Commuters

[Kwacky]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38026625" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Spending two hours commuting each day is a reality for many UK workers, says data that suggests Britons are willing to travel further and longer.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show 3.7 million workers travel for two hours or longer every weekday.

Frances O'Grady of the Trades Union Congress, which published the figures, called on employers to do more to prevent "excessive" journeys.
The average daily commute lasted 57.1 minutes in 2015, the ONS data showed.

Ms O'Grady blamed stagnant wages for bulging commuting times, paired with high house prices and rental costs.
"Employers cannot turn a blind eye to this problem," she said. "Long commutes eat into our family time and can be bad for our working lives too."

To be honest, even if I moved jobs to Birmingham city centre it would still take me about 45 minutes to get into work.

[Itchy]

One area I'm glad to say I've never had to deal with a really long commute. Longest one I've had since I joined up has been about 7 miles!

My current one is a less than a mile!

[D41]

For many people it's not so bad.....it's their only 'quiet time'...time to listen to their own music, be away from the wife & bairns, sneak a ciggy, etc.

I don't mind the driving too much as long as it's moving.....an hour or so driving is no big deal to me....an hour in gridlock can get frustrating pretty quickly..and that's for me, without much of a tight schedule. For the 9-5 crowd things rapidly degenerate down into Uzi-mode. But they'd always be driving into LA/OC when I'd be heading out of it....construction work is very cool in that regard..you're nearly always going against the flow, in a good way.

End of the day...why stress about sommit you have no control over?? You'll only end up p*ssed off, and no-one else will give a feck.

[kiwikrasher]

I commuted 3-4 hrs to the refinery and back (depending on traffic issues) per day. But I figured it was a 4 on 6 off roster so averaged out. Until our shutdown when i did that for 6 months, 5-6 days a week.

Now I commute for a day and a half to work and a day home. (2 hr taxi ride, 2 plane flights totalling 5.5 hrs and a 1.5 hr helicopter ride) But it's only 7 return trips a year.

[D41]

Do helicopter rides get boring??

[StMarks]

About 17 miles to Hull's Old Town for me, so about 20mins on my motorbike. About 45 miles to Leeds so about an hour in the cage (subject to traffic).
When I go to the smoke I use the train from Brough train station (about 7 min drive) and the train to Kings Cross is around 2.30 hrs. Tube is the tube...

[kiwikrasher]

Do helicopter rides get boring??

Very. A book is a must. If I'm lucky I'll snooze for a good portition.

Except one ride we had, low cloud and we were running late to met the flight out of Timor to Darwin, so as we were flying over the mountain range the pilot had it below the peaks in the valleys giving it heaps. Felt like we were in Nam'

[Monty]

Remember Nam, Mama!

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqtehtSB0LI[/video]

[Itchy]

If you're not listening to Little Richard and chewing tobacco, you're doing it wrong!
[video]https://youtu.be/3k2bJ7a5VQo[/video]

[D41]

Wagner??

[D6Nutz]

It's surprising how many people commute a substantial distance to work in London.

On average my commute it 1:30, but it can easily be 2 hours. The train is quite a nice time though, I just chill with a coffee and an audio book.

I would say on average, in just our team, there are more that commute for well over an hour.

[D41]

Do helicopter rides get boring??

Very. A book is a must. If I'm lucky I'll snooze for a good portition.

Except one ride we had, low cloud and we were running late to met the flight out of Timor to Darwin, so as we were flying over the mountain range the pilot had it below the peaks in the valleys giving it heaps. Felt like we were in Nam'

That makes sense....the odd time I've gone back to the UK I try to time stuff so that I'm asleep for most of the journey...sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I get better at it with time....ish/

[Rossgo]

I certainly wouldn't be happy commuting for that long I would have to be being paid a huge salary. 10 mins to work for me by car

[Deegee]

My commute varies depending on where I'm working, my longest is 6hrs each way, but I'd normally stop over for any trip of 2.5hrs or more, that said I've done 4hrs each way and a 10hr working day plenty of times. Only a 2hrs each way today though.

[Kwacky]

It seems like traffic congestion is a big news item this week. Both local and national news are covering the topic.

The problem needs to be addressed, but it's people's mentality that has to be changed and that's nigh impossible. If people took to public transport that would help. 50 people on a bus takes at least 40 cars off the roads. If buses for a week free transport that might tempt customers.

Ignoring traffic signals, cutting people up and blocking junctions are commonplace, they make matters worse.

Getting more people on two wheels would also help.

I can't see things improving though.

[Rossgo]

Kwacky I like the idea of free bus services. That would be a very good way of tempting people especially when you look at the amount we spend on car parks alone it's silly

[D6Nutz]

@kwacky there is a flaw.. All the trains out of Waterloo tonight are delayed due to.
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Congestion !

[Frankie]

I am in traffic every single day now, there is always some muppet crashed into another, road closed, or like this morning Orwell Bridge was shut for a bit, a man was seen on it, possibly looking to jump (its a very high bridge)
But as my trips take me into deepest Kent and up into Norfolk, as the furthest calls, somewhere along the trip there will be traffic hold ups, its a given. Plus my main route to anywhere involves the M25, you just have to be ready for trouble. Like this morning I was on the road early for meetings 3hrs away.

Thing is when I was working for BMW it was a 5 min trip to work, but I hated being stuck in one place all day, you have to take the rough with the smooth, and at the end of the day, I have chosen to do this job so I cant moan, well I do, but nobody listens lol.

[Kwacky]

Yep, being stuck in the office all the time does suck.

Before the Courts allowed telephone hearings I used to travel all around the Midlands to go to court. I miss that.

[Frankie]

At least I do have the freedom, I just make sure I try to give myself plenty of time, so I am not getting wound up due to the traffic, and make sure I am never desperate for a pee...lol

However I did that at south mimms services, I had a meeting there, ended up with a £60 fine... I did not know you caant park there for more than two hours!!!!! F****ed off about that one...got there a little early (preempting traffic) made some phone calls and what not, had meeting went to next call. Got a call from my office the other day to tell me I had a fine... bloody crooks...