No bus, but I do take the train.
Gas prices and Mass Transit
- Thread starter Toshi
- Start date
Southern California is not exactly conducive to public transportation. Though we do have the bike racks on the front of the busses. Here in Los Angeles/Southern Cal. it really is way more convenient to own a car. If I was using public transpo it would take me well over two hours and 3 or more busses to get to work. By car it takes 30 - 45 minutes depending on traffic. For people that are commuting 40 miles or more it would be a nightmare. My GF was working in downtown L.A. for a while and took the train in which was very convenient and saved money. But then there is a train station 5 blocks from my apt that goes into downtown.
You have good taste in music there Loco. Descendents and now some early REM. Not too shabby...
You have good taste in music there Loco. Descendents and now some early REM. Not too shabby...
conscious decision to buy a house in an area serviced by public transportation.Toshi said:
Here (bay area) too. I commute from the east bay into San Francisco. My options are to take BART or casual carpool/bus. Carpool/bus is more convenient, faster and cheaper. The bus rocks in comparison to BART - less crowded, far more quiet, more comfortable, and cleaner. Actually, on the line that I ride we get a mix of buses. Usually, I'll ride home on one of the big luxury-style buses, with comfortable, cloth covered (clean) reclining seats. Occasionally, we'll get the smaller city buses with the hard plastic seats. They are less comfortable, but still on par with BART, and much more quiet.Toshi said:
Our mass transit basically sucks balls. However, I dont complain about gas prices. I do wish they would go down but complaining isnt going to do crap about it. NOTE: We're up to $2.50 here and it hurts to to fill up now 
Where is everyone else at?
Where is everyone else at?
http://www.gasbuddy.com/ has gas prices 
. Ciaran, why in the world would people be commuting 40 miles? quality of life includes commute time... 
. Ciaran, why in the world would people be commuting 40 miles? quality of life includes commute time... 
Here in NZ, I live 20Km (almost exactly) from my work, and have the choice of public transport or car to get there. Public transport is OK, but it means I have to get up 20 minutes earlier, and I HATE getting up. I have used it several times, when my car is in the shop, when my wife needs the car for something etc. My comute by car takes a uniform, easy 25 minutes each way, which is heaven coming from London.
I don't complain about Gas prices, I know why they are high, and I think they should be high to encourage alternatives. My Nissan Terrano is a diesel, so I am slightly cushioned by that. I pay 96.9c per litre, 3.785 litres to a US gallon, so I pay NZ$3.66 a US Gallon which in turn equals US$2.54 a gallon, which I suppose is more than most of you pay for diesel, except maybe you Californians?
Although you really have to consider it to be $3.66 because of the local value of the NZ dollar and what it buys in proportion to a NZ's wages.
When I lived in SF I used the train and a bike. It was pretty awesome, and only took a few minutes longer than a car. I used to commute from Haight and Divisadero to the USGS at Menlo Park. Some days if there was a crash or whatever the car took longer. I loved the dedicated bike carriages on the train. The UK could certainly learn from that.
I don't complain about Gas prices, I know why they are high, and I think they should be high to encourage alternatives. My Nissan Terrano is a diesel, so I am slightly cushioned by that. I pay 96.9c per litre, 3.785 litres to a US gallon, so I pay NZ$3.66 a US Gallon which in turn equals US$2.54 a gallon, which I suppose is more than most of you pay for diesel, except maybe you Californians?
Although you really have to consider it to be $3.66 because of the local value of the NZ dollar and what it buys in proportion to a NZ's wages.
When I lived in SF I used the train and a bike. It was pretty awesome, and only took a few minutes longer than a car. I used to commute from Haight and Divisadero to the USGS at Menlo Park. Some days if there was a crash or whatever the car took longer. I loved the dedicated bike carriages on the train. The UK could certainly learn from that.
I can't ride the bus to work, work is 25miles away currently, soon it will be much less, when my wife and I buy a house. Hopefully I will be able to ride my bike, but getting to work at 6am is early.
I stopped driving my truck to work and am driving my wifes car(she works from home now)now instead of getting 22mpg I am getting 38mpg.
I stopped driving my truck to work and am driving my wifes car(she works from home now)now instead of getting 22mpg I am getting 38mpg.
