The stupidest try for a credit I've ever heard

[Ironclad Alibi]

... unfortunately thanks to a certain person in the 60's who ripped up half the train network ...

I have heard about those blokes. There is even a movie about one of their efforts, The Titfield Thunderbolt.

[Racket_Man]

This is why we need Star Trek transporters.

No we all need to learn how to Apperate like in Potterverse LOL

[Nunavut Pants]

How the hell is that even POSSIBLE?!

The buses all took city streets. Three were needed, and there was a minimum of 30 minute wait at one transfer point, plus 15 or 20 at the other one. The first bus would have gone south a good ways, then second bus southeast, and the third one north. (Oh, and add a five to ten minute walk from at either end of the whole trip.)

When I drove him, I took the freeway southeast and an expressway northeast. Took about two minutes to get from my place onto the freeway, as well. Since there were two of us, we were a carpool and got to avoid most of the traffic. (And heading back to work, which was just across the freeway from my place, was counter-commute so traffic was fine.)

Especially back in 1990, the Silicon Valley area had really lousy public transit. It is quite a bit better now--I think I would rate it "bad" at this point. Larger employers (e.g., Google, Facebook, etc.) provide private buses for many commuters now.

[RealUnimportant]

With regards to stupid commutes:
Despite getting free public transport, I drive.

On a good day, at a good time, I can make the four mile journey in 10-15 minutes. If I'm absolutely sure the fuzz isn't watching, and the traffic light gods smile upon me, I have made the trip in 5. If it's midday on a Saturday, then you're probably looking at half an hour purely because of the last roundabout gets so busy when real traffic is flowing, or at least attempting to flow.

If I have to use public transport, for example because I have no serviceable vehicle, I have two options:
First is to take two buses; the first one goes four miles to cover two due to its meanderings, and the second takes three miles to cover the remaining two. Including the walking to/from the bus stops at the start/end and the interchange, this can take anything up to 90 minutes - the longer times aren't due to traffic, but due to the lack of services during the wee hours when I have to be at work before dawn. The two times I couldn't avoid this route, I was leaving home almost 2 hours earlier than usual.

The second option cuts out the second bus and replaces it with a train. It saves half an hour for the morning runs, but if I'm travelling home in the evening I can potentially be home in under an hour, which is the most efficient public transport route for this journey.

All of the above assume I'm in my best possible physical condition, which hasn't happened for 5 years or more now. And then my customers wonder why I own multiple cars...

[Blue Ginger]

The joys (and cost) of public transport vs the cost of a car.

At my first job, my commute was 2 hours each way if mum didn't drop me off at the train station. Walk to bus stop to be there before 7am, squeeze onto already full bus (if it actually stopped because it didn't if it was too full), get onto train heading into city, change just before CBD to train heading out of city (if I timed it right I got a limited express that stopped at only 2 stations), catch a tram for 20 minutes to get to work just before 9am.

Leave work at 5:30pm to hopefully get the 5:35pm tram, wait 15 mins for the first train, wait 10 mins for the 2nd train, then wait anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes for the bus to home. Usually got home between 7 - 7:30pm.

All of the above would cost between $100 - $150 per month. If I didn't need the bus, then I only had to pay for Zone 1 travel ($100 a month). I lived in Zone 2, so I had a casual ticket for that section. A ticket with 10 uses would cost around $15 or $20. Can't remember the exact amount. And even though I was doing a traineeship, I was not eligible for the student or low income concession card. My income at the time was only $200 a week. Thank fuck I was still living at home.

Compare all that to when I finally got a car 15 months later. 30 mins drive going the opposite way to peak hour traffic and I could fill my car up for the week and get change from a $20.

Now it costs between around $30 - $40 to fill up my car, but my last few jobs have been within walking distance of my house. Let's hear it for living near the CBD and being an office bitch.

[Racket_Man]

When I lived in the Chicago area I had one job way out in the Burbs (25 miles away north) that yeah I could have taken public transit (the METRA) BUT it was kinda hard. I would have had to walk far enough on both ends that it would have been really fun in fall/winter. AND taking the expressway was a no go cause it was parking lot travel. ya know traveling at 5MPH for miles. I did a semi-highway (yeah it has stop lights BUT it was much faster than express way) still clocked hour + 15 or 30 minutes commute one way but better that express way

There was another job that I had about a mile or so north of the Loop. This job absolutely was public transit all the way. I lived just north of O'Hare and both surface streets and the express way into the Loop area were just not an option in a car PLUS the addition things about parking being at a SUPER PREMIUM and EXPENSIVE. Meaning IF I wanted to travel either I would have to endure a 60-90 minute parking lot commute (sitting in traffic moving about 5MPH) Drove about 1 mile to El station, took the subway to the central transfer point in the Loop (45 minutes) and walked underground on Lower Michigan Ave to my building.

[Jetfire]

How the hell is that even POSSIBLE?!

I just bought a car for myself.

Before that, I would take the bus. I luckily lived at one end of a bus route and worked near the other end of the same route.

By bus, it would take me about 40 minutes to get to/from work. The route itself was relatively direct, but did have a 10-15 minute wait at the downtown hub.

By foot it takes me about 40 minutes if I feel like walking.

By bike, it takes about 20 minutes.

By car, it takes me about 10 minutes. (Slightly longer due to an Ingress/Pokestop pause to make sure I keep my daily streaks active ).

The Bus pass was unlimited travel for 80$/month, so all in all I didn't mind the trip (gave me time to catch up on the news and do some reading). But after doing that for 12 years, I finally had enough and got a car last month and basically regained an hour+ of my day. (Plus, my city has no Sunday transit service and while I don't need to go to work on Sundays, I was tired of having to call taxis to do anything on Sundays)

[Deevil]

Three buses, with at least a half-hour wait at one transfer point. It would have taken him over 90 minutes to make the trip there in the morning.

It was a 15 minute trip when I drove him.

How the hell is that even POSSIBLE?!

I live in the largest city in my state, and my job is a little less then 10 miles from where I live. If I drive regular streets (which I tend to do because I have rush hour traffic on the interstate) it takes 15-20 minutes in rush hour traffic. I just pulled up the schedule for if I was to take the bus to work on Monday. It would take an hour and thirty-three minutes to an hour and fifty minutes depending on which route I take (and would also include 11-33 minutes of walking).

[Kit-Ginevra]

By car, it takes me about 10 minutes. (Slightly longer due to an Ingress/Pokestop pause to make sure I keep my daily streaks active ).

Don't look Ethel!!!

[Slave to the Phone]

For those who "hate" me over the gas prices, they are still creeping up. The product is still available, the supply lines are more expensive. Its up to 2.63 now.

I have only lived 2 places where public transportation available and worth using for my daily commute. I loved the bus system in Okinawa. Clean, everyone was polite and the busses were plentiful and on time. The bus system for Hawaii was also great. I lived there for 8 years and never once even considered buying a car.

I do wish that I could just hop on a bus and read for half an hour, but the reality is that vehicles are necessary in most places out here.

[Nunavut Pants]

No hate from me, just jealousy. My last fill-up was right about $3.50/gallon. (Which is still dirt cheap compared to much of the world!)

[DGoddessChardonnay]

The "pain and suffering" is probably due to the fact that she forgot to put the phone down before she stuck her thumb back up her ass.

And no doubt caused herself to have crappy reception on her phone.

Wonder if this one is a major contributor to WhiteWhine?