Challenge you to help me figure out what to do for this terrible commute!

[jj94auto]

Alright, I live 63 miles away from my job in DC.

I have been taking the train(s) there every day. The cost to commute via train + driving my car to the commuter station is about $400 per month.

The problem is that I have been getting sick on the trains due to exposure to all the people on it.

I get flus that last 2 weeks long on a monthly basis. At this rate, I will certainly get fired before you know it.

To make matters worse, I am an indendent contractor, so I don't get any sick time.

Short of changing jobs or moving closer to DC (just pretend that neither are options for personal reasons), I don't know what to do.

Parking in DC is $12 per day or $240 per month.

Most of my commute is bumper to bumper. (So alot of my trip is 0 mpg). It took me 3 hrs to get home on Friday (which is sort of average).

The only thing I can think of is drastically increasing the fuel efficiency on my car or getting another one for cheap that has more potential for fuel economy.

I can't continue to get the flu once a month because of the dirty folks on the train, and I can't just sit there and sleep at my job when I am running 104 degree fevers.

Any thoughts on how to use a gallon each way???

loooollllllllllllllllllllllllllll

Thanks

Car is in profile!

[Rayme]

Get a hybrid? I doubt there is much better car around for stop and go traffic in bumper to bumper conditions. I know it would cost more but then, you'd spend more money on a car instead of petrol.

3 hours to get home! OMG what a waste of time, I would move in closer or change job, that is just insane.

[Ryland]

I would defiantly move, even if you don't want to, how long is your current commute? 1.5 hours each way even with the train? 3 hours a day, 15 hours per week, 60 hours per month... 60 hours that you are not getting paid for, add to that your $400 per month commuting costs, and moving, even for a few months, even while still paying for your current place to live, you should come out ahead.

[jj94auto]

Originally Posted by Ryland

I would defiantly move, even if you don't want to, how long is your current commute? 1.5 hours each way even with the train? 3 hours a day, 15 hours per week, 60 hours per month... 60 hours that you are not getting paid for, add to that your $400 per month commuting costs, and moving, even for a few months, even while still paying for your current place to live, you should come out ahead.

Thanks guys between 2.2 hrs - 3 hrs with the train EACH WAY.

The only option would be hybrid or to move. I can't change jobs, I wouldn't even try to explain why I won't change my job here...but after I wrote about a 7 page summary to explain it, you would be more than convinced.

I like the mathematical figures you came up with.

Just food for thought, you pay mile for mile as you get closer to DC. I know that alot of cities work like this, but it is extreme here.

Just moving 5 miles north costs ALOT more money.

I can't afford to live more than 25 miles from DC.

My friend does and takes the bus to work. (He lives 25 miles from DC and it takes him 1.5 hrs each way.)

[SD26]

Ouch!

Friend of mine lives in Fredrick, north of DC, and works in DC as a contractor too.

I don't know if there are good answers. Does a different starting location offer better options?

Have you tried Airborn or whatever to keep from getting colds on the train?

Can you set up your business so that you work four long days vs five regular days? On line meetings?

[jj94auto]

Originally Posted by SD26

Ouch!

Friend of mine lives in Fredrick, north of DC, and works in DC as a contractor too.

I don't know if there are good answers. Does a different starting location offer better options?

Have you tried Airborn or whatever to keep from getting colds on the train?

Can you set up your business so that you work four long days vs five regular days? On line meetings?

Ah ok, Frederick. I know where that is. Thats a good 40 miles from DC. I have another friend who lives in Rockville which is much closer in and it takes him 1.5 hrs each way.

I live in Spotsylvania, which is pretty close to Frederickburg (about 50 miles from DC).

I can't be the only one doing this because the train is packed from Fredericksburg. I mean, this is a double decker and there are days when people are forced to stand in the isles because the train is full.

Salaries out here are generally much higher than they are in most parts of the United States...especially for IT people like me.

It is a nasty tradeoff let me tell you.

What's the airborne stuff by the way?

[SD26]

Well, yeah, you need the extra income just to offset your costs.

