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Baffler186
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PostPosted: 11:28 - 10 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I consider that commute if the job paid 50% more than I'm currently earning, AND if the job made me happier or at least just happy.

Time will be your biggest loss so factor that in to your family/personal life. Yes it will be comfortable in a car with the music on, but I'd rather do it by bike in fair weather if you can save significant time.

My longest commute was 45/50 mins by car, mostly crawling in traffic. You do learn to switch off, which is dangerous. At least on a bike it is nearly impossible to switch off.
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panrider_uk
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PostPosted: 11:43 - 10 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd not commute for that long on a regular basis.

To me, time is more important than more money.

I don't know how London commuters can stand it.
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linuxyeti
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PostPosted: 12:48 - 10 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

panrider_uk wrote:
I'd not commute for that long on a regular basis.

To me, time is more important than more money.

I don't know how London commuters can stand it.


Ahh, now you see, that depends on the commute, granted, alot of the time, if I want to save time, then it's motorway, however, on nice weather days,I'll quite often take detour on the way home, take a more scenic route, at times, an very long winded way home Smile
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Pjay
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PostPosted: 12:53 - 10 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Be prepared to be late a lot more often when commuting that kind of mileage, especially in a car.
I'd ensure my employers wouldn't take a dim view on the increase in late days. Wouldn't be happy getting sacked 3 months into the job due to that kind of shit.
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BrownTrousers
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PostPosted: 13:48 - 10 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Would not do it.

Ultimately it's not the financial cost of commuting or the boredom of driving so much (although both are significant) but the time lost.

50+ hours per month sat in a car on my own, unpaid. 2 full days per month of my life. Nope.
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haroman666
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PostPosted: 14:19 - 10 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

My mum has had a 50mile commute for over 20 years and doesn't seem to mind. Perhaps because she doesn't know any different.

I personally would hate it. I used to commute 20miles in London which took 45mins - 1hr on a motorbike.

50miles would suck the life out of me. 10 hours of your week spent driving/in a car in rush hour times does not sound fun to me and I really love driving.

I think you'll only find out whether you can hack it by actually doing it.

Travel might be paid for but does this include the increased frequency of vehicle maintenance and servicing? Having to service a vehicle twice a year rather than once a year could also be somewhat of a deal breaker depending on your mechanical prowess.
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LustyLew
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PostPosted: 15:31 - 10 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I used to commute between Old St, in East Central London and Hitchin in Hertfordshite.

A1M, M25, A10. Come rain or shine, or snow!

I hated it. Knackered my bike, knackered me, knackered my evenings.

I have to disagree with 'switching off'. It's very easy to stop paying attention. It's also very easy to fall asleep on a motorbike - trust me!

Whatever you think your running costs, double it. I'd also add an extra hour a day to allow for 'unscheduled' stops. Traffic, accidents etc.
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owl10
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PostPosted: 20:26 - 10 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the replies so far.

Today was psretty usual for me in that i left for work just gone 7 and arrived at just before 8, and left the office at 6 to get home about 6.35.

Just under an hour and a half in the car.

Key to it i guess then would be being able to work 1 hour a day less each day to compensate, though how likely that is i couldn't say.

Currently im on a 36hr week contract, no paid overtime, but most weeks clock 45 to 50 hours or more as it comes with the job (half day friday). Im guessing new job would be similar. For the most part i enjoy what i do.

Luckily my current role is quote autonomous: i pretty much work each day from whichever site i like (bristol is closest - cant WFH due to distractions). I check in wirh the boss if and when needed and see him in person every 2 weeks or so. Again, it sounds like this will be similar, at the potential new place however each company is different so wouldnt ever really know until i get there.
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arry
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PostPosted: 22:00 - 10 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I did 45 miles each way for ~2 years on possibly the worst A Road in the South East for most of it, going into one of the most congested towns in the whole of the county. I mixed it up with the bike over summer, but it isn't a very nice ride and despite there being a scenic route I just want to get to work, and get home again so it rarely interested me enough to take it.

What I liked:
1) My car my space, at least I didn't have to listen to other people's inane train conversations.
2) The freedom that when you're done in work, you have the car there and can go off somewhere that you'd otherwise not have taken the drive to; for example I used the opportunity to visit family and friends that were closer to where I was working than where I was living.

What I hated:
1) Increased wear and tear on the car was huge, being used heavily in all seasons, for a lot of miles just for work let alone private miles. It took sticking on top of.
2) Every time it rained - guaranteed an accident, guaranteed a delay.
3) The stupidity of other drivers really, really grates on you after a while - so much so that I'd got used to regularly undertaking, going into 'wrong' lanes to cut corners, forcing openings etc, and didn't feel the slightest bit guilty about doing it. It was going to lead to a conviction or an accident at some point; rage levels raging.
4) Having to leave at ridiculous-o-clock to avoid the traffic and then sit in the office for 45 minutes before you'd see a soul. Leaving at 6:40 I could do the journey in 45 minutes ish; leaving at 7:10 it would take me an hour and a quarter. On the way home I either left at 4:45 or 6:15 - anything in between those times may as well not bother, it'd take you longer to get out of town than it would to do the rest of the 40 miles down the dual carriageway.
5) Absolutely no plan B. Well there is, but everyone else is taking it, and it's just as nightmarish. Means when you absolutely positively have to be somewhere after work, you can't be certain you'll actually make it.

