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The Real Cost of Heavy Duty Commuting - June 20, 2007
During one week in May, I was in nearby Washington, D.C. or at Dulles Airport there four days out of five. That is about 120 miles round trip.
One of the trips was personal, to pick up a daughter coming home from Scotland. One trip was a commute into the city for a day of work, returning home by 5:15 p.m. (not too bad). The other trip was commuting to the airport for a quick trip to a meeting in Florida, and then home again the next day.
While this was an unusual week for me (thank goodness), I feel sorry for the commuters who struggle through that traffic on a daily basis.
Then in the June 3, 2007 Washington Post Sunday Magazine, I "met" several of those commuters. These folks have heavy duty commutes to the metropolitan area surrounding Washington, D.C.: one was driving 200 miles round trip every day from Charlottesville, Va., and another couple who both commute (but separately) 120 miles round trip every day from Bunker Hill, West Virginia. Why would anyone do this?
But it is really not all that unusual: it happens all across North America and while no one probably would make it their first choice in lifestyle, commuting eats up incredible amounts of time. A single mother from our church recently moved to the town she had been commuting to for about two years and said, "I am looking forward to having two hours of my work days back, to do something besides drive and listen to NPR."
In many parts of North America, the only jobs to be had are at a distance. But it is one thing to drive 50 miles through little or no traffic in the hinterlands, and quite another to drive 50-60 miles and also face the stress of stop-and-go traffic.
While I would not criticize anyone for the choices they feel they have to make to put food on the table and find affordable housing, and many time persons have to commute on a temporary or irregular basis, too often such choices are made in order to live a certain lifestyle.
In another recent media story, I heard about the trend toward really expensive designer clothing for tots as young as two years old, dubbed "kiddy couture." This is parents (okay, mostly moms) taking pride in dressing their kids in $200 jeans and $300 sneakers. Why would anyone do this? This is obscene.
While I say that, someone in India would look at my modest wardrobe of 8 to 10-year-old dresses or suits and 10-11 pair of shoes and say, why would anyone do this? This is obscene.
While I will not condemn anyone else for their choices, we all are wise to question and critique our own choices and lifestyles. Especially for the sake of our children.
The biggest cost is not gas, wear and tear on the car, or even wear and tear on the adult enduring these hours of boiling in traffic. It is marriages and families who pay.
At the airport, I overheard a mother trying to put her children to bed by cell phone. It wasn't going so hot. The advantage of today's cell phone culture is that at least kids can be in voice contact with Mom or Dad almost constantly (which can be good or bad but it certainly helps persons cope with long commutes.)
I am happy to report that at the end of the article on the Charlottesville commuter, he was getting a new job in Charlottesville for less salary--in order to save his marriage and family. And the West Virginia commuters hope eventually to find home-based work.
No matter where we live, we can fight the continual struggle to get sucked in by shallow values. Continually look for ways to cut back, pare down, get by with less, so you can have more time for family and relationships.
Contributed by Melodie Davis: [email protected] Melodie is the author of eight books and writes a syndicated newspaper column, Another Way
During one week in May, I was in nearby Washington, D.C. or at Dulles Airport there four days out of five. That is about 120 miles round trip.
One of the trips was personal, to pick up a daughter coming home from Scotland. One trip was a commute into the city for a day of work, returning home by 5:15 p.m. (not too bad). The other trip was commuting to the airport for a quick trip to a meeting in Florida, and then home again the next day.
While this was an unusual week for me (thank goodness), I feel sorry for the commuters who struggle through that traffic on a daily basis.
Then in the June 3, 2007 Washington Post Sunday Magazine, I "met" several of those commuters. These folks have heavy duty commutes to the metropolitan area surrounding Washington, D.C.: one was driving 200 miles round trip every day from Charlottesville, Va., and another couple who both commute (but separately) 120 miles round trip every day from Bunker Hill, West Virginia. Why would anyone do this?
But it is really not all that unusual: it happens all across North America and while no one probably would make it their first choice in lifestyle, commuting eats up incredible amounts of time. A single mother from our church recently moved to the town she had been commuting to for about two years and said, "I am looking forward to having two hours of my work days back, to do something besides drive and listen to NPR."
In many parts of North America, the only jobs to be had are at a distance. But it is one thing to drive 50 miles through little or no traffic in the hinterlands, and quite another to drive 50-60 miles and also face the stress of stop-and-go traffic.
While I would not criticize anyone for the choices they feel they have to make to put food on the table and find affordable housing, and many time persons have to commute on a temporary or irregular basis, too often such choices are made in order to live a certain lifestyle.
In another recent media story, I heard about the trend toward really expensive designer clothing for tots as young as two years old, dubbed "kiddy couture." This is parents (okay, mostly moms) taking pride in dressing their kids in $200 jeans and $300 sneakers. Why would anyone do this? This is obscene.
While I say that, someone in India would look at my modest wardrobe of 8 to 10-year-old dresses or suits and 10-11 pair of shoes and say, why would anyone do this? This is obscene.
While I will not condemn anyone else for their choices, we all are wise to question and critique our own choices and lifestyles. Especially for the sake of our children.
The biggest cost is not gas, wear and tear on the car, or even wear and tear on the adult enduring these hours of boiling in traffic. It is marriages and families who pay.
At the airport, I overheard a mother trying to put her children to bed by cell phone. It wasn't going so hot. The advantage of today's cell phone culture is that at least kids can be in voice contact with Mom or Dad almost constantly (which can be good or bad but it certainly helps persons cope with long commutes.)
I am happy to report that at the end of the article on the Charlottesville commuter, he was getting a new job in Charlottesville for less salary--in order to save his marriage and family. And the West Virginia commuters hope eventually to find home-based work.
No matter where we live, we can fight the continual struggle to get sucked in by shallow values. Continually look for ways to cut back, pare down, get by with less, so you can have more time for family and relationships.
Contributed by Melodie Davis: [email protected] Melodie is the author of eight books and writes a syndicated newspaper column, Another Way
