# Commutes & Walk-To-Work Times
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [July 30, 2008, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226 "2008-07-30T13:48:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/1 "2008-07-30T13:48:30Z")
My buggy finally shit the bed on the way home from work last night (yeah, my little pocket car with the Pathfinder face print on the rear bumper).
Being broke I’m not really in a position to do anything about it at the moment so my car is comatose in the garage until I either pull the plug on it or decide how much surgery I’m willing to do. But that’s a whole 'nother thread.
Anyhoo, while I was walking to work this morning I got to thinking. This commute is normally about 10 minutes via car. The motor barely has time to warm up before I’m here and I know that’s not good for it. As it turns out it’s a 45 minute walk. 45 minutes of windshield time gets old, but I think it may not be uncommon. So to make myself feel better about losing an hour a day thanks to my new situation, I’m wondering if maybe I’m just back to a “normal” commute time, except I’ll be walking my gut off and saving about $120/month in gas & insurance (and God only knows how much in fastfood lunches!). So (and here’s the poll, thank you for reading so far) the question here is:
Drivers: How long do you stare at your windshield each day?
Walkers: How far/how long are you banging your hooves on the pavement each day?
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### Author:  [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/2 "2008-07-30T13:56:57Z")
0 windshield time.
10 min walk on either side of a 40 minute train ride
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### Author:  [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/3 "2008-07-30T14:02:37Z")
Since I’m currently unemployed, I’ll have to speak in the past tense.
My last job I drove from the upper east side of Manhattan to Bridgewater, NJ: 50-60 miles depending on the route. Mornings would take an hour and 10 or 15 minutes. Evenings would take from 90 minutes to 2+ hours depending on bridge traffic and parking.
When I worked in midtown Manhattan whether I walked, took the bus or subway it would take around 45-50 minutes. It was a little more than 2 miles walking. The quickest (20 minutes) was by riding my bicycle, which I did sporadically because I’d freak myself out and have to stop for a while.
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### Author:  [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/4 "2008-07-30T14:07:14Z")
I have a 7 to 10 minute drive to work (depending on traffic and traffic lights). I can walk it in about 70 minutes, and have done so on a few occasions. But by bus, walking as little as possible, it wold take about 2 hours, because I’d have to take a bus to downtown Columbus, then another back out again.
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### Author:  [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/5 "2008-07-30T14:14:48Z")
I should add - I’m considering moving within the next year or so. My search is focused around the commuter train lines. I’m trying to convince myself that even if I am less than 1.5 miles from the station I’ll walk or bike (at least most of the time.) Up to 3 miles or so from the station, I’d like to think I would bike. I’ve done some thinking of the gear I would need and other aspects of rain/snow biking. Gore-tex is a marvelous thing!
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/6 "2008-07-30T14:23:31Z")
Drive to work: 10 minutes.
Walk to work: 20 minutes.
I try to walk to work as much as possible, and tend to drive only when I’m running late or the weather’s bad.
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### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/7 "2008-07-30T14:26:01Z")
Drive to work. 45 minutes each way, 90 minutes round trip
Walking. Impossible. 36 miles by freeway, not even sure how I would walk it. There are no sidewalks at all for at least ten miles from the office.
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### Author:  [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/8 "2008-07-30T14:28:12Z")
10 mintue walk to train station, or if I’m feeling lazy I’ll catch a bus.
35 minute train ride.
20 minute drive not during rush hour
30-40 minute drive during rush hour
I don’t want to imagine how long to walk
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### Author:  [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/9 "2008-07-30T14:29:35Z")
15 mins drive each way, or 30 min walk each way, so it’s up to the weather for me.
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### Author:  [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/10 "2008-07-30T14:35:07Z")
If I drive in, it’s about 15 minutes windshield time each way. If I drive to the Metro, it’s \<5 minutes windshield time each way. I’m not going to walk an hour each way to work, and I’m also not going to walk to the Metro, because I don’t want to be some sweaty, stinky, frizzy haired pig all day at work 6 months out of the year or a half-frozen / drenching wet disheveled pig all day at work.