Because that's life in Southern California.Toshi said:http://www.gasbuddy.com/ has gas prices
My current commute is 26 miles. I chose this job because it was shorter then the 60 mile commute I had. When your job is in a location that is either a) too expensive for you to afford, or b) in a bad area, the commute becomes a viable, if not the only option. There are many people who work in L.A. proper but live out in the suburbs 20 40 50 miles away. And of course some careers just do not have as many locations options. As a doc you will have greater location and living choices then say a computer help desk monkey. (Of course you have to work very hard to become a doc. Much more then a help desk monkey.)
Personally, I was working and living in Pasadena when my company chose to relocate my job out to Corona, which is like 60 miles away (not as the crow flys). My choices were to commute or move to Corona (yuck) or to find a new job. Since I really like my job I went with it. Eventually I was able to land a similar position in my current location.
I completely agree that commute time is part of your quality of life. To that end I am hoping I can get my leather business going well enough to quit this job and work from home. Commuting really does suck.
10 miles each way for me, which is nothing compared to some. Gas for my pickup is starting to hit our budget hard, so I'm riding my bike almost every day now.
Being in construction it would be very difficult to ride a bus and nearly impossible to bike to work. Gas prices are going to be infinitely more expensive, but it's all relative and it hardly effects my driving habits. i mean it doesn't keep me from driving miles for work and miles for bike rides or other social events. What it will do is keep an extra 20 to 30 bucks a week burning a hole in my pocket for other frivilous events.
As far as complaining, what good will it do. i would hope someday we can ween ourselves off the dependance of fossil fuels, but nothing is going to happen in that respect with the current administration.
As far as complaining, what good will it do. i would hope someday we can ween ourselves off the dependance of fossil fuels, but nothing is going to happen in that respect with the current administration.
I Are Baboon said:
Can't get the busy where I live (in the sticks) and my commute is 68 miles round trip.
Saw that premium had hit 3.01 at a few places while out on my morning ride today. Had to control myself from pointing and laughing at all the suckers lined up for their go-juice.
Looking at a car, but mostly so I can go backpacking up in the Sierras and maybe hit up the trails for once.
Anyone got something with 25+mpg and fairly cheap?
Oh, no bus for me, work is only a mile away and I will pretty much ride anywhere that is within 50 miles of me that I need to go to. It's slow, but it's more fun.
The Ito
Looking at a car, but mostly so I can go backpacking up in the Sierras and maybe hit up the trails for once.
Anyone got something with 25+mpg and fairly cheap?
Oh, no bus for me, work is only a mile away and I will pretty much ride anywhere that is within 50 miles of me that I need to go to. It's slow, but it's more fun.
The Ito
Just filled up my wife's mini cooper at lunch today. Almost $40 to fill it. Gas was up to 2.97/gal. I think my desire to commute by bike has finally been pushed to fruition. Though only 13 miles each way, my drive in usually takes between 15 and 40 minutes depending on traffic. The bus takes about an hour with transfers, and my bike takes a consistent 45 minutes. With all the rain, I've been holding off on the bike as I hate cleaning it all the time, but I guess it's time. No shower at work, but some 'wet ones' will handle it.
The thing that mainly eats up the gas around here is that the rides on the weekend are all over an hour away for anything decent. Only about 2 rides within 20 minutes of my house and they're not worth much more than an evening spin. Can't wait until we move somewhere good.
I used to love bike commutting in. Used to have a 20 mile one-way I did everyday when I did not have a car. Just under an hour each time by road and about 2 hours if you rode in on the mtb and cut through North Mountain park in Phoenix. Good times. Anything more than an hour seemed a bit much.
The thing that mainly eats up the gas around here is that the rides on the weekend are all over an hour away for anything decent. Only about 2 rides within 20 minutes of my house and they're not worth much more than an evening spin. Can't wait until we move somewhere good.
I used to love bike commutting in. Used to have a 20 mile one-way I did everyday when I did not have a car. Just under an hour each time by road and about 2 hours if you rode in on the mtb and cut through North Mountain park in Phoenix. Good times. Anything more than an hour seemed a bit much.
Toshi said:ryan, get an older civic. just don't rice it up
Or an older Corolla.
Toshi said:judging from the poll's current results:
23.33% of you need to suck it up
