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americans r genuses

DirtyDog

Gang probed by the Golden Banana
Aug 2, 2005
6,598
0
"We have stopped spending on things that aren't necessities, and we've been forced to halve our grocery bill. The kids no longer get fresh fruit or vegetables and no longer get turkey sandwiches. Now we buy only canned goods and the cheapest lunch meat possible. With the price of gas up, everything else is up... except for our wages."
From cnn.com

Rather than finding transportation alternatives, these people have chosen to shovel crap into their bodies.

Am I the only one whos day to day life isn't affected by high gas prices? I have always chosen to live close to work. Commuting has never been an option. It's really not that complicated.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,015
Sleazattle
I live close to work and so do most of the people I work with, I guess that is just part of living in a smaller town. When I am out in LA on business it boggles my mind when I ask people how far from work they live. I constantly hear things like "not too far only about 70 miles". :help:
 

Damn True

Monkey Pimp
Sep 10, 2001
4,015
3
Between a rock and a hard place.
Well in places such as the Bay Area there are many folks who simply cannot afford to live close to work. During boom cycles (another one is not far off, there are times when the demand for homes far outstrips the supply. There simply is little or no room left to build in this valley so people have to go further and further away to find any home, let alone one they can afford.

Commute times in this area in excess of an hour are not at all uncommon.
 

MTB_Rob_NC

What do I have to do to get you in this car TODAY?
Nov 15, 2002
3,428
0
Charlotte, NC
BeerDemon said:
Am I the only one whos day to day life isn't affected by high gas prices? I have always chosen to live close to work. Commuting has never been an option. It's really not that complicated.
You are one of the very few. Most Americans commute, I think the avg is 15 miles each way.
 

DirtyDog

Gang probed by the Golden Banana
Aug 2, 2005
6,598
0
Mtb_Rob_FL said:
You are one of the very few. Most Americans commute, I think the avg is 15 miles each way.
I could have made that choice too.

If they must commute, I would think they would explore things like car pooling and public transportation before cutting nutrients out of their diet.
 

tonyhawk

bikerag.com whore
Sep 21, 2003
512
0
CT
I can't afford to live near where I work. The owner of the company is wealthy and chose an area near his home to open the office. My commute takes me over Avon Mountain, which is heavily traveled and does not have a bike lane, so biking to work is out. Mass transit going away from Hartford in the AM and toward Hartford in the PM is nearly non-existent. After vacationing in DC the other week, I wish we had an option like the Metro here - I'd definitely use it.

I'm looking to buy a house right now, and the closest I can afford is about a half-hour commute by car.

I've started looking for a new job, though, and location will be more of a factor than it was when I started here (six years ago). I've also asked my current employer to consider letting me work from home a couple days per week.
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
Damn True said:
Well in places such as the Bay Area there are many folks who simply cannot afford to live close to work. During boom cycles (another one is not far off, there are times when the demand for homes far outstrips the supply. There simply is little or no room left to build in this valley so people have to go further and further away to find any home, let alone one they can afford.

Commute times in this area in excess of an hour are not at all uncommon.
This is made worse if you have a kid and your work is in the Dead-Zone as far as public schools. We moved over an hour away from Oakland for a chance to buy a home in a decent school district. The job may move eventually too. (I miss bike commuting!!)
 

Reactor

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2005
3,976
1
Chandler, AZ, USA
BeerDemon said:
"Rather than finding transportation alternatives, these people have chosen to shovel crap into their bodies.

Am I the only one whos day to day life isn't affected by high gas prices? I have always chosen to live close to work. Commuting has never been an option. It's really not that complicated.
Choosing a place that was fairly close to work was a major requirement of mine when we(wife and I) bought a house. We could have had a much nicer house farther out, I didn't want a hour commute. We ended up 20 miles from my work and I can bike commute several times a week.

What kills me is that the federal government finds money for 2 billion dollar stealth bombers, presidential libraries, and huge highway projects to encourage single user vehicles, but spends almost nothing on bike lanes, alternate fuels, and efficient mass transit.

At one point I took the bus to work, at the time 14 miles. My choice was an hour ride with a 15 minute lay over in south Phoenix, or an hour and 45 ride with a long transfer. No one is going to use mas transit that takes five times longer than driving.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,031
7,550
until people start moving to the midwest i have no sympathy. it's a CHOICE to live in the bay area, so no whining.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Toshi said:
until people start moving to the midwest i have no sympathy. it's a CHOICE to live in the bay area, so no whining.
I wish they'd choose to stay there when it snows. Like most cities, I could see living in the city proper but anywhere else in the east bay......yuk. Seattle is no different these days unfortunately.
 