Airborne is this stuff you can take that is supposed to keep you from getting colds. Should be available at a drug store over the counter. If you use Google, I think you'll find lots of information for and against it. Still, might be worth trying.

Don't know if my friend takes the train in to DC. I think lots of times, he's in a car and just puts it up to the cost of doing business. Still, if you can reduce that overhead, that's money in your pocket, especially with current fuel prices.

[101mpg]

Is there an HOV (carpool lane) there? If you can get a vehicle that would qualify for a single rider, like in CA if you have a motorcycle, electric hybrid, etc. - if you can figure out their rules in DC then you might have a shot at keeping costs down that way.

Getting an older Prius might really help in stop & go traffic that way. Also see if you can find parking near your job that would require a bus drive, or possibly a bike ride after parking that is significantly cheaper?

Maybe pick up a scooter & take surface streets?

[DRW]

Why not get a motorcycle? You could save time by cutting through stopped traffic and park cheaply. Yes, you'd have to learn how to ride it safely, a safety course would be worthwhile. Gear up for rain so you don't have to park the bike anytime it sprinkles.

As for getting sick, it's not just from being on the train with so many other people. If you're stressed, your immune system will be weaker. Getting regular exercise helps strengthen the immune system, and you might not get much chance to do a workout with such a long commute. Eating good also helps, take extra vitamin pills a few times a week. I recomend vitamin C and Zinc. Also avoid rubbing your eyes since that's the easiest route for cold viruses to infect your upper respiratory tract. The virus washes down the tear duct and down the back of the throat where it also spreads into the nasal cavities. Germs thrive and multiply quickly in warm, moist enviorments. Wash your hands regularly since you have to hold the pole, armrest, doors, ect when you're on the train, and that's where you pick up the germs. These are things you can do today, no waiting.

Where I work the parking cost about $15/day. I avoid it by parking just outside the city where it's free, then I ride my bicycle the rest of the way. For my commute, the bike ride is only 2 miles, which takes about ten minutes.
It's not long enough to work up a sweat, so I ride in my work clothes- no need to carry and change clothes twice a day. If I feel energetic after work, I'll take the long way back to my car and get a short workout. It works well this way since I NEVER feel like working out once I get home after a long stressfull drive in rush hour traffic. It's easy to carry the bike inside the back of my car. The rear seats fold down so all I do is flip the quick release and remove the front wheel and it fits right in.
Decent commuter bikes sell for about $500, plus a few bucks for a rack if you need to carry more than a backpack worth of stuff.

Change isn't easy, but in your case it would be worthwhile. You just need to decide which change to make.

[Toyman321]

This may or may not be practical but at one point I had a 20 mile commute that during traffic took at least two hours. I was fortionate that my employer provided us with free gym memberships so I would go to the gym afterwork. By the time I was done at the gym I had blown off some steam from the work day and the commuter traffic had died down.

I would also occasionally throw my bike in the car and go for an hour ride before driving home to kill time.

Could shifting your hours work to come in early and leave early or come in late and leave late to avoid the commuter congestion?

I would suggest a motorcycle, I have one, but commuting on a motorcycle with all the distracted drivers and congestion is not my idea of a good morning.

Hope any of this helps....

[SD26]

Originally Posted by Toyman321

...but commuting on a motorcycle with all the distracted drivers and congestion is not my idea of a good morning.

Personally, as a motorcyclist, I'd struggle with that in DC. Such an old area of the country, the roads are just congested because of a couple centuries of building, original terrain, and a city that is home to the government, military, etc. It's scary enough in a car.

[jj94auto]

I am overwhelmed by the great ideas that you have provided. I believe that I can strike some balance.

[DarbyWalters]

It might look stupid, but like they do in Japan...wear a face mask...like a surgeon. Make sure you wash your hands ASAP as you get off the train.

[RoadWarrior]

Originally Posted by DarbyWalters

It might look stupid, but like they do in Japan...wear a face mask...like a surgeon. Make sure you wash your hands ASAP as you get off the train.

