why do you drive (to work)
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- e-pill0
for me as a city kid, i always had the option of 24 hour public transportation.. when i lived in los angeles, i had to drive everywhere.. sitting in crazy traffic.. but LA is warm and sunny n nice.. new york drivers on the other hand are well new york drivers.. its been 20 years since i drove.. but i had a car accident in 1990 with a new york state trooper in a car pile up that wasnt his or my fault, but since my car totaled his police car, a state car i was given a few tickets on it.. i had to goto court, and as i was told most times the officer who gave the ticket never shows up in the court and the tickets are basically thrown out or given a very lesser charge..
well for me since i totaled a state vehicle the officer had to be in court, and the judge said the state needed to make an example out of me, and revoked my license for 2 terms, and the worst part was just 2 months prior, the law in new york state changed for drivers that the license term used to be every 4 years. the law changed to become every 8 years, and i was without a new york state drivers license for 16 years.. in 2006 i got my license back, but since then i only drive to goto the deli and pick up random stuff and i never needed to use the highways and never needed to drive as i had trains 24 hours..
now i have this job offer on the table, it will push my career forward in a very good way.. so i have to consider driving, even though the amount is as every has stated "crazy" .. i am working towards getting fulltime work back in the city and have something working the last few days, where i got a call back today for next week to meet the partners of the brand.. so i hope this happens over the other.. and at this point if i get an offer, ill just take it no matter what the salary is even if its less than what i am asking for. the job in long island, their offer is higher than what i asked for and the position is stronger than what i went in to interview with.
oi.. driving.. sounds so crazy just thinking of it.. to have a car, insurance, buy gas, find parking, get a garage, all are things i never had to think about.. and 74 miles.. oi even 7 miles is a lot in my mind.. if i drive to manhattan from my house and back, that dual distance is not even half way to the job in long island.. its crazy to think of it.. while i know i can handle the job without thought.. since its what i do.. this is my dilemma ..
- herzo0
Because the area of the city I live is not close to a train stop. Its a mental thing too. I did not grow up in a big city. Where I am from public transportation=too poor to buy a car. We had a bus but it was very very very inconvenient the only people who rode them didn't have a choice. We do have rails here that a lot of people use but its just not in me to take them. I like having a car and having control over when I come and go. I like being able to go when I want to and where I want to.
With that said I am sick of the cost it takes to drive. My commute is about 45 minutes each way but I spend about 30 dollars a week in gas. I work downtown so I have to pay for a parking spot monthly. My employer subsidizes this, but its still expensive. So I am planning to move soon so I can I ride my bike. The exercise will be good and I will still have control over my transportation. Plus its cheap.
- aanderton0
Drive to work here. Train/walk used to take around an hour in total. Where as driving takes around 25mins.
It helps that I love driving my car! Mk1's are great fun. I couldn't live without being able to drive. Would take away so much freedom.
If you're going to take the driving route e-pill, make sure to buy a car you actually enjoy spending time in; 74 miles is quite a lot of distance to cover on a daily basis.
- what is an MK1? in terms of cars, i love Jeep CJ7s and i like VW GTi. not sure if they best..e-pill
- for the needs or the price, i guess any car would do, or something as u said enjoyablee-pill
- 77 polo mate. I love driving classics. They're just not so good on reliability. Still great fun though.aanderton
- Think about fuel economy when you buy though. Smaller engine tends to mean better mileage, not all the time though.aanderton
- cheers on the advice.. i actually didnt think about the car itself more than the driving aspect.e-pill
- prophetone0
e-pill, i haven't read every word here and maybe this is answered but that sounds like a lot of driving and factor in cost, stress, time away from home because of travel each day. have you considered moving next door to the job? no car, home in five min, etc...
- whatthefunk0
epill - a car brings FREEDOM my friend. Think of the trips to the Hamptons, Mauntauk, South Jersey beaches - etc. 45 minutes outside of NYC is another world and it's good to just jump in and go, go, go. I find it so therapeutic to drive with my music blaring, on the phone, and tooling around the boroughs on my schedule - not waiting around for some shitty schedule F train with some 20 year old couple arguing about who's skinny jeans are nicer.
NYC people don't understand why I have a car but when I tell them about all the shit I do then they understand. It's liberating and I lived in mid-town for a year and I'm just not a city dweller at all so I prefer to have the luxury of choice to take off whenever I want.
Just my two pennies.
