at this level for a few more years to meet help us our financial freedom targets and there are zero alternatives that pay like this in my area which amplifies the feelings of being chained with golden handcuffs.

At the end of 2023, I will be in a position where I could take a lower income without compromising our personal goals. Ideally, I would like them to make me redundant at the end of that year as the payout would be significant after 20 years employment, that would be ideal and I really could get out of the rat race.

Paragraph 1. Same. Would love to find a way out and do a job I really enjoyed but bills need paying

Just hang on in there and the day will come. I never liked work, despite being extremely good at what I did, and I chose to live well within my means for decades with the express intention of retiring at the earliest opportunity. I did retire in Jan 2020 and, despite the joys of the pandemic, it has been the best thing that I ever did. At my retirement party I remember my boss telling me that I was going to ‘miss all this’ but I was confident that I wouldn’t, and I was right. Not having that sinking feeling on a Sunday evening, when you know that you have to go back to work tomorrow, is priceless.

ToneControl · March 2021

Musicwolf said:

lovestrat74 said:

RandallFlagg said:

Lockdown and being away from being in the immediate presence of the work office has magnified my loathing of being a subservient employee exchanging my time for money. I don't enjoy the work and feel like an imposter as I have zero enthusiasm for the company and have no career aspirations within it. It's been a lot easier to hide these feelings remotely and I don't look forward to going back.

But, back I must go, the pay is good and I need to keep earning at this level for a few more years to meet help us our financial freedom targets and there are zero alternatives that pay like this in my area which amplifies the feelings of being chained with golden handcuffs.

At the end of 2023, I will be in a position where I could take a lower income without compromising our personal goals. Ideally, I would like them to make me redundant at the end of that year as the payout would be significant after 20 years employment, that would be ideal and I really could get out of the rat race.

Paragraph 1. Same. Would love to find a way out and do a job I really enjoyed but bills need paying

Just hang on in there and the day will come. I never liked work, despite being extremely good at what I did, and I chose to live well within my means for decades with the express intention of retiring at the earliest opportunity. I did retire in Jan 2020 and, despite the joys of the pandemic, it has been the best thing that I ever did. At my retirement party I remember my boss telling me that I was going to ‘miss all this’ but I was confident that I wouldn’t, and I was right. Not having that sinking feeling on a Sunday evening, when you know that you have to go back to work tomorrow, is priceless.

I did a temporary retirement 10 years ago, had lots of cash in the bank, commuting had stopped me being part of my kid's lives, so I took off 10 months. It was great, bought loads of guitar amps and improved my playing too. It was really hard going back to commuting, hence me thinking this will be like that for many people.

The other big thing was not being able to reprioritize personal vs work tasks on the fly during the day, safe in the knowledge that no one will get grumpy if you walk the dog now when it's dry and sunny, and do that report at 6pm when it's dark, for example

ToneControl · March 2021

M1ck said:

crunchman said:

M1ck said:

crunchman said:

Would be even better if BMW and Audi drivers were removed from the roads.

Any particular reason? I guess if you look at any group of drivers or road users you can find fault, motorcycles, hot hatches, sports cars, 4x4s and so on not just BMW or Audi drivers. I don’t particularly like cyclists on busy or fast roads riding two abreast, or using the road when there’s a cycle path parallel to the road. Controversial? Maybe, but I still give cyclists a wide berth as well as horses even though the number of times I get the universal hand signal from cyclists not obeying the Highway Code as I overtake them - obeying the Highway Code - is unreal.

The way they drive:

Indicators an optional extra.

Overtaking far too close and when there isn't room.

Aggressively revving engines when there isn't room to overtake.

Cut you up.

General aggression towards bikes.

Deliberately pull out in front of you when it's your priority.

Drivers of other car brands sometimes do those things, but it seems to be a much higher proportion of BMW and Audi drivers.

I must admit I do feel smug when I overtake them again at the next set of lights, and all their aggressive idiocy has been for nothing, but life would be far better without that kind of driving in the first place.

