How do you cope with commuting

rosmoke · 25-09-2018 10:39am #1

I'm trying to understand how people cope with commutes as the title suggests.
We live in Citywest, takes me 1h25min to get to Harcourt Luas Stop with Luas, wife workes in city centre as well, takes her 1h30min. (including walking)

So 3h commute + 8h30min at work means at least 11h and 30 minutes only for work. Of course, you need a shower, shopping, cooking, cleaning and that's the day ... even without kids.

And we live in Dublin, we were thinking of buying a house near Dublin , but it's ridiculous, I might as well just emigrate at this point.

What's the point of having a life/wife/kids/house if you see them only on weekends?

punisher5112 · 25-09-2018 10:41am

rosmoke wrote: »

I'm trying to understand how people cope with commutes as the title suggests.
We live in Citywest, takes me 1h25min to get to Harcourt Luas Stop with Luas, wife workes in city centre as well, takes her 1h30min. (including walking)

So 3h commute + 8h30min at work means at least 11h and 30 minutes only for work. Of course, you need a shower, shopping, cooking, cleaning and that's the day ... even without kids.

And we live in Dublin, we were thinking of buying a house near Dublin , but it's ridiculous, I might as well just emigrate at this point.

What's the point of having a life/wife/kids/house if you see them only on weekends?

We need fast forms of rapid transportation.

It's shocking how slow all our forms of transport are.

Creamy Goodness · 25-09-2018 10:49am

20 minute drive - 35 on a bad day - for me.

I traded in the 1hr commute 2 years ago and never been happier. Being able to leave for work at 8:30 and be in for 9 and leave work at 5:30 and be home at 6 is worth more than a 10% increase in salary imo.

OMM 0000 · 25-09-2018 10:52am

I agree with you it's not worth it.

I did have a long commute once, and I used it for studying. I could get a solid two hours of study done every day. So I turned the negative into a positive.

On that 3 hour commute every day you could be teaching yourself a foreign language, getting some IT certifications, etc.

I emigrated. There are better countries/cities to live in. Dublin does have a lot of positive aspects though.

helimachoptor · 25-09-2018 10:52am

I used to do a similar commute, city west down to the SJRQ (before red line extensions). Bus from citywest to Tallaght, red line, walk. Painful.

got a bike.

That commute is around 14K, all downhill on the way in. Depending on fitness, you could do it in 35 mins or so.

rosmoke wrote: »

I'm trying to understand how people cope with commutes as the title suggests.
We live in Citywest, takes me 1h25min to get to Harcourt Luas Stop with Luas, wife workes in city centre as well, takes her 1h30min. (including walking)

So 3h commute + 8h30min at work means at least 11h and 30 minutes only for work. Of course, you need a shower, shopping, cooking, cleaning and that's the day ... even without kids.

And we live in Dublin, we were thinking of buying a house near Dublin , but it's ridiculous, I might as well just emigrate at this point.

What's the point of having a life/wife/kids/house if you see them only on weekends?

jon1981 · 25-09-2018 10:56am

That's horrific, add kids into that situation and you do have a challenging scenario. Kids get sick, you'll have last minute calls from the creche to collect them. This is were family really comes in but not everyone has that luxury (not us anyway).

We sacrificed a big a house further out of Dublin city for a small house about 6km from the city centre. 20min cycle to work, loads of bus and dart options. Ideal while the kids are in creche. Of course I know not everyone has that luxury given the cost of housing. The Luas while great in the location options it serves is far too slow.

Another option is to look for a job on the m50 belt. But I'm not a fan of moving jobs to suit your living location as jobs will come and go (unless you're a teacher,doctor...etc and relatively stationary for the next 30 yrs), so having a home base that is as convenient as possible to access a good coverage of Dublin based job is important.

25-09-2018 10:59am

I'm lucky currently I suppose, 25km / 30 mins commute to D24 from a Kildare town. It's actually pleasant for most of it :cool:

rosmoke · 25-09-2018 11:03am

I used to cycle for a living and I loved it, in a different capital. In here I tried and I can't do it, cycling 30km daily in rain and wind it's just depressing for me.

Teyla Emmagan · 25-09-2018 11:23am

I try to make the best of the time. So I read (you get through an awful lot of books commuting) or I get out and walk when the weather is good. I get 2 buses and you can generally walk at least as fast as the second bus for most of the journey.

An hour and 25 is bad IMO. Anything under an hour generally reasonable. Crazy though that seems.