- a lot of people tell me this.. and say a car is just having faster legs.. and that i can get away..e-pill
- its just really the daily wear and tear im concerned about with that much driving daily..e-pill
- wear and tear really is not that big of a deal. not sure what kind of horrors you have in mindscarabin
- cars are made to be drivenscarabin
- its not horrors really other than i just havent driven in over 20 years, its more just confidence.e-pill
- yes cars are made to drive, but i havent had a need for one in over 20 years.. why start now?e-pill
- im sure if i chose to do it, i would eventually do as whatthefunk says..e-pill
- i would eventually take a drive somewhere else, and get inspired or just relax from life..e-pill
- but, i dont do those things today, so im not sure i would do it tomorrow.. thats my issue..e-pill
- i re-read your post, and i see where you are coming from..e-pill
- for me though, when i vacation, i goto another huge city, not the beach or rural areas..e-pill
- i love big cities.. as it offers so much in making it easy to get around.. that i never need a care-pill
- i think in time if i get one, i would do all that.. but for now my mind is thinking of the city..e-pill
- i sure do miss the city, seeing so many faces, so many people talking, i love it so much..e-pill
- i love the extreme chaos of a large city.. hanging out on a beach is not my thing..e-pill
- whatthefunk0
e-pill - I read a couple weeks ago where you commented on a pic of a building in queens and you said your something about living near there. I commute by car from North Jersey to Queens every day and it's not that bad. Of course you hit traffic on the Van Wyck or the Cross Bronx sometimes but for the most part there are no cops and I can make the trip in 30 minutes on a good day. I gather you'd be taking the LIE, same thing, hardly any cops and you can gun it if you need to.
I can't deal with rude people on public transportation for that long on the regular. I tried it and I just can't hang because my personality got me in arguments and shouting matches due to a lack of respect and general rude behavior of people. Taking public trans in the summer SUCKS too so I don't mind the drive - gives me a chance to decompress and talk on my bluetooth.
- i used to live in queens, but i now live in long island.. the gig is way out in suffix county..e-pill
- i live in nassau and to get to suffix is far as fuck.. not sure i want to deal with that at all..e-pill
- my goal is to move back to nyc.. its my home.. not wrong island.. hehe.e-pill
- thanks for the comment.. i cant imagine drive from nj to queens.. seems far as hell!!!e-pill
- i actually love the nYc transit, its so fast and easy and its less than $100 a month..e-pill
- a car would cost me like 4 times that amount a month.. seems too insane just for a job..e-pill
- one that is not in nyc and in the middle of nowhere.. its just the offer is amazing.. oie-pill
- if i took this gig, the drive would be LIE or Northern State Expressway. both are fine..e-pill
- i know that i would be driving against traffic both times of day..but the commute is killere-pill
- i normally work around 60-90 hours a week, and thats for designer position..e-pill
- this gig is for director position so i know my hours would be more than what i do now..e-pill
- my concern is at the end of days, when im exhausted and i have to drive 38 miles home..e-pill
- when i normally can get a gig in nyc and just take a subways and get home in minutes..e-pill
- i just have to weigh it out.. im still ill from having bronchitis and pneumonia last months.e-pill
- so i cant make any decision for another 2-3 weeks my doctors tell me.. its crazy!!e-pill
- a part of me just wants to enjoy the drive as i been inside for over a month straight..e-pill
- vaxorcist0
Didn't somebody do a psych study where the more time spent commuting in a car, the more likely somebody is to be depressed
- jacklalane0
I ride my bike all seasons. 4km in about 20 mins.
It is the best part of the day.- Driving 74 miles a day is CRAZYjacklalane
- yo, you're in toronto. nice city. :-)akrok
- yes, thats what i thought, but i wanted to hear from other designers who have to drive..e-pill
- akrok0
e-pill, rent a car. drive that way one day. they you find out if it's hell or peace on earth. hah. might be a life safe. ;-)
- life saver. should say. :-) i type to faaaaast. got turbo on.akrok
- or sorry, i mean supercharger. hell yeah. haha.akrok
- see. :-Dakrok
- i drove out there for the initial interview, it was mid day with slight to no traffic..e-pill
- it was hard to justify it as just driving.. i am asking towards a long day at the office.. 2 much?e-pill
- i drive 25 miles each way. freeway. i think it's alot. i would not like to do more then that.akrok
- Heh.. i missed 3 calls on my phone from that interview i had 2 days ago for a 2nd interview!e-pill
- if it works out i will be back in NYC in Soho.. and not have to care about car, insurance ...e-pill
- i WANT that job!! not one i have to drive.. i live in ny.. not LA.. i dont want to drive..e-pill
- i used to live in LA.. had to drive the PCH everyday.. stuck in traffic.. hated it..!!!e-pill
- hey, i am open to move. :-) if ya hear anything.akrok
- i apply to two agencies but it's hard to get noticed when your across the country.akrok
- i only know about work in my field and our industry is always booming, want fashion design?e-pill
- design is design. i can do it all.akrok
- but as i don't have much fashion in my book. might be hard for me. some can't look over that, part.akrok
- its not just design, you need to know physical construction of every type of accessory producte-pill
- design is easy as fuck.. but can you create paper patterns and constructions? that is not easy.e-pill
- but if you are interested, i can recommend you to many NYC fashion vendors.e-pill
- shoot me an email.. we can discuss privately..e-pill
- bulletfactory0
I used to drive 30 to work each way at my first job out of college - mind you, that was in west central Missouri, where 30 miles was a 30 minute commute. In LI, you'll be in the car MUCH longer.
