Monster commutes: Should yours make the list?

AP

(MoneyWatch) According to U.S. Census numbers, 3.2 million Americans commute 90 minutes or longer each day. While listening to podcasts or carpooling with a friend can help pass the time, most of us would agree that the shorter your commute, the better. But for some far-traveling folks, 90 minutes is just a drop in the bucket. Below are four crazy commutes. Can you relate, or is yours worse? Please share the details in the comments section.

The multi-stater
I work in New York City and live in Virginia. I leave on Sunday and return on Thursday. I have flown home for one night to catch the 6 a.m. shuttle out of National (D.C.) back for a 9 a.m. meeting, and have driven through the night on many urgent occasions. Instead of romantic nights with my husband, I spend them with Amtrak watching Baltimore pass by. I am masterful at finding something healthy to eat on the New Jersey Turnpike and can change from my pajamas into my suit as I drive into the parking garage in Manhattan.
-- Megan Megale, Centreville, Va.

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The 20-hour per weeker
My commute is horrible. I take two trains and a subway to get to work, totaling about two hours door to door. So basically, I spend 20 hours a week commuting. And that doesn't even consider the fact that my train sometimes doesn't show up at all. And when that happens, the next train has to fit two trains' worth of people, a.k.a. standing room only. Overall, the biggest hassle of commuting is the unknown. You truly never know what kind of hurdle you could encounter on your way into the city. Two hours can easily turn in 3 hours at any time.
--Alissa Katz, commutes from New Jersey to New York City on NJ Transit.

The sunny side up trip
I live in the suburbs of Atlanta. Atlanta has the worst mass transit system in the world. I live about 32 miles west of my office. The entire drive takes anywhere from 1 to 2 hours each way. What makes it brutal is that the road seems to drive directly at the sun. If you are not prepared, this sun can be literally blinding. When cars turn towards the sun, traffic comes to a screeching halt. Many are unprepared, which leads to wrecks and slowdowns. Going home, the entire process is repeated as the sun going down makes traffic a nightmare.
--Steed Kettles, Atlanta, Ga.

The hellish weather route
I used to have the world's worst commute, from Loveland, Colorado, to Colorado Springs. Why? Because I would have to check three areas for weather and road conditions because of the changing altitude, as I could go through sun, rain, hail and a blizzard all in the same trip! From high winds, wildfires, ice, rush-hour traffic and road construction, it was unpredictable. On a good day, the 113 miles one-way trip could take from 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. During extreme weather conditions, it sometimes took up to 5 hours!
--Lynette Kittle, Colorado Springs, Colo.

[micmac666]

Even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat. The cases mentioned involve people who are merely enjoying the bragging-rights for attention. Pathetisad.

[KnowerseekerReturns]

A lot of commenters here are talking about how glad they are that they live so close to work. (I'm not referring to those who work from home.) Unless I was set on my job -- say, as a part of upper management -- I wouldn't want to live so close to work. What if they lay you off suddenly? Still want to live so close to a bad reminder while you work your new job elsewhere?

[billpl-2009]

my commute is from my bedroom to the den(office)... about 35 feet.


....some mornings it can over an hour, just to get there

[Former_Marine_Sgt]

I got your horrendous commute beat.

From my bedroom to my office - about 3 feet door to door...

Although I do have to walk about 30 feet round trip to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. That's a really hard trip...

(grin). Yup. 3 foot commute.

[KnowerseekerReturns]

As a programmer, I hope to eventually have an employer that lets me work from home over a VPN or some such; maybe it'll happen if I consult/contract. If I ever realize my dream and go back to college to get an MBA and become a manager (of programmers, naturally), however, that'll come to an end.

[erb0601]

My commute into downtown Manhattan is 2 1/2 hours each way, 25 hours a week. I know it is insane!

[afriskyr]

I cannot imagine spending 20 hours a week commuting. I feel like in all the examples the people have a choice and they choose to live far from their work. Several years ago I lived further from work and drove an hour each way. It was a choice I made because I liked living in a particular area away from the city. With today's gas prices, I wouldn't dream of doing that again.

[KnowerseekerReturns]

Buy a Nissan Leaf and drive that to and from work.

[makemyday2day]

ssporleder - my thoughts exactly! Moving to the Midwest from SoCal was the best stress reliever ever! I'm less than two miles from work and my biggest decision each morning is whether to walk or take the bus. It's been a beautiful spring this year! BTW, I gave up my car - something I wouldn't have considered in SoCal where they worship their vehicles (my cars over the years included 2 'Vettes, numerous sports cars, Jeep, van, etc.). The time away from family and home would NEVER be worth it as far as I'm concerned!

[canislupus16]

I live 2.2 miles from my office. A slow day will result in a seven-minute commute, otherwise around four or five minutes. I live in a grand old large home in a quiet neighborhood in a mid-sized city in the northeast. I can't understand what the attraction of the 'burbs is. If I want to go to the 'burbs or enjoy the countryside for a change from the amenities of the city, I go in the evening or on weekends. I previously lived in another larger city in the northeast and my daughter attended city schools - got a great education, with great friends, played sports and all that, and graduated *** laude from high school and college.

I average less than 6,000 miles a year on my car, and fill up about three times a month. (I DO have a full sized car with a 2.0 liter turbo engine that gets outstanding mileage city and highway and, btw, has more power than I need. Less stress (none), less cost, less auto depreciation (my last car I traded had 48,000 miles after nearly 10 years of ownership and it looked brand new), more time with my wife and more time for recreatioonal pursuits, and more money for vacations instead of spending it on one new car after another, gas, maintenance, tires, oil changes, and on and on; also, our car insurance is cheaper. My wife's situation is similar, with about a 3.5 mile "commute" over the city line into the the "suburb." This is a no-brainer.

[retiredgustav]

I have been fortunate, I have never lived more than 10 minutes away from my job.

[Henri_Rochard]

I used to have a deadly commute in the Seattle area. Not as bad as some these listed, but averaging over an hour each way. When I started my job there, my commute was a reliable 35 minute each way, but over time congestion grew.

Then my company announced a 'work from home' program -- I qualified but still had to get my work done.

Since then, I've moved to a small rural town East of the Cascade Mountains and work from home. Commuting stress is history. I get my work done and sometimes the hardest thing to do is just turn my work PC off at the end of the day. With a carpool, I could always announce 'carpool' and leave at a specific time. Now, I tend to get involved in my work and don't notice the clock. Still spending a lot less total time, though.

I can sit around all day in my underwear and smoke cigars while I work !!! (But I don't smoke and always wear at least sweatpants. Hah.)

[ssporleder]

For these horrible commutes, I hope the money and the time away from family are worth it.