I have been taking the bus this week to my new job. I can ride for free - a perk offered by my employer. It is supposed to take 53 minutes to get from the suburbs where I live to the front doorstep of my employer in the city. The return time is the same. It would take a minimum of 45 minutes to drive and often it takes an hour. The traffic is miserable. On the weekends, it only takes 25 minutes to drive there.
Getting to work has been taking the 53 minutes and has been fantastic. However, the route the bus takes from the city to the suburbs is a giant traffic snarl right now from various lane restrictions due to road construction. It took me 80 minutes to get home the last two days. I don't know if my sanity can take it. And, when the kids' fall activities start, I just can't spare that extra time. Perhaps my DH and I will need to keep the same work schedule for a while so we can drive together until the construction is over. The route we would drive is unaffected by this construction.
That would mean not as much gas savings but our time and the time we have with the kids is worth more to me.
Rethinking taking the bus for now
August 19th, 2011 at 01:01 am
August 19th, 2011 at 02:01 am 1313715671
August 19th, 2011 at 02:22 am 1313716924
Taking the bus or driving might not be an all or nothing thing. Might want to take the bus one day/week for a bit of cost savings, and it will give you a chance to figure out when the construction project finishes. Also sounds like getting there is no problem, but getting home is the issue. Any possibility that DH could swing around and pick you up after work? You could sweeten the deal by telling him that its either picking up you or picking up the kids.
Driving makes sense, but I'd monitor the situation, and mix it up - bus there (free), drive back ($). Doing that you'll have saved a bit of gas. And FWIW - the Kindle was made for a bus ride.
August 19th, 2011 at 10:55 am 1313747733
August 19th, 2011 at 07:05 pm 1313777158
Jerry
August 20th, 2011 at 01:59 am 1313801990