It's not the bus I hate, it's the other people on it. Were it not for the (literally) stinking public then public transport would be fine.

miamee · 25-09-2018 11:27am

I do a shorter commute than you OP but also find it difficult at vertain times of the year. I'm lucky to live in an area that is relatively well serviced by Dublin Bus so can't really complain too much about that although evening bus times can be hit and miss.

It's about an hour door to door in the mornings and the evenings vary. If I leave on time at 5.30pm and get to the bus stop pretty quickly, I can be home before 6.30. If I delay or get stuck for even 10-15 minutes, it will take significantly longer to get home and can be near to 7pm sometimes. That is rare though, thankfully.

I set myself a reading challenge last year and this year so I always read on the bus, it's a genuine hobby and depending on the book I can be really looking forward to getting onto the bus and stuck into the book. If I am between books, I listen to podcasts so again, I don't feel like I am just filling in time on the bus.

I have had a much shorter commute when living elsewhere and also when in a different job (a 5 minute walk and in another job a ten minute drive). Given the option I would rather a shorter commute every time. Being able to go home for lunch or be home within a short few minutes of finishing for the day is invaluable.

TrustedApple · 25-09-2018 11:27am

Takes me about 45 mins in the morning and over a hour in the evening.

Head to work via bus i don't mind at all.

Morning I play video games or have headphones on.

While evenings I work email. But when you realise you are up at 6.30am and get up daily at nearly 7 you have long days ha.

s7ryf3925pivug · 25-09-2018 11:31am

I live 20 min away from where I work and work from home one day a week. You could look at jobs outside of Dublin/Cork instead of emigrating.

markpb · 25-09-2018 11:32am

I used to commute from Coolock to Sandyford by bus/tram. I told people it took under 1h30 each way but in reality, it took at least 1h40 and sometimes more. Eventually my ever patient wife put her foot down and insisted we move closer to my job so we ended up in Dundrum, 15 minutes from work. I can't describe the difference it made! The difference between getting home at 5:45 vs 7pm. The difference between being stuck on a bus for 3 hours a day vs having the choice of walking, cycling or tram. Not being under pressure to leave work at exactly 5:30 in the evening. Being able to get into work early so I could get away at 4:30 and have even more time in the evening. And now that we have kids in tow, I can't imagine doing a long commute with/around them.

If you have the choice (and not everyone does):
- move jobs
- move home
- consider cycling. It'll be faster and more reliable than public transport and you'll feel better because of the exercise.

MadYaker · 25-09-2018 11:35am

An hour and 25 mins to commute 14km is total madness. You say you don’t have kids or a mortgage so get out of Dublin if you can at all would be my advice. I’d rather live on the North Pole. The public transport system is unfixable and the housing situation is going to get worse before it gets better.

amcalester · 25-09-2018 11:35am

rosmoke wrote: »

I used to cycle for a living and I loved it, in a different capital. In here I tried and I can't do it, cycling 30km daily in rain and wind it's just depressing for me.

I was going to suggest cycling, did it from Blackrock to Citywest for a few years and the rain wasn't too bad, really only 1 or 2 days a week in winter.

It took an hour (22Km each way) so not much quicker than your commute but better for the head, out the door at 7am and home by 6:20 with exercise done for the day.

Moved away and now driving an hour so the same time but much less enjoyable.

Only doing that 3 days a week though so swings and roundabouts.

Neames · 25-09-2018 11:40am

I used to have a 4 hour round trip to work door to door.

Complete head melt but thankfully I didn't have kids at the time.

Kid came along and it would have been completely unmanageable so changed job, 25 minutes to work now, I drop the kid to school a few days a week and Mrs drops on the other days.

When I get home I'm not burnt out from travelling so all is good.

One of the best decisions I ever made.

listermint · 25-09-2018 11:40am

Living in Wicklow, Commute via Motorcycle to Sandyford. 35 Minutes daily. Wouldnt trade my location for the world. It used to be longer on the bus to the city centre when i lived in Dublin.

LouD2016 · 25-09-2018 11:40am

I used to commute from Laois to Dublin (up near UCD) and it was the worst 2 years of my life.
I would leave about half 5 to ensure I could get in for 8am. I would then try to leave at 4pm and very regularly it would be 7pm by the time I got home especially on Fridays. Then throw in an accident or 2 for fun.
I begged every day for a transfer out of Dublin and eventually got one when I went on maternity leave thank god. It definitely wouldn't be feasible/or worth it with a small child now.

That sort of commute really is soul destroying. You are wrecked before you get in to do a days work and by the time you get home you just want to go to bed.

A lot of my friends still commute daily to the city centre and with the road works on the N7 it's just a nightmare.