- PersonaNonGrata0
40min car
2 house bus/metro + 0 - 30min waiting on various pieces of the equation (in the elements)
one wayI used to take the bus - sucked
- e-pill0
i have a job offer on the table.. if i take it i will have to purchase a car..
the distance is 38 miles each way..i havent really driven a car in decades.. so im not really sure what the wear and tear that much driving will cause..
is 74 miles of driving each day a lot?? too much??
im torn in taking this job offer because of the amount of driving..
the position is for design director of product development for a brand that has been around 100 years.
their location is in the middle of long island near the hamptons..
a far cry away from nyc.. the salary is extremely competitive, yet i have other offers in nyc for similar salaries..
what to do?? is it worth it to purchase/ lease a car and payout $10K? for that yearly payment?
as you guys all drive.. what do you think? is that too much driving a day? which is 18,500 miles a year.. please help advise me as i dont drive living in nyc most of my life i never needed a car.. but if i take this gig i will need one.. oi
- you can pick up chicks with a carPersonaNonGrata
- 38 miles each way i'd get something that's relatively comfortable because you're going to be in it for a while.kona
- highway miles are way better than city miles too. so wear and tear will be less. look into something that gets good hw gas mileage.kona
- 18.500 miles per year, is alot. usually, leases start around 12k to 15 miles. if you want 18 or 20k, you going to have pay more.akrok
- MPG. the gig sounds great so i'd say drop the hammer dude. great to hear about this too yo.kona
- more. but that better then get 15 miles and drive 19k. cause then they charge you .25 cent per mile. or more.akrok
- akrok- i didnt know about that miles stuff for leasing..e-pill
- http://web.vw.com/vw…akrok
- kona- the gig.. well im torn because for NYC i have offers for same or similar salaries..e-pill
- well, cause the more you drive. the cheaper the car gets. :-)akrok
- and i wouldnt need a car, let alone have to spend the cash to get one.. so i can save it..e-pill
- my goal is NYC, not bumblefuck wrong island... the decision for has mostly been made.. bute-pill
- yesterday i got a hand written card in the mail from the agent who introduced me to that gig..e-pill
- he said i made a huge impression on the CEO of that company and they want mee-pill
- he said they will create the Director position for me as they currently dont have one there.e-pill
- i am still ill with pneumonia so i cant make any decisions til after i gain my strength..e-pill
- its just during this time that i wait is really making me think this or that a lot more ..e-pill
- cause you got SKILZ!!!kona
- akrok- i actually do want a VW!!!!e-pill
- i have experience.. skills is weak minded thinking.. anyone can be taught skills..e-pill
- dMullins0
When I lived in SF, I used to stupidly drive to places within the city. Then our car got jacked, we got a settlement check from our insurance, and it ended up being the best thing to happen to us. We spent a lot more time on the bus, which allowed us to witness the goings-on of society's lower rung. One time I almost got in a fight with a 100-lb. crackhead wearing nothing but a Michael Jordan jersey at 8:00 in the morning. Good times.
- bulletfactory0
Subway: Brooklyn to Manhattan - 30min door to door.
Drive: probably 1.5hr in rush hour traffic and nowhere to park close by when I finally get there.- yeah.... and has Manhatten parking hit $100/day yet?vaxorcist
- probably - I haven't bothered to drive to work - it would easily cost that to park all day.bulletfactory
- $100 sounds low for parking in nyc.akrok
- it's 60-100 in downtown l.a.akrok
- I'd love to drive a $400 car and pay a $120 parking fee...vaxorcist
- hahaakrok
- vaxorcist0
my car got stolen a while ago, for the second time, so I'm a public transportation addict now....
last time I was in San Francisco, there seemed to be many, many more psychos on the bus than in Chicago...
- fiver0
BART in sf. 20 minutes door to door. and free!
- OBBTKN0
Driving my own car: 15 mins
Public transportation: 50 mins (and i must wake up half an hour before than now and wait 1 hour and half to come back home after...)I´ll change the company i work for, than use pt
- pinkfloyd0
I use to walk to work in midtown manhattan but it was too hard to do during the winter time, so I ended up taking the bus.
- eficks0
ok another comment for hong kong, which i assume would be a bito like living in manhattan. 5 minutes to and from work is something i really miss.
- akrok0
i drive > 25 miles (each way), takes me at least 45 mins and upto 1.5 hr, depending on traffic.
- my last gig was only 5 miles away. took surface streets. that was nice.akrok
- i could move closer but most of the freaking apt. on the west-side wants you...akrok
- to sign a 1 year lease. i am not up for that. incase opportunity knocks. i could just leave. :-) and restart.akrok
- i do leave a bit later in the morning, as it's better. but then i also stay a bit longer, so leaving after the rush hour.akrok
- then theirs days like yesterday. came in at 10am and left 10pm.akrok