It's the THINGS THAT IRK YOU thread - not hockey related

[Call of Doughty]

Yup think driving takes the #1 spot on this thread. Mine still remains slow drivers on main commuter roads on days when the conditions are perfect. People who drive 72-75km/h holding up about 4-5 cars. Do the right thing, and pull to the side and allow the rest of us to get by. If they appear elderly, I do back off but i'm still miffed.
When I pass them, I usually give them the look.

[forumname]

I drive about 40 minutes each day to get to work, and obviously the same to get home.

Assuming you work a fairly standard amount, you spend almost 2 weeks each year driving to and from work. An activity that you admit causes you rage. Why not live closer to work or work closer to where you live?

I'm living in the Bay Area right now and it's not unusual for people to spend 1-4 hours per day commuting, so I'm overly sensitive to it, but why do you do it? Maybe you have a unique set of circumstances, but most people I talk to live further from work so they can afford a bigger house. Is that really worth it? Two weeks of your year, gone. That's the amount of vacation many people get, and it's just gone to time in traffic. 80 minutes every day you could be spending with your wife/kids/internet friends/etc. Nevermind the financial/emotional costs on top of the lost time. I'm taking the smaller house every time.

I'm projecting a bit and don't mean to pick on you personally because your commute isn't that unusual, but I just don't get it. I guess you could say it irks me that so many people make this choice and then complain about it. (again, I don't know your circumstances so I'm not talking about you personally as much as trying to make a general statement)

[Loch]

Yup think driving takes the #1 spot on this thread. Mine still remains slow drivers on main commuter roads on days when the conditions are perfect. People who drive 72-75km/h holding up about 4-5 cars. Do the right thing, and pull to the side and allow the rest of us to get by.

This is actually a law in Washington State (on some roads). There are signs and pull-outs and you can get ticketed for blocking traffic. It. Is. Awesome.

[GinFizz]

i live in NJ and commute into the city, most times via train but sometimes i have to drive in. I realized that its not worth getting all jacked up about idiotic drivers.

My commute is over 1hr and 20 min each way, could be more depending on train delays or traffic. Why do I live so far away?? I do not want to live in complete congestion all day every day. I like a bit of piece and quiet. Need to move about 15-20 miles outside of NYC for that.

[BreadManPanarin]

I work in the suburbs and drive about 25 minutes each way. I find that it is the perfect amount of time to have a cup of coffee and listen to music or the news in the morning to get woken up fully, and to gear down on the way home. At one time I lived about 5 minutes from work, and another time I lived about 50 minutes from work. I like my current commute the best out of the three.

Note: There is little to no traffic on my commute. It is just two lane roads that move nicely. If there were traffic I'd probably feel different.

I guess I violated the rules with this post because I didn't really address anything that irks me. Oops.

[Daydream Nation]

I have a 6-mile, one way commute and I actually wouldn't mind if it was a little longer. My wife on the other hand has a 40 minute highway-driving commute that can get affected by weather or accidents.

Why not live closer to where you worked? Depends where you work. I lived in Chicago and would never live there again. I would gladly drive everyday in order to live in the peacefulness of the suburbs. Plus, it is a much nicer environment to raise your family. Granted, if I worked in downtown Chicago I would definitely take a train and make the commute productive.

[Godin]

This is actually a law in Washington State (on some roads). There are signs and pull-outs and you can get ticketed for blocking traffic. It. Is. Awesome.

What are we waiting for Ontario???

Now, is it actually enforced?

[forumname]

I lived in Chicago and would never live there again.

If you don't like living in Chicago, why do you want to work there? Is it that there are no comparable jobs in places you would like to live? Desire to stay close to friends/family?

[BreadManPanarin]

If you don't like living in Chicago, why do you want to work there? Is it that there are no comparable jobs in places you would like to live? Desire to stay close to friends/family?

In general the highest paying jobs with the best advancement opportunities tend to be in big cities... I am pretty sure that is why so many people live in the suburbs and commute into Chicago, New York, etc. It isn't because they "want to work there", they are just taking the best available opportunity to make good money and advance their career.

[forumname]

In general the highest paying jobs with the best advancement opportunities tend to be in big cities... I am pretty sure that is why so many people live in the suburbs and commute into Chicago, New York, etc. It isn't because they "want to work there", they are just taking the best available opportunity to make good money and advance their career.

Yes, fair enough. I wonder how many people do the math to see if it's actually worth it though. Driving an hour each way to work costs a lot in terms of fuel, vehicle depreciation and maintenance, and you're essentially turning an 8 hour day into a 10 hour one. You would have to earn enough to cover the costs of driving, plus 25% on top of that to cover your lost time. So a job that pays $70,000 an hour away probably leaves you worse off financially than a job down the street that only pays $50,000.

That said, I'm sure it is worth it in a lot of cases so long as you don't mind the driving and the loss of free time.