H8R

Cranky Pants
Nov 10, 2004
13,959
35
Toshi said:
until people start moving to the midwest i have no sympathy. it's a CHOICE to live in the bay area, so no whining.
It's not a choice, I am forced by common sense not to live in the sh8thole that lies between Yosemite and Niagra Falls.

:D
 

I Are Baboon

The Full Dopey
Aug 6, 2001
32,383
9,289
MTB New England
Wifey and I work 90 minutes apart. We bought a house in the middle, but we don't complain about gas prices. Figuring I spend about $4,000 a year on gas at current rates, I would have a hard time finding a job that would pay me $4,000 less than I earn right now. I keep trying to talk the wife into either finding a new job or just quitting. :) I like my house and I like my job, so I'm not changing either.
 

blt2ride

Turbo Monkey
May 25, 2005
2,333
0
Chatsworth
Westy said:
I live close to work and so do most of the people I work with, I guess that is just part of living in a smaller town. When I am out in LA on business it boggles my mind when I ask people how far from work they live. I constantly hear things like "not too far only about 70 miles". :help:
I work for a company who loves to move people from location to location. At one point, I worked 7 miles from home, and then I was moved to another location that was a 90 mile commute--one way!

You're very lucky if you can live close to where you work. For me, it wasn't so much the gas, as it was the time. When you're on the road 4 hours a day, work between 12-13 hours a day...well you get the picture.
 

Changleen

Paranoid Member
Jan 9, 2004
14,335
2,448
Hypernormality
Wow, giving up decent nutrition before gasoline is fairly dumb. Hopefully this is a decision that would only be made by a minority of people!
 

DirtyDog

Gang probed by the Golden Banana
Aug 2, 2005
6,598
0
I Are Baboon said:
Wifey and I work 90 minutes apart. We bought a house in the middle, but we don't complain about gas prices. Figuring I spend about $4,000 a year on gas at current rates, I would have a hard time finding a job that would pay me $4,000 less than I earn right now. I keep trying to talk the wife into either finding a new job or just quitting. :) I like my house and I like my job, so I'm not changing either.
Right but you aren't in the income bracket that is cutting things out like food. I'd give up my truck before I gave up my health.
 

ohio

The Fresno Kid
Nov 26, 2001
6,649
23
SF, CA
BeerDemon said:
I'd give up my truck before I gave up my health.
Honestly, that's rare.

Unfortunately, this country is too big. It has allowed cities to grow out instead of up, and because that all occured while gas was cheap, there's no planning for a mass transit infrastructure.

We **** our bed and now we get to lie in it. How about a little personal responsibility?
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,015
Sleazattle
blt2ride said:
I work for a company who loves to move people from location to location. At one point, I worked 7 miles from home, and then I was moved to another location that was a 90 mile commute--one way!

You're very lucky if you can live close to where you work. For me, it wasn't so much the gas, as it was the time. When you're on the road 4 hours a day, work between 12-13 hours a day...well you get the picture.
If I had to live that far from work I would just quit. I would have to be in a serious financial pinch to give up several hours of my day in a car for money. My brother moved from a short commute to a long one to be in a more "fun" location. He now spends an extra 15 hours a week driving (15 ****ing hours!) to save one long round trip drive on the weekends.
 

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
63
behind the viewfinder
i've been lucky in that for the last 10 years or so i've lived within 9 or so miles of work. but, when we moved from boston to where i am currently, it was to be close to where i work, and i'm still there.

H8R brings up a solid point; if your work is in the city, and you have kids you either throw them to the mercy of the crappy school system or pay $$$ for private schooling. not much in between.

of course, this is a very non-family/kid oriented site, so i'd expect that the answer's not so obvious to everyone. :rolleyes:
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,031
7,550
Transcend said:
The people choosing to give up food are also the same one who are probably riding around in big ass blinged out escalades and tahoes.
or if only slumming it up with a f-150 i bet at least they have a big screen for the game. priorities, ya know :think:
 

.:Jeenyus:.

Turbo Monkey
Feb 23, 2004
2,831
1
slc
I ride my bike to school everyday. It's sad that more people don't considering you can get from anywhere to anywhere else in this town in sub 15 min on a bike.

My padre has to commute 45miles each way to work every day though.....
 

Transcend

My Nuts Are Flat
Apr 18, 2002
18,040
3
Towing the party line.
Toshi said:
or if only slumming it up with a f-150 i bet at least they have a big screen for the game. priorities, ya know :think:
exactly. I would give up all my fun **** (except my new powerbook) before i gave up nice food. Jesus, how expensive is it to make a decent stir fry every night? It only takes about 20 mins and youc an leave out the brocolli and or cauliflower and still have a nutritious meal with carotts, celery, onion, peppers etc.

Commuting 45 mins in a smart car or prius vs an escalade....big difference.