I wouldn't do it again. Too stressful, too expensive (I reckon I save ~£250 a month nowadays getting back on the train into London all told) and not a lot of fun.
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Hong Kong Phooey
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PostPosted: 22:39 - 10 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you decide to do it, download waze to help route you via the less constipated passages.

Download audio books and podcasts.

See if your employer will let you work from home one day per week.

Leave room for filtering bikes Thumbs Up
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stevo as b4
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PostPosted: 23:14 - 10 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Arry is spot on with his points.

Im currently working in the Leicester -Derby area, to help out the local lads with a huge backlog of work for a month. Its about 85-90miles each way from Worcester and the best travel time so far has been 2hours 10min. Worst was 3hours 37min.

Its a nightmare travelling 200miles on major A-road and motorways a day. Im staying in a hotel from next week, but a week of commuting even in works vehicles with paid for fuel, is exhausting and quite depressing.

I'd do 50miles each way as an absolute maximum on a regular basis, but 90miles is horrible and I'm feeling naff and knackered. If you can't stop or get put up near where your working, then change jobs before its gets you down to a serious degree or affects your family life.
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owl10
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PostPosted: 00:58 - 11 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Its actually not far from you Stevo, im just north of bristol and the new place would be just south west of worcester.
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asta1
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PostPosted: 02:08 - 11 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've done it. It's shit. Commuted 54 miles each way last year to work for a temporary placement job. Did it for 14 months.

Takes about 1hr10 on a good day, but you can't guarantee it won't take 2 hrs, so you have to leave 2 hrs before you need to arrive (or at least do what I did and work out that you have a 90% confidence of it taking 1hr40 or less and accept you'll be late 10% of the time and yes, I did have a spreadsheet to track that, I'm that anal.)

Anyway, it's shit. Car insurance'll jump, it's about £60 a week in fuel, a service every 4months or so and accepting that you're 'working' every day from 7.15 till 7.00 (for a nominal 9-5). Also totally ruined the fun of biking for me towards the end (I used the bike as much as possible to commute and the last thing I wanted to do on a weekend was do another 100 miles on the bike, so jollies ceased).

Worth noting, as I have said before, a 40hr a week job is 2000hrs a year to draw your salary. Doing a 3 hour round trip commute sticks another 750 hours on top of that for free. Purely mathematically, you need to stick 37.5% on top of your base salary to make the same hourly rate.

For what it's worth I've now got a permanent position with the same company. I'm gonna rent. It's actually only about £150/month more than fuel, insurance and consumables (yes, its a cheap place to live) and to save 750hrs/year? That's a bargain.
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stevo as b4
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PostPosted: 21:38 - 11 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

owl10 wrote:
Its actually not far from you Stevo, im just north of bristol and the new place would be just south west of worcester.


I'm guessing say somewhere like Malvern or Tewkesbury then? And if your north Bristol that's maybe like Filton area? It's still realistically all M5 motorway everyday, and your entirely dependant on it being good traffic conditions, so no bad weather, fog or accidents or roadworks. Too many variables that'll be more often than not stacked against you for 45-50miles twice a day

This week I've been using the M42 and it's been totally fucked twice and crawling at best 3days out of 4. If it's raining or icy or foggy then as well as the normal morning congestion that sees it slow to a crawl at every junction, they'll be an accident, debris in the road or a huge tailback in the managed motorway section.

Do you really want to endure that kind of hassle daily, and as Arry said roll the dice on how long the commute might take as a guess?

Oh and I've done Worcester to Gloucester city centre a few times last year as a morning commute, and that's still 45min on a clear good day. If the M5 gets fucked up (usually around the M50 junction) it's easily an hour and a half on the A38 sat in the traffic trying to avoid the motorway.

I might do a short stint or a temporary agreed duration gig in the summer months with such a commute, but it'd have to be worth it money wise.

I use company vehicles with fuel paid for, but even then it's bloody nasty to be spending hours a day travelling instead of working. Our firm would arrange local digs for the workers if it's for any length of time, as it's a waste of money paying for diesel and overtime when no more work can get done to show for it.

If your self funding your proposed commute and it's 4-5days a week I'd say forget it unless your going to be earning silly money?
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JonB
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PostPosted: 22:56 - 11 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Up to a year ago I was doing North Bristol to Taunton. 60 miles each way. Hour or so. Did it for 4 years, fully expensed.