[BreadManPanarin]

Yes, fair enough. I wonder how many people do the math to see if it's actually worth it though. Driving an hour each way to work costs a lot in terms of fuel, vehicle depreciation and maintenance, and you're essentially turning an 8 hour day into a 10 hour one. You would have to earn enough to cover the costs of driving, plus 25% on top of that to cover your lost time. So a job that pays $70,000 an hour away probably leaves you worse off financially than a job down the street that only pays $50,000.

That said, I'm sure it is worth it in a lot of cases so long as you don't mind the driving and the loss of free time.

"Owning and operating a new vehicle in 2017 will cost a driver an average of $8,469 annually", according to http://newsroom.aaa.com/tag/driving-cost-per-mile/. This is based on 15,000 miles per year. This means that even in the extreme case where someone not going to the city might not need a car at all (usually not the case), they would still be worse off making $50,000 than the person who commutes to the city and pays $8,469 annually for their vehicle/gas/insurance/maintenance/depreciation, while making $70,000.

I understand the point you are making regarding lost free time. While I value my time very highly, realistically the average person's time does not have an actual dollar value because they aren't missing out on an alternative chance to make more money. Most people who have a 2 hour less commute don't turn around and get another job to fill up that two hours, and opportunity cost only applies when there is realistically another opportunity.

I have a feeling that most people who do the math would find that it is worth it to commute to the city for work from a mathematical standpoint. Whether it is worth it from a lifestyle standpoint is certainly much more personal and open to debate.

[BreadManPanarin]

I'll throw in a personal anecdote. My mortgage costs me $1314/month for my 4 bedroom house in the suburbs. A few days ago I was talking to a friend who lives in downtown Chicago and she told me that for that same price I could rent a small studio apartment downtown, at best. I asked how much it would cost for a 2 bedroom apartment and she said probably closer to $2500+.

I think this is why a lot of people think it is worth their time to commute to the city for work. Who wants to pay $2500+ for a 2 bedroom apartment??

[forumname]

"Owning and operating a new vehicle in 2017 will cost a driver an average of $8,469 annually", according to http://newsroom.aaa.com/tag/driving-cost-per-mile/. This is based on 15,000 miles per year. This means that even in the extreme case where someone not going to the city might not need a car at all (usually not the case), they would still be worse off making $50,000 than the person who commutes to the city and pays $8,469 annually for their vehicle/gas/insurance/maintenance/depreciation, while making $70,000.

I understand the point you are making regarding lost free time. While I value my time very highly, realistically the average person's time does not have an actual dollar value because they aren't missing out on an alternative chance to make more money. Most people who have a 2 hour less commute don't turn around and get another job to fill up that two hours, and opportunity cost only applies when there is realistically another opportunity.

I have a feeling that most people who do the math would find that it is worth it to commute to the city for work from a mathematical standpoint. Whether it is worth it from a lifestyle standpoint is certainly much more personal and open to debate.

You're right, but they COULD allocate those 2 extra hours per day towards making money if they wanted to. There are plenty of ways to make money from your time outside of paid employment as well though, such as performing tasks yourself that you would otherwise have to pay for because you don't have the time (cooking, cleaning, making things instead of buying them, whatever you like).

However, even if they don't, they are still 'working' (by driving) an extra 25% without an equivalent increase in pay (in this hypothetical example anyway), so they are kind of ripping themselves off. I would rather work 30 hours a week at $50/hour than 40 hours a week at $40 an hour, even though the latter will make me more money. I guess that might put me in a minority though.

But, I've derailed this thread enough so I'll leave it at that. Each to his own I suppose.

[Daydream Nation]

You're right, but they COULD allocate those 2 extra hours per day towards making money if they wanted to. There are plenty of ways to make money from your time outside of paid employment as well though, such as performing tasks yourself that you would otherwise have to pay for because you don't have the time (cooking, cleaning, making things instead of buying them, whatever you like).

However, even if they don't, they are still 'working' (by driving) an extra 25% without an equivalent increase in pay (in this hypothetical example anyway), so they are kind of ripping themselves off. I would rather work 30 hours a week at $50/hour than 40 hours a week at $40 an hour, even though the latter will make me more money. I guess that might put me in a minority though.

But, I've derailed this thread enough so I'll leave it at that. Each to his own I suppose.

I don't view driving as work. Sure, it is part of my day away from home but I don't consider it lost time. During the times of my life that I had a 45 minute commute, I never dreaded the time. I was listening to sports talk, listening to music, or talking on the phone. It was actually a way for me to decompress from my day and get a little entertainment. Plus, if someone can take the train then they can make the commute productive by working while traveling.

And the other part of your point that I don't agree is that it is a full 2 hours of lost time per day. Everyone has some sort of commute. So look at the time difference between someone commuting from the suburbs versus a city dweller. It's going to be closer to 1 to 1.5 hours per day rather than 2 hours.

[als_revenge]

My commute is about 25 to 30 minutes. But I walk. And love getting some exercise in, since I work in an office. I also choose to rent over owning, so I can live in a trendy area and still within walking distance to downtown and work...

People who enter the highway on the onramps at 60km/h and then nearly kill everyone with their merge. That irks me...