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### Author:  [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/11 "2008-07-30T14:36:30Z")
I’m intrigued by the fact that you don’t include public transportation in your options, but perhaps that just reflects where you live.
Anyway, for me it’s 8 minutes walk to the train station, 15 minutes on the train, and then 5 minutes at the other end. Not too bad, all things considered.
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/12 "2008-07-30T14:39:29Z")
[QUOTE=Inigo Montoya]
Drivers: How long do you stare at your windshield each day?
Walkers: How far/how long are you banging your hooves on the pavement each day?
[/QUOTE]
I have an enormously short commute, so I am usually staring at my windshield 5-10 minutes. This has resulted in me biking several times a week, which takes me about 10-15 minutes, maybe 20 if I catch the lights (and yes, I stop at every red light, and I wear a helmet too.)
I don’t know how long it would be walking but walking is soooooooo boring.
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### Author:  [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/13 "2008-07-30T14:46:23Z")
[QUOTE=Inigo Montoya]
Walkers: How far/how long are you banging your hooves on the pavement each day?
[/QUOTE]
Either 30 minutes by bus (allowing for walking to bus stop) each way or an hour each way on foot.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/14 "2008-07-30T14:49:22Z")
15 minutes walking, then 10 minutes on the train, then 20 minutes walking.
Or 15 minutes and $15 by cab. That adds up, so I rarely do it.
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### Author:  [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/15 "2008-07-30T14:49:25Z")
My car is in the shop, so lately it’s been 15 minutes on my motorcycle to my buddy’s house, and then 45 minutes in his car. When I drive, it’s an hour if I pick him up, or about 55 min if I take the bypass.
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### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/16 "2008-07-30T14:53:30Z")
Past tense, 45 minutes average of windshield time.
Future tense, most likely an hour of train.
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### Author:  [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/17 "2008-07-30T15:05:30Z")
My drive is only about 8 minutes long and I wish I could walk to work, but one of the main roads is quite dangerous. If I lived on the other side of the highway, it would be feasible to either walk or ride a bike. There is no public transportation option for me either.
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### Author:  [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/18 "2008-07-30T15:19:48Z")
2 days a week, I spend about 40 minutes windshield time. 3 days a week, I spend about 30 seconds hoofing it (I work from home).
Re the OP: How much would a bike cost? 200 bucks? For a 2-3 mile commute, that’d cut the 45 minutes down to, what, 20ish? while offering similar walk-off-the-gut benefits.
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### Author:  [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/19 "2008-07-30T15:51:04Z")
30-35 minute drive to the office, and the same back. Unfortunately, within an hour of being in the office, I have to get into a box-truck and usually spend most of my time driving, I have looked for closer jobs though, and if I could get one near here I would definitely walk. I can be anywhere in my little town within 10 minutes walking.
Brendon Small
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### Author:  [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commutes-walk-to-work-times/458226/20 "2008-07-30T15:51:06Z")
[QUOTE=Dervorin]
I’m intrigued by the fact that you don’t include public transportation in your options, but perhaps that just reflects where you live.
[/QUOTE]
Absolutely.
- Bus pass here in Denver is $60 for a month (When the car is working I spend maybe $40 in gas/month and that includes all my little driving around errands on weekends).
\*15 minute walk to the nearest bus stop
- Bus runs every 45 minutes
- 5 minute ride
- 10 minute walk to work after a
So to save 15 minutes each way and maybe about a mile I pay $60/month, walk about 1.5 miles and hope to God I don’t miss the bus–so I’d be getting to the bus stop 5-10 minutes early, so really this is a net savings of 5 minutes.
That’s why we drive cars here.
**Mama Zappa** It’s mostly uphill to work. I’m a pussy.
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