The fun part about that here is that is they'll probably figure you've got something contagious and clear the carriage.

[Nrggeek]

Well, you could try thinking "inside the box" regarding your living arrangements...
http://www.ge.com/imaginationtheater...eryday/cubicle

Good luck,
Bill

[thecheese429]

you might try looking for better routes. I mean taking unbeaten streets. it may be slower than interstate, but it'll keep the backup away. of course, I don't know anything about DC, but you could try to look for ways with less congestion. maybe even get a gps that gives directions.

[cfg83]

SD26 and jj94auto -

Originally Posted by SD26

Ouch!

Friend of mine lives in Fredrick, north of DC, and works in DC as a contractor too.

I don't know if there are good answers. Does a different starting location offer better options?

Have you tried Airborn or whatever to keep from getting colds on the train?

Can you set up your business so that you work four long days vs five regular days? On line meetings?

I was thinking of Airborne too. It was developed by a schoolteacher :

About Airborne
http://www.airbornehealth.com/about_index.php

Airborne is the best-selling herbal health formula that boosts your immune system to help your body combat germs. It was created by a former second-grade school teacher, Victoria Knight-McDowell, who was constantly exposed to germs in her classroom.

I also use a cough drop called "Fisherman's Friend". It's like an Altoid on Steroids. While I can't prove it, I think it "protects" my throat when I am in a group of people :

Fisherman's Friend
http://www.fishermansfriend.com/



You don't want to overdose on it. I overdid it at one point. I was talking it all day long and I think I hurt my throat for awhile. But, one per train trip is fine. Is your "train-time" longer than 1 hour one way?

This won't work for flu bugs, but I think it is relevant to "protecting yrou health" during your commute. In Asian countries you see people with face masks to protect themselves from air pollution. I tried this to protect myself on my freeway drive, but it is too hot to wear for a long drive. Instead, I compromised and got these nose filter plug things :

BreathePure Nasal Air Filter
http://www.breathepurenap.com/



CarloSW2

[cfg83]

RoadWarrior -

Originally Posted by RoadWarrior

The fun part about that here is that is they'll probably figure you've got something contagious and clear the carriage.

Yup. Who cares what they think if you can avoid the flu, .

CarloSW2

[RoadWarrior]

Oh, anyone with Ragweed allergies, avoid anything with Echinacea in it like the plague, such as that airborne original formula... damn near killed myself trying to ward off cold season...

[JanGeo]

I am sure this is also being done by others but changing the time that you go to work may change the traffic even if you drove 1 hour earlier you may save time driving and then could at least save that wasted time in the car doing something else in the city. Motorcycle is too dangerious in that much traffic - you could do better on a power assisted bike at 10 miles an hour even a bicycle would get you there faster. For the train you need a motorized air filter maybe with UV light to kill the bugs in the air you are breathing.

[bobc455]

I'm not a contractor, so some flu time off would suit me just fine. I get paid whether I show up or not.

However I suffer from a very strong immune system, so I get stuck having to work through the whole winter. I exercise a lot and take vitamin C. My favorite concoction is Emergen-C (http://www.emergenc.com/), which is basically the same thing as Airborne except comes in a powder that you don't have to wait for it to dissolve. It hits your system like a ton of bricks and really boosts your immune strength.

You can also take vitamin-C pills throughout the day, but actually the best form (besides emergen-C) is powdered vitamin C. I think they call it "crystals". The pills don't always dissolve well in your body, the powder is readily absorbed.

In summary: Keep taking the train!

-Bob C.

[QDM]

Why put up with that crap every day. Get out of that rat race and move to Montana or something.

Q

[ALS]

Prius or Insight as far as hybrids. Non Hybrid I would look at a Toyota Corrolla.
You don't want any car that doesn't get close to 40 mpg highway.
If your spending a lot of time sitting in traffic bumper to bumper go with a smaller Hybrid.
Been caught in that DC rush hour traffic a few times and it is not fun.

[Sludgy]

Sounds like you need flu shots. I get one every October, and haven't had the flu in years.........