The joys of the rat race

It's hard to find a good work/life balance when commuting is involved.

rosmoke · 25-09-2018 11:46am

listermint wrote: »

Living in Wicklow, Commute via Motorcycle to Sandyford. 35 Minutes daily. Wouldnt trade my location for the world. It used to be longer on the bus to the city centre when i lived in Dublin.

Where abouts in Wicklow if you don't mind me asking?

homosapien91 · 25-09-2018 11:49am

I literally have a 5 min drive to work or a 20 min walk ( I try to only drive only when its raining ) I feel lucky to have it so handy don't know how I would cope with a commute like that.

I leave at 8.30 and am at my desk ready to go for 8.50 and vice versa I am home before 5.30 every day

jon1981 · 25-09-2018 11:54am

It's crazy that the likes of Tallaght is as big as Limerick ( I think) and it has no direct express train/tram into Dublin city centre. Combine Tallaght with Citywest and you have a massive population. 1hr 25 to cover 14km is not acceptable.

listermint · 25-09-2018 11:55am

rosmoke wrote: »

Where abouts in Wicklow if you don't mind me asking?

Down near Avoca.
Motorcycle.

piplip87 · 25-09-2018 11:58am

I leave Virginia at 5:00 each morning. Get to work at start at 7:30 get home for 6:30. Its a very very long day. I have also seen the alternative, was on social welfare for 12 months and I'd much rather the long days.

Amirani · 25-09-2018 12:04pm

Cycling is great. I leave for work at about 08:30 each morning to be at my desk for 08:55 and I'm generally home for 18:00 most evenings. I live 7km away and it's a 20mins cycle, but I'd definitely do double the distance if necessary.

piplip87 · 25-09-2018 12:06pm

I leave Virginia at 5:00 each morning. Get to work at start at 7:30 get home for 6:30. Its a very very long day. I have also seen the alternative, was on social welfare for 12 months and I'd much rather the long days.

CPTM · 25-09-2018 12:09pm

Are motorbikes or scooters much use? Does anyone use them? I feel like you can get anywhere in Dublin in less than 40 minutes on a motorbike or scooter.

rawn · 25-09-2018 12:13pm

I live in D15 and work in Parkwest. I take 2 buses to work, which takes 1hr 30mins. I get a lift home at midnight and am home in 20 minutes if we take the m50, 30 minutes on the back roads. I listen to podcasts on the buses and walking through town, i find it keeps the mind fresh and makes the commute seem a lot shorter.

PaddyBomb · 25-09-2018 12:15pm

Used to commute to town by bus and it would take well over an hour. The best thing I ever did was buy a road bike. 30 minutes cycle and not being refined to leave at certain times to try catch a bus.

meeeeh · 25-09-2018 12:19pm

Commute house to work is 10 minutes and then another 10 minutes is added by dropping kids to school. I realise how lucky we are. I hate public transport and despite being rarely sick I often get headaches on buses and when that happens it also destroys the rest of the day. I think bearable commute is one of the most important if not the most important aspects of work/life balance. I'd prefer to work an hour more per day more for the sane money than spend that time commuting.

ED E · 25-09-2018 12:20pm

Amirani wrote: »

Cycling is great. I leave for work at about 08:30 each morning to be at my desk for 08:55 and I'm generally home for 18:00 most evenings. I live 7km away and it's a 20mins cycle, but I'd definitely do double the distance if necessary.

No brainer. (Random CW Start point)

Even allocating for a shower its quicker and you'll get your gym hours in during the commute so on aggregate you're up a few hours a week at a minimum.

Californeeway · 25-09-2018 12:42pm

1.5 hours each way on a coach to Dublin Monday to Friday.

So compared to when I used to live in Dublin, the 2 extra hours commuting is spent:
Listening to Podcasts
Snoozing
Hating other people for being fidgety/smelly/noisy/putting their seat back/stealing favoured seats
Reading Books
Watching Netflix on Phone
Looking out the window

I’d prefer the commute from my home town compared to living in Dublin (where I only know work people and is much more expensive). As I used to come home at the weekends, it frees up all day Sunday to do something instead of planning to get back to Dublin and unpack etc.

The 2 extra hours I’m missing per day would probably be spent getting slightly more sleep and watching an extra hour of tv so no big deal as there's 4 hours to play with before bed anyway. As a previous poster said it’s usually other people that can be the problem when commuting.

Greentree_uk · 25-09-2018 12:46pm

helimachoptor wrote: »

I used to do a similar commute, city west down to the SJRQ (before red line extensions). Bus from citywest to Tallaght, red line, walk. Painful.

got a bike.