Lol with the exception of revving engines theres nothing there I haven’t seen cyclists do! and often! Perhaps instead of revving engines (which they can’t) they go through red lights to hack car drivers off. Seriously though I think there are as many if not proportionally more bad cyclists, maybe that’s that’s down to lack of regulation i.e. taking a competency test, insurance, mot, etc. but that’s a whole other discussion.
IMHO anyone using the highway should follow the rules of the highway and in particular the rules that apply to them, and that includes stopping at red lights, and frustrating as it may be, wait their turn in a stationary queue or at the very least proceed with caution - that car in front may want to turn left when a cyclist wants to go straight ahead and is in the cars blind spot, it’s not always the BMW car driver to blame, much as some would like it to be.
Anywhoo let’s not derail the OPs thread there will always be bad car driver vs bad cyclist discussions and rarely will they see eye to eye, I will always do the right thing regardless.

the most aggressive road users I have seen are mostly cyclists

there will always be a current brand and model popular with people who want to project a boy racer image. Last I heard it was Audi, and a lot of longer term Audi drivers were shying away from the brand.
However, even then I can't say I've ever noticed one brand of cars having noticeably worse drivers

FarleyUK · March 2021

Yep.

Thankfully, the company I'm starting in April with will only be opening all offices Worldwide from at least January 2022; and even then, my new manager only wants her team in 2 days a week.

Downside is it's central London near Liverpool Street. I've done the commute before, and it was a 5 hour round-trip.... but I'm thinking I could stay overnight in a Premier Inn Hub for example. Then use the night I'm there to get to know the team.

But yeah, I HATE any commute. Just infuriates me as it's a waste of time!

axisus · March 2021

Key worker so I've been driving to work right through, 64 mile round trip. The first lockdown was lovely, like driving up the M1 on a Sunday in the 70s. Latest lockdown just seems like normality, a million cars on the road.

EricTheWeary · March 2021

axisus said:

Key worker so I've been driving to work right through, 64 mile round trip. The first lockdown was lovely, like driving up the M1 on a Sunday in the 70s. Latest lockdown just seems like normality, a million cars on the road.

Having been out and about for various highly essential journeys ( my 'I am a key worker' letter in the glovebox) the only difference to pre covid traffic now seems to be less of a bottle neck at commuting times.

I had to drive into Wolverhampton for something to do with my late mother on Tuesday and my brother and sister in law came. They've been retired in their house in the country since last March and mostly relied on Tesco deliveries. They were quite freaked out by the journey, they just thought everyone else ( apart from Tesco drivers apparently) were mostly still staying at home. It was proper busy traffic.

grungebob · March 2021

I’ve not stopped.

The one day I was allowed to work from home my client kicked off and demanded I return.

Of course my boss capitulated like lightning.

so I have a role I could pretty much do from home 80% of the week but my client “pays for me to be here 5 days” and that’s what he wants.
so rather than me being sat at home pulling data from spreadsheets to provide technical advice and reports I’m sat in an office in my own building all alone pulling data from spreadsheets.

Madness eh.

rlw · March 2021

SPECTRUM001 said:

rlw said:

I look forward to being on the 7.01 from York and at a desk in central London by 9.30 a few times a week.

I cannot say how much I hate WFH and all its consequences.

Wow - so five hours commuting daily (unless you stay over). That’s serious respect.

50/50 really. What I really miss the most is coming back on the 19.00 on Friday evening - having a seat booked of course - and slowly drinking 3 or 4 JD and Cokes and getting quite relaxed.

I live about ten minutes from the station here but I used to have a client who lived in an outlying village who drove into York everyday, parked in a local pub car park and was at his desk in Holborn by 9.00 every day....

I've always travelled for work except for a year when I had a local job to which I walked. The travel is part of it but then I'm a Londoner through and through.

JCA2550 · March 2021

I've never been busier working non-stop from home for the last 12 months, but I'm doing a day "at work" tomorrow as I need our IT guys to swap a laptop for me. So, it's a 40 mile round trip in the car to Watford and back to North East London and it feels like I'm planning a trip to the Antarctic. The odd day every few weeks back at "head office" is a novelty these days, but it will end, probably in the Autumn and I'm dreading what the new routine might become.

crunchman · March 2021

rlw said:

SPECTRUM001 said:

rlw said:

I look forward to being on the 7.01 from York and at a desk in central London by 9.30 a few times a week.

