Your Commute.

[MadBurgerMaker]

About five minutes from my house to the office.   

Longest commute was an hour and a quarter each way from Detroit to Lansing, but I only had to do that twice a week.  I loved the Lansing office, but I hated that commute.  In those days our office manager in Detroit had become so extraordinarily petty that the office coffee pots were forbidden.  He forbade us from even having a "Coffee Club" where employees would chip in to buy the coffee and maintain the pots.  We didn't even have an office manager in Lansing; and the coffee flowed like a bitter black river.

What?  No coffee?  Why did he do that? 

[CountDeMoney]

Probably because people can't clean up after themselves.

[Savonarola]

About five minutes from my house to the office.   

Longest commute was an hour and a quarter each way from Detroit to Lansing, but I only had to do that twice a week.  I loved the Lansing office, but I hated that commute.  In those days our office manager in Detroit had become so extraordinarily petty that the office coffee pots were forbidden.  He forbade us from even having a "Coffee Club" where employees would chip in to buy the coffee and maintain the pots.  We didn't even have an office manager in Lansing; and the coffee flowed like a bitter black river.

What?  No coffee?  Why did he do that?

The official reason was that they were a fire hazard.  The real reason was that in our transition from Cingular to AT&T we lost our mail room (previously one of his fiefdoms) so he felt the need to remind us peons that he, not corporate, was really in charge.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Probably because people can't clean up after themselves.

Some of the worst offenders of this where I'm at are the directors coming in and trashing the break room (along with students), although the part relating to coffee is mostly limited to leaving their mugs sitting around everywhere.  One of the more gross things a couple of them do though is they don't cover the stuff they put in the microwave, then don't clean up the mess they leave in there.    Thanks for leaving the puddle of whatever that nasty smelling crap is for someone else to clean up, boss!  Oh and popcorn.  Some dumbass burns a bag of popcorn every day.  I haven't figured out who is doing that yet though.  Could be revenge of the peons. 

The official reason was that they were a fire hazard.  The real reason was that in our transition from Cingular to AT&T we lost our mail room (previously one of his fiefdoms) so he felt the need to remind us peons that he, not corporate, was really in charge.

That's shitty. 

[Caliga]

My commute is 25 miles and it takes about 25 minutes, give or take depending on traffic.

Longest commute was when I lived in Boston: 90 minutes.

[Admiral Yi]

My commute is 25 miles and it takes about 25 minutes, give or take depending on traffic.

Longest commute was when I lived in Boston: 90 minutes.

T or cah?

[Barrister]

My commute sucks.  It's about 50-55 minutes door to door.

The "good" thing is that I take the LRT.  I get on at the very first stop on the track.  So rather than get on the train that's leaving right away, I wait and get on the next train that leaves 5 minutes later.  I'm first on board, then I put my head down and snooze for the ~20 minutes till my train pulls into my station.

Driving would save 5-10 minutes in the morning (and frankly none at all in the afternoon), cost a couple hundred per month in gas and parking, and wouldn't let me snooze.

My best commute... living in Whitehorse was about a 15 minute drive through lovely Rabbitfoot Canyon.  I'd see wildlife along the way sometimes.  Mind you the downside was I had to park on the street, and in the middle of a Yukon winter my truck could be pretty damn cold at the end of the day...

[CountDeMoney]

Some of the worst offenders of this where I'm at are the directors coming in and trashing the break room (along with students), although the part relating to coffee is mostly limited to leaving their mugs sitting around everywhere.  One of the more gross things a couple of them do though is they don't cover the stuff they put in the microwave, then don't clean up the mess they leave in there.    Thanks for leaving the puddle of whatever that nasty smelling crap is for someone else to clean up, boss!  Oh and popcorn.  Some dumbass burns a bag of popcorn every day.  I haven't figured out who is doing that yet though.  Could be revenge of the peons.

Could be worse, man.  I'm up to my ass in the eastern hemisphere.  All flavors. Asian Tigers, People's Republic, Bollywood, you name it.  And not domestic ones--you know, those that grew up with things we have here called "nutrition" or "courtesy"--but fair trade ones.

So lunch time is an exciting time for everybody. Refrigerator smells like Quang Tri Province, August 1968. Microwaves smell like a Mumbai open market, all curry and feet.  God knows what nightmares they're reheating.  It's like Temple of Doom meets Dr. Lazarus's dinner in Galaxy Quest.  Yikes.

[Berkut]

About 80 minutes each way. Which I hate hate hate.

I actually stay at my sister in laws in Buffalo one or two nights a week so I can avoid the drive. The commute from her place to work is 5 minutes, 15 if I have to go downtown.

[LaCroix]

10-15 minutes. worst commute was driving 140 miles roundtrip M-F one summer for an externship. I paid for that privilege.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Could be worse, man.  I'm up to my ass in the eastern hemisphere.  All flavors. Asian Tigers, People's Republic, Bollywood, you name it.  And not domestic ones--you know, those that grew up with things we have here called "nutrition" or "courtesy"--but fair trade ones.

So lunch time is an exciting time for everybody. Refrigerator smells like Quang Tri Province, August 1968. Microwaves smell like a Mumbai open market, all curry and feet.  God knows what nightmares they're reheating.  It's like Temple of Doom meets Dr. Lazarus's dinner in Galaxy Quest.  Yikes.

  I know what you mean.  Same deal here with the students (and a lot of the faculty).  I end up going to lunch at 3-330 just to avoid the stench.  Walking by that break room between about 1130 and 2 is an....interesting....experience.

[Monoriu]

When I was in Berkeley, I only used the microwave in the student dormitory once.  The smell was an unforgettable experience.  I was very surprised, as I view Berkeley students as elite and well-disciplined.

Current commute: 20 minute drive.

Longest commute: 70 minute drive from one end of Hong Kong to the other. 

[Zanza]

I am commuting right now on the local train. Takes me like 30-35 minutes door to door. If weather permits I can commute in a similar time via bicycle. A car would probably shave off 15 minutes in the morning and 5 in the afternoon.
My employer has a new office that is two minutes walking distance from my apartment. I consider trying to get a job there...

[Martinus]

I walk 300 metres. It got better when I moved 3 years ago (I used to walk 400 metres).

[Syt]

Before we moved offices I had a 25 minute commute on the subway, changing trains once.

Now that we're close to the city center I can take the tram along Ringstraße. It's about 20 minutes now (tram is slower than subway, of course). If I just walk to the office it's about 30-35 minutes.