That commute is around 14K, all downhill on the way in. Depending on fitness, you could do it in 35 mins or so.

2nd the bike option it ur not fit get an Ebike. will be no problem 35 mins a day each way.

lau1247 · 25-09-2018 12:59pm

Alternatively, can OP explore starting work earlier or work from home some days or if his employer allow for it, explore working longer hours say Monday to Thursday and then get the friday off (same hours). That way he/she is not wasting time commuting around and make better use of the time.

Alanstrainor · 25-09-2018 1:02pm

rosmoke wrote: »

I used to cycle for a living and I loved it, in a different capital. In here I tried and I can't do it, cycling 30km daily in rain and wind it's just depressing for me.

My commute is farther than yours on a bike and find it really doable. I commute 4 days a week 33km round trip. It takes me 35mins or there abouts each way and that is usually +-5 depending on conditions. You'd think rain is a big issue, but the reality is that it's in the 1 hour 10 minutes of outside time the chance of being rained on are relatively low. It does happen, but it's manageable.

You stand to cut your 3 hour commute into a 1:20 commute. That's some saving for little cost.

_Brian · 25-09-2018 1:03pm

For 13 years my commute was 1hr 20 each way plus a 12.5hr shift, rotating days/nights. Shift often ran on to 14hrs if there were problems.

When we had our first kid it was tough and I finished when the second came along. 75% of my time now I don’t need to go into the office, it’s great !

q85dw7osi4lebg · 25-09-2018 1:07pm

Swapped a 90 minute commute for a 15 minute commute.

Leave the house at 8.40 and I'm home before 6.

Thought I would have to take a pay cut but got lucky and didn't have to.

Never working in the city centre again, not for any money. Evenings feel twice as long now and I don't dread work.

gazzer · 25-09-2018 1:23pm

piplip87 wrote: »

I leave Virginia at 5:00 each morning. Get to work at start at 7:30 get home for 6:30. Its a very very long day. I have also seen the alternative, was on social welfare for 12 months and I'd much rather the long days.

You driving or bussing it?

rosmoke · 25-09-2018 1:59pm

Greentree_uk wrote: »

2nd the bike option it ur not fit get an Ebike. will be no problem 35 mins a day each way.

I'm seriously tempted to get an ebike, are they legal?

Fox Hound · 25-09-2018 2:01pm

listermint wrote: »

Living in Wicklow, Commute via Motorcycle to Sandyford. 35 Minutes daily. Wouldnt trade my location for the world. It used to be longer on the bus to the city centre when i lived in Dublin.

Driving a motor cycle on the M50/N11 in the morning is a death Trap in this country!! some bad Drivers on the motorway who never even see you guys in the morning,

SteM · 25-09-2018 2:10pm

rosmoke wrote: »

I'm seriously tempted to get an ebike, are they legal?

I do a similar commute to you and cycling is the way to go. Being honest it's a 45 minute cycle home from Grand Canal Dock because it's uphill from town and usually against any wind. Unless you are extremely unfit or have an injury you don't really need an ebike, I started off on an ebike but just use a normal hybrid now.

Are you driving it or bussing it at the moment? With the introduction of the 175 bus route would it be quicker to get the 175 to Dundrum Luas and Luas it into Harcourt Street?

RayCun · 25-09-2018 2:14pm

rosmoke wrote: »

I'm seriously tempted to get an ebike, are they legal?

yes, as long as they are assistive not self-propelled and are limited to a certain max speed

Mancomb Seepgood · 25-09-2018 2:25pm

Living in Kildare.I traded a 25-30 minute drive to work for a promotion to a city centre location.It now takes me an hour each way,including a short drive to the station,train,and walk at the far end.

Honestly, it's not been too bad.I listen to podcasts/audiobooks or read on the train,and the walk has helped me to improve my fitness a little.That said I know some people who are doing cruel commutes,I really wouldn't want to be travelling any further than I am and we don't even have kids,which would complicate things greatly.

rawn · 25-09-2018 2:26pm

RayCun wrote:

yes, as long as they are assistive not self-propelled and are limited to a certain max speed

My husband got one in Halfords for 600e, it folds so he can carry it into the building with him and also has the option of cycling to the train station, carrying it on and cycling to work (if he gets a job too far to cycle). I think it goes 15 kph and has 3 speeds. It's heavy but it's great when it's windy.

rosmoke · 25-09-2018 2:29pm

SteM wrote: »

I do a similar commute to you and cycling is the way to go. Being honest it's a 45 minute cycle home from Grand Canal Dock because it's uphill from town and usually against any wind. Unless you are extremely unfit or have an injury you don't really need an ebike, I started off on an ebike but just use a normal hybrid now.

