A commute we can all only aspire to.
We’ve talked a few times about the various gadgets that do the day-to-day tasks that we find tedious, and about the relative convenience and/or laziness inherent in those gadgets. Techie and I took that line of thought one step further the other night in one of our conversations, however, and it’s a topic that warrants being investigated with the brilliant minds here on Toasters.
For both Techie and myself, our daily commutes are refined to almost obsessive precision. I know what speeds to do so that I will be able to get through all the stoplights without having to wait for them to change. I know which lane will get me there most efficiently. I know which exits are good moves, which are bad, and what time the train will come through.I know that if I leave at 8:05, my trip will take 18 minutes, putting me at work for a few minutes before my 8:30 start time. If I leave at 8:10, my trip will take 34 minutes, putting me there late, because that will put me at the back of the line of people heading to the strip-mall near my house for coffee before their 8:30 start time.
Techie, meanwhile, has a relatively short commute, but one that can be frustrating. From his house to his work, it SHOULD just be left-right-right-left and he’s there. Instead, it’s right-left-right-left-right-left-left-left-right-left-left, because they closed the bridge that sits immediately between his work and his home. So he’s worked out how the traffic lights time, how the trip-wires trigger, how to read the WALK – DON’T WALK signs… all the little obsessions that can save you a moment or two off your commute.
How automated are you? Do you have your life down to a well-oiled routine, or does each morning surprise you as the sun comes up yet again?
I aspire to your level of routine. If I manage to fall out the door with both arms still attached before about 9AM I count that a pretty successful morning. Needless to say, I'm not a morning person.
My wife, on the other hand, is like a clockwork machine. I'm pretty sure you could set your clock by her awakening, showering, eating breakfast, etc.
Hwaa? That bright thing appeared in the sky again today. What's that all about? This could call for a letter to the editor!
Now I usually manage to stumble into work sometime between 9:10 and 9:30. My official start time is 9:00, but we have flex time and my boss doesn't care if I work from 9:30 to 6:30 or 9:00 to 6:00. At one point I was on a little more of autopilot in the mornings. When I was working my co-op job in college I had to be at work at about 8:00. My clock radio was set to the same radio station every morning for the alarm. My stereo was set to the same radio station. The old stereo that I had could be cut off with a remote or a switch. When you cut the stereo off with the remote the switch stayed in the ON position. If the power blipped the stereo would come back on. One time I woke up to the radio and stumbled into the shower. I got out of the shower and started fixing breakfast. It was then I realized that the stereo was on and it was 3AM! The power had blipped in the middle of the night.
That's gotta be one of the worst parts about living in an area where, in the dead of winter (like now), the sun doesn't come up until safely after I'm at work. That means I'm getting ready in pitch black, and aside from looking at a clock, there is absolutely no way to know what time it is. It could be 1AM, it could be 7AM. In the summer, it's the opposite. The sun comes up at an ungodly hour, like 4AM, and so anytime after that is bright and sunny.
That's what you get for living 10 miles from the North Pole. Next thing you'll complain about is that it's hard to keep your igloo white.
/damn
With two daughters aged four and 20 months, it’s impossible to be automated, no matter how hard I try. Take last night for example. We had swim lessons starting at 6:30; needed to leave the house by 6:10 to get there on time. We had both girls in swimsuits, bag was packed, only had to get coats on and walk out the door. 6:08 is when my four-year-old decided she needed to find a specific doll to bring with her. There is no convincing a child that they don’t NEED to bring something once they have it in their head – at least not without a lot screaming, crying, stomping, etc. 6:16 is when we were finally in the car and on our way, doll along for the ride. I’ve completely given up hope of getting anywhere on time ever again.
Don't despair. Speaking as a father whose two boys are now in their 20s, the time problem will get better as your children grow older. To a point, anyway. Girls always take more time to get ready for anything than boys do. But you know this already, being a married man. Anyway, it'll get better.
I was punctual before I was married.
Now
I'mwe're consistently 20 minutes late. But, I love my wife more than I love being on time, and decided long ago that punctuality is not a battle I would choose to fight.Good decision. You have to keep your priorities straight. You try your best to be on time to everything, but the reality is that if you're a bit late, the world doesn't come to an end.
That's why you always tell people like that that "we need to be there by 7:30" so you can actually be there by 8:00 when the thing actually starts…
I'm not down to the second for my commutes due to traffic but I operate within a 10 minute window. That said outside of rush hour if I tell you I'll be ten minutes I'm going to be exactly ten minutes.
While the distance on the shortest route between home & work is 25km, lately I have been taking a longer route totaling 40km as the cold weather has been causing havoc on my main route.
Short version: I'm a transportation geek.
Long version:
I have two different morning commute experiences based on whether I can get my self out of bed right after the 6AM news or if I (well we) linger in bed for another 15 minutes…
If I leave the house before 7AM, there is no traffic to speak of. The four traffic lights that separate my house from the highway are still running on strict on demand mode and create minimal delay.
Once on the highway, I can reach a close approximation of the posted speed limit while staying on the right lane (I'm only there for two exits). The second stretch of city street with its 7 lights is again a breeze: I will usually get 5 out 7 green. The last part of the commute, on a highway that crosses the Bay (i.e. San Francisco Bay) is rarely an issue: by driving the speed limit (55), I'm the slowest vehicle on the road. I just stay on the right lane and enjoy the view… After that it's just two traffic lights that are on demand with very short wait times.
Easy peazy…
However, if I leave the house after 7PM all hell breaks loose!
The first traffic light favors the main road which means a long wait for me at the red. The next lights are running on long cycles that are not synchronized with each other creating long lines. Once on the highway, I consider myself happy if I reach 40MPH (speed limit is 65MPH). The next batch of lights has more red than a communist party meeting. The bridge is usually OK. The last two traffic lights are sure to be red as a fitting conclusion.
The drive time between these two scenarios is from 18min to 32min.
The evening is generally slower than the morning, regardless of what time I leave the office. The highway stretch is pure stop and go and alone takes over 10minutes. Again, I stick to the right lane and take it easy. There is no pint in getting all bent out of shape over a bit of traffic!
One thing I know is the location of every pot hole and manhole cover along the route (my car has a very stiff suspension). I also know the posted speed limit along the route (for example, in the morning it's 25 – 25 – 35 – 65 – 25 – 25 – 55 – 45 – 40).
I always watch the opposite direction traffic lights and know the sequence of each intersection. In the evening stop and go traffic I try to figure out the average speed of the traffic flow so I can drive at a near constant speed and improve my car's efficiency.
By the way, if you are curious about traffic, put this book on your reading list: http://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-What-Says-Abo…
Short version: I'm a transportation geek.
No way!?!?!?! I've seen (pictures of) your cars – unpossible!
/sarcasm