Got used to it reasonably quickly, but I used to leave at 7 to allow for delays, used to get home at 6. When it was just me and the missus, no problem. I now have two little girls and I rarely got to see them.

I now work about 20 miles away just one junction up the M5, commute is 35 minute, I can leave at 8:10 to get in for 8:45. I can now make and eat breakfast with my girls and my life is a lot more contented.

I could definitely do the long commute again, but once the kids have grown up.

Oh, summer was a nightmare. Friday evenings M5 Northbound during school holidays was regularly a 3 hour drive home.
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Fin
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PostPosted: 23:33 - 11 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd say it all depends how you deal and cope with it, I'm yet to find I time I'm not happy to get in my car and drive, 2 fat subwoofers in the back, an exhaust tone I like.

I love my music and could listen to it all day every day, I'll have to listen to a few different genres throughout the day but I'd be happy. Not being able to listen while at work makes getting in the car all the better. I still like how safe and comfortable I am when I get in the big metal box. I find when I ride the bike putting earphones in is more hassle than its worth, I like to be able to hear what's going on with the bike, one time I rode with earphones in and my exhaust headers started falling off and I lost half the nuts.
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M.C
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PostPosted: 23:53 - 11 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fin wrote:
I'm yet to find I time I'm not happy to get in my car and drive

Wait until you drive for work.
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Hawkeye1250FA
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PostPosted: 01:26 - 12 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would like to re-do my statement....

I was definitely looking at it through rose tinted glasses of using the bike all the time.

IF you insist on using the car... then I agree with the majority that it is going to be a major PITA most days... not some - Most.

If its the kind of job where you are important and can do what you want, then do it, but dont let being late stress you out. Sit back relax in the left lane and just cruise along ignoring the rat race.

If not, and you are going to be worrying all the time about getting to work on time... Then either dont do it- or take the bike.

I did a similar distance (all M5/M6) through all weathers for 2 years (stoke to Tamworth one year and Stoke to Cardiff!! another - that was M6/M5/M50) Car is a definite no.
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owl10
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PostPosted: 08:00 - 12 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Im 5 mins from junction 14 and the role is near Malvern.

Silly money depends on perspective really. This could be around 20k increase.

Ive got to go to Tewkesbury next week, which is most of the way. so might go early and make it a trial run o get an idea of what it would be like
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Last edited by owl10 on 14:30 - 12 Jan 2018; edited 1 time in total
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nowhere.elysium
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PostPosted: 11:02 - 12 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Eh, I commuted from West Birmingham to East London for a few months. Not something I'd recommend, but it does rather put all of these 'one hour commuting so sooo miserable' comments in their place a bit. I'm currently in the running for a job in Coventry, which takes around an hour to get to and it's what I've seen of the job that making me think twice about it, not the commute time.
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colink98
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PostPosted: 13:18 - 12 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

nowhere.elysium wrote:
Eh, I commuted from West Birmingham to East London for a few months. Not something I'd recommend, but it does rather put all of these 'one hour commuting so sooo miserable' comments in their place a bit.


Indeed
all these millennials wanting to work at the end of their roads.
it rights and shit bruv.
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arry
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PostPosted: 13:21 - 12 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

ColinK98 wrote:

Indeed
all these millennials wanting to work at the end of their roads.
it rights and shit bruv.


So by inference non-millennials don't want to work at the end of their roads?
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M.C
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PostPosted: 15:05 - 12 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

ColinK98 wrote:
nowhere.elysium wrote:
Eh, I commuted from West Birmingham to East London for a few months. Not something I'd recommend, but it does rather put all of these 'one hour commuting so sooo miserable' comments in their place a bit.


Indeed
all these millennials wanting to work at the end of their roads.
it rights and shit bruv.

Depends how close you're to the station at either end, I know someone who lives in Milton Keynes and commutes into London, and being close to stations (at both ends) he actually stopped riding in by bike.

My happiest commute was 30mins down the canal, even with all the angry joggers/dog walkers/canal boat owners. No sitting next to sick people on public transport, no motorists trying to kill you Wub
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TQ
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PostPosted: 16:53 - 12 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

My commute is 55 miles and takes between 1:15 and 1:30.

I don't mind it having a nice car certainly helps (and for me adaptive cruise has been a god send).

Plenty of time to listen to podcasts and contemplate the world, I'm sure it's kept my stress levels down.

It does cost a bit though; £300 a month in diesel for me and £200 on M6Toll fees before you see how many tyres/brakes the car gets through.
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colink98
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PostPosted: 17:03 - 12 Jan 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

arry wrote:
ColinK98 wrote:

Indeed
all these millennials wanting to work at the end of their roads.
it rights and shit bruv.


So by inference non-millennials don't want to work at the end of their roads?


isn't this just an example of Deductive fallacy arry ?
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