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Posted By James Sneddon
Hi all,
I commute to work via train for 4 hours per day for 5 days Mon to Fri i.e., 20 hours per week. I leave the house about 6am and get back home just after 7pm. Has anyone else got a similar experience? Any detriment to your health due to this travel?
Please share your experiences. Many thanks.
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Posted By Saracen11
Hi James, when I started as an apprentice many years ago, I left home at 5.45am to start at 8.30am, travelled by bus, finished at 4.30pm and got home around 6pm. I was fit for nothing afterwards... apart from sleep!
That said, another job I had, took me 7 hours each way - it was a long time ago and the place was pretty remote! (I did reside on site...)
Now, I leave for work 20 minutes before I start and am home in the same time after I finish. Guess I'm fortunate?!
As for health effects; I can see how a person would become fatigued before starting at work.
Regards
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Posted By Brett Day
Personal preference is to drive rather than train, I can set the temp to what I want, listen to whatever music I want, I can take shortcuts and diversions if there is a delay and I don't get mr smelly trying to use my shoulder as a pillow.
I do find using the train to commute can be stressful.
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Posted By Pete48
James,
Only if you personally find the journey stressful and the hours too much of a conflict with your lifestyle. Otherwise it looks like the sort of working day, door to door, that lots of us would love to have.
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Posted By Bob Shillabeer
Hi James,
My daily commute starts at 0530 when I get in the car and drive 8 miles to the railway station followed by a 2 hour train journey followed by a 30 minute trip across London about 3 hours in all door to door. The return trip starts just after 1600 with again a 30 minute trip across London followed by a 2 hour train journey and 8 mile trip station to home arriving about 1915. This makes a day of some 13 and three quarters of an hour. You question was about adverse effects on ones health. Well yes there can be health problems if your lifestyle is not managed properly. Someone who gets up from bed at 4.30 and goes to bed near to midnight is storing up problems so its important that adequate rest is taken on a regular basis. One advantage is to snooze on the train and group travel with friends made on the train is a great relaxant. The real answer is to live a sensable like style.
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Posted By Alan Haynes
As somebody who has just given up commuting every day to work [36 years - approx 1 million miles(by train) and 3 years of my life] I can happily state that I did not think that travelling was bad for my health, [mainly because I 'slept' on the train, and wasn't driving into London in the Rush Hour].
However, once I gave up travelling daily my general health improved, I sleep better and am more cheerful.
So yes, there is an effect - you just don't realise it until you stop!
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Posted By David Bannister
I completely agree with Alan.
My current commute is back up the stairs to the little bedroom/office. Previously I did 1+ hours each way by road in to Manchester, paid for my parking and still got wet between the car park and office. I am now less tired, less irratable, less often unwell, not stressed.
On the days when I travel to see a client I find that I am less aggravated by the lunacy of other drivers and more laid back about the hold-ups. I am generally not tired when I drive and believe that I am a better driver as a result.
I didn't realise any of this until I changed work.
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Posted By andymak
I used to be on 12 hour shifts with up to two hours drive each way. After a night shift I used to struggle on the way home, especially in the dark with headlights coming towards me, it got kind of hypnotic!
No long term health effects though unless you count being able to fully function on only about 28 hours sleep a week!
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Posted By Martin Monaghan
I have 2 options: 15 minutes by car along traffic free country lanes, or 10 minutes by train followed by a 20 minute walk alongside a canal. If I'm feeling energetic I can walk home - nearly all on the canal towpath. I suppose I could buy a canal boat to give me another option.
Thanks for reminding me why I moved away from the city!
Martin
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Posted By Stuart Nagle
I leave the house just after 6am and don't get back in until 7pm either.
Difference is I only travel 26.2 miles to work and 26.2 miles home again... Where ?
The M25 and A2... where else...
The most congested bit in road in Britain right now I'll wager with guess what... road works upon road works just to snarl things up a bit at a time of year when there are more cars on the road and its darker and the weathers worse... good old highways department planning eh!!!
It's a bloody joke.... it would be funny it were not so flippin annoying for those of us who have no alternative but to use it... and just before anyone says use an alternative mode of transport... where I work there is not any alternative means without going into central London and then all the way back out again...
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Posted By Brett Day
obscure off topic factoid - recent study by the RAC I think showed that drivers pay £42 billion in road tax but only £6 billion gets spent on the roads/transport.
No wonder we're all stressed commuting !!!
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Posted By Merv Newman
My office is about two miles away. I go there about once a fortnight. Most weeks I have 2 to 400 miles to drive to the client. And, of course, the same back.
I get there the night before, sleep over and can start training or whatever at 7h00. Someties I do the night shift. I find that my knees tend to go a bit wobbly at about 3am.
My previous employer brought in a guideline : 10 hours and/or 400 miles. (400 miles takes about 6 hours) So I can drive 3 hours, do a 2 to 4 hour meeting and drive 3 hours back. Anything more means a hotel night.
We have the same rule in our present firm.
Commuting is not zero time. It is stress time. You might be able to doze on the train but it is not stress free. When taking a new job and thus deciding on our future life style we should take that in to account. So they pay you a million or two per year. But how much family time do you get ?
I'm preaching a bit here. But you need time to play with the kids. And do the bloody gardening.
Merv
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Posted By GT
I left for work at the beginning of October and will return home end of December, totally stressed but employed.
GT
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Posted By Arran Linton - Smith
Been there with 05:30 to 19:30 commuting/working days.
Fortunately 60% of my work is now based in an office 6miles away from home.
My car is now left at home and I get on my bike. No fuel, no parking, no wear and tear no hold ups due to congestion, less stress and I am much fitter as a result of this.
Previous cost of commuting approximately - £6600+, additional time at home £priceless!
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Posted By David-J-Jones
James
Bit of a side issue but I think Merv hit a very important nail on the head. Family time is very important. I have had a couple of jobs where I have been driving 3-4 hours per day commuting, then covering a large district which requires more driving.
At the risk of being admonished by my more conscientious colleagues most of us work to live. Getting home to see the kids in bed each night is not much fun and it also puts a lot of pressure on your partner.
If you use your own vehicle also consider: Full service was being done approximately every five to six weeks @ couple of hundred pounds per. Resale value being hammered due to high millage being accrued.
I worked out that one year fuel plus wear and tear equated to over five grand (this was several years and a big chunk out of a gross wage of twenty odd)
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