For years I caught the bus to work and it left at 8:00am from a village 10 minutes drive from my house. I would get in every day by 8:40am at the latest, this bus didn't go around the houses or anything but it did cost £5 per a day.
Now I have passed my driving test I have been driving in every day as it works out cheaper than driving to the bus stop etc.... but I do keep parking in a car park which is driving me mad as it costs so much money! BAD IMY! I need to get in EXTRA early one day and find a free place to park, but I do not have the motivation in the mornings!
I have been leaving at 8:20am every day, for about 6 weeks now (kids have been on school holidays so traffic has not been as bad). I have known how bad the traffic can get, but I end up getting to work either 9:05am or 9:00am when I start at 9:00am. Getting I like to get in early and have breakfast and relax a little before.
So this week I am doing an experiment!
Yesterday I left at 8:10am got in at 9:10am
Today I left at 8:00am got in at 8:50am
Tomorrow I am leaving at 7:50am (which seems so cringing to me when I only live 20 minutes on a quiet day from my office)
Usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays I leave at 7:30am as I take my dad to work and we get in at 7:55am but that is just too early!
I just wanted to share all that with you. No actual idea as to why!
What time do you leave for work? What time do you start? How long is your commute?
Hiy Imy, I don't work but take my boys to school then college. We leave normally at 8:30 but if we leave only a few minutes later than that, I notice the traffic is twice as bad. It's odd how 2-4 mins difference can cause havoc on the roads.
ReplyDeleteBe glad you don't have to catch the 0640 to waterloo!!
ReplyDeleteTraffic is awful though isnt't it, it can be so variable. How far is it? Could you take the train or cycle? Is driving the only option?
Oh wow, someone's bored!
ReplyDeleteI leave the house at 7:30, get the 7:40 bus and get to work at 7:55. I'd drive but it's easier to pay £13 on a monday for the bus than to have £3.50 change a day for the car park!
Every now and again Chris has to leave at 7 for work so we always leave the house together and that gets me to work for 7:20ish so i can leave early!
I love living so close to work and the buses being so cheap up here
Gail :) You are being mentioned in a blog post soon :) hehe
ReplyDeleteIt is driving me mad!!!
Nellie - Oh I am glad i dont catch a train around london or the tube every day! It gets awful doesnt it!!! I try to avoid it at rush hour when im up but when i have early hosp appointments there bang on rush hour! :(
Clareio - I wasn't so much bored, just frustrated with the traffic and wanted to see what other people do lol
Your lucky buses are so cheap, It costs more to catch the bus then it does to drive in, unless i use a car park but im sure in the end would still work out cheaper driving which is annoying!
I just want to get in and have time to relax first, I left at 7:55 today traffic just as bad, leaving 7:30 tomorrow!!!
Yes traffic in term times is terrible. I used to notice this every year when I lived in UK.
ReplyDeleteDo you have the option to work 'Flexitime'? I used to use this option when I worked in UK. So I used to get in the office for about 7:40 and leave at 4pm the extra time I clocked up each week would build up over a 4 week period enough for me to take a Friday off or a Monday off every month.
Working longer but less days also reduces your travel costs (fewer journeys) and also if you are paying for parking reduces that cost as well.
So I'm afraid the answer is early start, that way you get in without lots of start stopping in the traffic and you can grab a free parking space too.
And if you can finish early too, then you miss the evening rush hour as well..
Steve
I know how you feel Imy! I live 15 miles away from my workplace and according to Google maps it should take 37 mins. But I leave the house at 8am almost every day and still arrive at work just on time. I've been trying to leave the house a bit earlier the last few days, but no matter what I always get to work at the same time! It's driving me nuts!
ReplyDeleteacclair - its awful isn't it!!!! I really hate it and since the schools have gone back its even worse!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSteve - I cant do Flexitime otherwise I would and I would start at 7:30 every day and leave at 4pm every day! x
I live in the City centre and it's just a short 15 minute walk to work for me everyday!
ReplyDeleteTakes me 10 mins driving on a quiet day, 20 mins on a bad day. 8.30 is the latest I leave but I often leave anywhere between 7.45 and 8.15 depending on how much I have to sort before. Ideally I'd like to be in early every day and get stuff done, but I'm not good in the mornings so it can be hard. Sometimes I walk in when I don't have to be in at 9. Takes an hour each way!!
ReplyDeleteI live in a big city (Lima, Peru) and work is fairly close to home but there's not many buses around my house or around work (damn residential areas! but yay! haha no traffic noises at night). You're gonna hate my wake up call tho haha, I always wake up at 5:40, depending on what time I drag myself out of bed I can arrive at 6:55-7:30 to work. I walk to the bus stop, then take a bus (or taxi if I'm late) and then walk from the other bus stop to work. It's a bit of a pain but walking fully wakes me up! hahaha. In summer tho I'm out of bed by 5:40 and arrive at 6:55 at the latest.
ReplyDeleteOhhh Imy, you have me intrigued now dear, I wonder why you've mentioned me...can't wait to read it! lol
ReplyDeleteI live in Switzerland where the public transport is pretty good. I leave my house at 6:45, get on the bus, followed by the train and then a tram, and I'm in work for 7:30, and leave (usually) at 16:45. I love my time travelling to work, I usually read my Kindle but if my brain feels up to having a bit of a workout I get my filo out and do a bit of planning - although I have been a bit to dead to do that at all recently :o)
ReplyDeleteI walk to work and back home. I'm a city person and, although I like the country and houses etc, I need to live in the city. My city is not too big and I also happen to live quite close to work, so it takes me about 10 minutes walk door to door. I don't even have the time to listen to more than a couple of songs or three on my way. When I lived further (about 25 minutes walking) I used to listen to EFL (English as a Foreign Language) podcasts, to improve my English listening skills. Perhaps I should take a little detour so that I'd walk a little longer and do it again... it could be a good exercise too. :-)
ReplyDeleteI live in Igualada (Barcelona - Spain). I work at 9 at night, I start work at 9.30 at night (I'm a night nurse emergency). My journey takes 5 minutes by car and 20 minutes walking. I work for 10 hours and 45 minutes .. My day ends at 7.45 am ... So I'm going home to sleep some nights because I go back to work.
ReplyDelete