I cannot say how much I hate WFH and all its consequences.

Wow - so five hours commuting daily (unless you stay over). That’s serious respect.

50/50 really. What I really miss the most is coming back on the 19.00 on Friday evening - having a seat booked of course - and slowly drinking 3 or 4 JD and Cokes and getting quite relaxed.

I live about ten minutes from the station here but I used to have a client who lived in an outlying village who drove into York everyday, parked in a local pub car park and was at his desk in Holborn by 9.00 every day....

I've always travelled for work except for a year when I had a local job to which I walked. The travel is part of it but then I'm a Londoner through and through.

With the cost of a train from York to London every day, I'd just take a lower paid job closer to home and have a more balanced lifestyle.

prowla · March 2021

M1ck said:

crunchman said:

Would be even better if BMW and Audi drivers were removed from the roads.

Any particular reason? I guess if you look at any group of drivers or road users you can find fault, motorcycles, hot hatches, sports cars, 4x4s and so on not just BMW or Audi drivers. I don’t particularly like cyclists on busy or fast roads riding two abreast, or using the road when there’s a cycle path parallel to the road. Controversial? Maybe, but I still give cyclists a wide berth as well as horses even though the number of times I get the universal hand signal from cyclists not obeying the Highway Code as I overtake them - obeying the Highway Code - is unreal.

Am I a different person if I'm driving my Beemer or my Megane Scenic (or my Lotus)?

Teetonetal · March 2021

grungebob said:

I’ve not stopped.
The one day I was allowed to work from home my client kicked off and demanded I return.
Of course my boss capitulated like lightning.

so I have a role I could pretty much do from home 80% of the week but my client “pays for me to be here 5 days” and that’s what he wants.
so rather than me being sat at home pulling data from spreadsheets to provide technical advice and reports I’m sat in an office in my own building all alone pulling data from spreadsheets.
Madness eh.

I just don't understand this. If the only difference is the seat you are sitting on, how is it that the client is so demanding?

M1ck · March 2021

prowla said:

M1ck said:

crunchman said:

Would be even better if BMW and Audi drivers were removed from the roads.

Any particular reason? I guess if you look at any group of drivers or road users you can find fault, motorcycles, hot hatches, sports cars, 4x4s and so on not just BMW or Audi drivers. I don’t particularly like cyclists on busy or fast roads riding two abreast, or using the road when there’s a cycle path parallel to the road. Controversial? Maybe, but I still give cyclists a wide berth as well as horses even though the number of times I get the universal hand signal from cyclists not obeying the Highway Code as I overtake them - obeying the Highway Code - is unreal.

Am I a different person if I'm driving my Beemer or my Megane Scenic (or my Lotus)?

The point I was trying to make is being a prat isn’t specific to any type or road user

rlw · March 2021

crunchman said:

rlw said:

SPECTRUM001 said:

rlw said:

I look forward to being on the 7.01 from York and at a desk in central London by 9.30 a few times a week.

I cannot say how much I hate WFH and all its consequences.

Wow - so five hours commuting daily (unless you stay over). That’s serious respect.

50/50 really. What I really miss the most is coming back on the 19.00 on Friday evening - having a seat booked of course - and slowly drinking 3 or 4 JD and Cokes and getting quite relaxed.

I live about ten minutes from the station here but I used to have a client who lived in an outlying village who drove into York everyday, parked in a local pub car park and was at his desk in Holborn by 9.00 every day....

I've always travelled for work except for a year when I had a local job to which I walked. The travel is part of it but then I'm a Londoner through and through.

With the cost of a train from York to London every day, I'd just take a lower paid job closer to home and have a more balanced lifestyle.

Clients pay the fares

scrumhalf · March 2021

At the moment I could do with having some work to commute to.

Jalapeno · March 2021

Not at all, but then I'm retiring at the end of March ! </smug>

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Who is dreading the commute into work once lockdown is over?

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