How Far Did You Or Do You Drive For Work?

The furthest for me was from our Parker, Colorado house we had, to a mile north of downtown Denver, Colorado It was 28 miles each way, and since I had to be at work at 7AM, I had to get up at 5:15AM Mon. thru Fri. to get their on time. I'd generally leave home at 6:15AM. Until part of the I-25 was widened, it could be pretty slow getting there, especially during the winter months. Once the widening was finished, it was a whole lot easier and faster. But, people don't drive at freeway speeds when in 4-wheel drive. There were times also that Parker got much more snow than Denver got and I couldn't make it in to work. Then, there were "Snow Days" for big snowstorms and blizzards, when most of Denver and area was shut-down and neither of us had to work...…..but, got paid for a Snow Day.

My wife has had it much better with travel distance than I have. Her job in Colorado was 15 minutes from our house and she never had to go on a freeway. The job she has now, and the previous one, were 7 miles from our apartment, but for the job she has now, she has to use the freeway for 5 miles. Gee, wonder how many folks would like to work that close to home? Her boss lives out by the International Airport and it can take her a little over an hour to get to work. Her co-workers live some miles away as well.

Heavy traffic and any age doesn't get along, but "older age" is definitely that way. Some folks actually have to quit their job, due to the distance/time to get their. When first starting the job, time/distance doesn't seem to bad, but after months of "stop and go", it definitely gets tiring.

What about you?

 

I was a commuter throughout my working life. The distance was about 10 miles each way taking me between 30 and 45 minutes by car. For some years I mostly had to go by coach but then was able to take the car for the last 28 years. When I retired I worked out that I must have covered that distance about 16,000 times in bright sunlight and heavy snowfall. I really didn't like it but couldn't help it either. The good thing about it was that there were three different routes to cover the distance. So if there were roadworks I used an alternative route at least. Have had three accidents getting bumped into from behind and from the side and I'm very glad that this is over now.

When I moved to the place I live now two years ago and still had to work, it would even have meant driving 50 miles each way five days a week with no alternative route. I found that unacceptable and decided to postpone selling my house and to work part time. So I drove to my house on Sunday afternoon, stayed there overnight for two days and drove back home on Tuesday evening. I did that for two years.

I'd say I've had my share of commuting and left my carbon footprint. I have made up my mind not to go south any more i.e. in the direction of my former workplace because it gets me down. I rather go north, east and west and enjoy my retirement.

 

About 30 miles each way. I did this for about 10 or 11 months. After I sold that horrid house, I stayed at the same job for almost a year commuting. I was working 12 hour shifts at the time so the commute was only 3 days. Plus it was mostly easy 4 lane freeway. It did make for 3 very long days. I couldn't do that again.

Other than that, I've always been relatively close to work form home.

 

I remember, the Supervisor/Director who hired me at my last job in Denver, CO, at the time he hired me, he lived in Colorado Springs and would stay at a nice weekly motel during the week, so he wouldn't have to commute. He'd have the room from Sunday night to Thursday night. But, after he hired me, he did decide to commute from the Springs ("the Springs" is what long-time residents call Colorado Springs) to Denver and back, Monday thru Thursday and stay at home in the Springs on Friday. He'd leave his house in the Springs at 5AM to be at the office at around 6:30. Anyway, I learned enough about the Department that allowed him to stay at home on Fridays. If there was a problem, I'd call him. After a couple of weeks of commuting, this Supervisor/Director and his wife put their house up for sale, it sold pretty quickly, and they found and bought a house in Castlerock. He then had about an hour drive to our office. He lived some 10 miles south of our house in Parker.

 

I don't drive to work, I walk a mile and a half to catch the bus.
The same thing on the way home.

Been doing this almost since I started working downtown, over 6 years now.

The walk in the morning is not so bad, but sometimes the walk home can be a 'bear'.
Anyways, helps to keep me somewhat fit.

This almost sounds like my Dad's story " I walked in the snow 5 miles to get to school
when I was a boy! " and he would smile.

Found out pretty quick that he grew up in Winter Park, Florida...

 

I commuted 65 miles each way during all hours and all kinds of weather for 18 years. When we moved to the road system, my family didn't want to move. My children, however, had fallen in love with dog mushing while we were in the Bush, so I promised them they could have their own dog team if they agreed to move as my job there was killing me. They agreed, and we then had to find a place that was conducive and safe to run a dog team. That meant semi-wilderness. That put us a good distance from "civilization, and I bore the brunt of that decision until I had reached retirement age and could leave one job and take another 28 miles away from home, which I held part time for 3 years and full time for 4 years.

 

@Tim Burr That is a lot of walking. Like you said it keeps you in shape but it can't be easy sometimes.

 

Both my husband and I had to drive a ways after we moved to the desert. Mine was only sixty miles but his was seventy two. We had to take different cars so we both had to do it. We did it for over ten years just so I could have land for my horses. Traveling all that way I only had one stop sign and he had three so it was all high speed unless the earthquake knocked the overpasses down.

 

No more than four miles.

 

I once drove 2323 miles to go to work but when I got there the job wasn't available. Since I had my wife and a few dogs with me we decided to stay here instead of driving back home.

Seriously though, when I had my restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans, I only walked downstairs to go to work. That said, I used to ride my bike nearly 20 miles in Atlanta. The traffic is too aggravating for driving so I simply rode the bike and probably got to work faster than taking the car.

 

Man, riding 20 miles to work! What a champ! I couldn't imagine even trying that.

 

Younger days and a slight downhill grade for 5 or so miles of it made it fairly easy.
Unlike your trips, there was no snow, heavy cold nor rough terrain but I did experience some occasional rain if that counts.