Are you driving it or bussing it at the moment? With the introduction of the 175 bus route would it be quicker to get the 175 to Dundrum Luas and Luas it into Harcourt Street?

Luas, there is a bus but it's comes once every hour so no point waiting for it.
I'm not saying cycling wouldn't be the best option, it's just that cycling used to be something that I loved very much, and I started hating it every time when I was cycling in Dublin, because of winds and rain. Even though it doesn't rain very often, when it rains it's just horrible, and the winds ... if you cycle with 25km/h and face the average winds of 25km/h means having to cycle against 50km/h winds from time to time.
Maybe if it was only 7km I would've give it a try but 15km each way, not a chance. As regarding fitness, I go to gym, I get all my fitness workout there, and I'm not too interested in cardio anyway, a bit of HIIT maybe.

Wife wouldn't cycle even if I'd pay her to. She doesn't like cycling, weather, effort, it's just not for her.

Looks like only viable solution is changing the job I guess ..

optogirl · 25-09-2018 2:32pm

Luas - hour pretty much each way. Podcasts, podcasts & more podcasts

n!ghtmancometh · 25-09-2018 2:36pm

About an hour each way, bus and Luas. In the summer, when fat kids aren't being driven to the school gate I can get bus by itself and be in work in 35 minutes. I read and listen to podcasts. Hopefully bus connects will offer increased bus priority, if it's ever allowed to be implemented fully.

I work with lads commuting hours from places like Leitrim to Dublin so count myself lucky.

fatherted1969 · 25-09-2018 2:38pm

Gave up the long commute a few years ago and switched careers. Now live 20 mins from work. Work 24 hr shifts which can be a bummer but it allows me a huge amount of time off too which makes up for the overnights

SteM · 25-09-2018 2:46pm

rosmoke wrote: »

Luas, there is a bus but it's comes once every hour so no point waiting for it.
I'm not saying cycling wouldn't be the best option, it's just that cycling used to be something that I loved very much, and I started hating it every time when I was cycling in Dublin, because of winds and rain. Even though it doesn't rain very often, when it rains it's just horrible, and the winds ... if you cycle with 25km/h and face the average winds of 25km/h means having to cycle against 50km/h winds from time to time.
Maybe if it was only 7km I would've give it a try but 15km each way, not a chance. As regarding fitness, I go to gym, I get all my fitness workout there, and I'm not too interested in cardio anyway, a bit of HIIT maybe.

Wife wouldn't cycle even if I'd pay her to. She doesn't like cycling, weather, effort, it's just not for her.

Looks like only viable solution is changing the job I guess ..

As someone who cycles it 3 or 4 times a week I think you're overstating the weather issue to be honest but if you're not into cycling you're not into it.

rosmoke · 25-09-2018 2:57pm

SteM wrote: »

As someone who cycles it 3 or 4 times a week I think you're overstating the weather issue to be honest but if you're not into cycling you're not into it.

I'm actually passioned about cycling that's the thing. I used to cycle 5 days a week for 9 hours a day in work (~80km a day) on mtb, was completely wrecked the 1st couple of weeks, after that I was only tired. Was doing long 150km tracks with friends on a mountain bike, not road bike. Even doing downhill on the weekends in the mountains with a full frame.

It's hard for me to adjust and say this is ok and normal when I grew up with different weather.

Greentree_uk · 25-09-2018 2:57pm

I have a spedelec, used to commute 20km each way took me 40 mins in general and 35 on a good day traffic lights depending. 45mins if it was windy.. main benefit is you feel so much better arriving into work. the extra time is great too. used to take 1hr 45.... that said sometimes I wish I bought a normal bike and other when its windy I'm, thankful I didn't. oh and btw not a light guy either. would not do public transport again - its just a horrible end user experience.

jimmycrackcorm · 25-09-2018 2:57pm

rosmoke wrote:

I'm trying to understand how people cope with commutes as the title suggests. We live in Citywest, takes me 1h25min to get to Harcourt Luas Stop with Luas, wife workes in city centre as well, takes her 1h30min. (including walking)

+1 for the people advocating cycling. That's a 45 minute commute on a normal bike and a breeze on an electric bike.

I do the same distance each day as the op. It's a really lazy option to spend that extra commute time sorting on the luas.

How do you cope with commuting

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