Poll of the Day > For those that drive almost hour long commutes to work: How do you manage it?

(+) Yeah! (+)

As in, manage driving that distance every morning for the rest of your life without going insane? Anything that doesn't involve listening to music and/or the radio? Have any alternatives for people who aren't a fan of music? To kill say 40 minutes of driving, with lots of rush hour jams during that time.
---

A. Take Public Transit
B. Listen to a Good Talk Radio Show
C. Uber

An audio book or a podcast might help
---

Podcasts huh. That's like radio talkshow hosts stuff right.
---

audio books or news

sometimes i had all of it off and just drove
---

Talk radio, audiobooks, and carpools. Or taking a train so I can nap. Granted, it's sometimes easier to just move (since saving 2 hours a weekday is about 104 hours saved each year) or find a job with a better commute.
---

saspa posted...

aren't a fan of music

Do you just hate fun, like as a rule?
---

I always listened to sports talk radio.
---

I have a 40 minute bus commute to school, but I almost exclusively listen to music or take a nap

Sorry :(
---

Kyuubi4269 posted...

saspa posted...

aren't a fan of music

Do you just hate fun, like as a rule?

tbh, music and sports were always two things I was just never able to get into either.
---

Zeus posted...

Kyuubi4269 posted...

saspa posted...

aren't a fan of music

Do you just hate fun, like as a rule?

tbh, music and sports were always two things I was just never able to get into either.

As someone who was like that, but only as a child, I strongly recommend you actually look for good examples of these instead of basing everything on the awful, heavily-commercialised versions. Sport and music at the very heart of them are directly appealing to humanity, you just need to find the ones that appeal to you.
---

I usually ignore your kind but feeling rather curious today so will ask, do you really want to listen to music at 6:30 am every morning on a long drive to work?
---

audio books, podcasts, and music
---

I find driving relaxing if there's little to no traffic around and my commute doesn't involve traffic jams. I leave for work at 9:10pm and get off about 6:30am. My drive's about 42-45 minutes.
---

Singing, car dancing and seatbelt guitaring.
---

PMarth2002 posted...

I find driving relaxing if there's little to no traffic around and my commute doesn't involve traffic jams. I leave for work at 9:10pm and get off about 6:30am. My drive's about 42-45 minutes.

Interesting, a night shift eh? What kind of industry is that in.
---

There must be some kind of music you might be able to enjoy. Maybe if your idea of music is listening to the radio then I can understand why you're not interested, since the radio sucks.

Podcasts are a decent option if you have the means to listen to them on your car's stereo. It's like talk radio, but a lot better. I don't know why people are recommending talk radio - it's loaded with commercials and usually the hosts are obnoxious blowhards who think they're a lot funnier and smarter than they really are. Of course that depends on the station, NPR probably isn't bad, but the big FM station talk shows are always awful.

saspa posted...

Interesting, a night shift eh? What kind of industry is that in.

I'm working in a warehouse at the moment (for kroger's). I have no plans on staying with it long-term. Its just a steady paycheck with benefits while i save up some money.
---

I listen to audio books

Moving.

Fair enough. The end of your shift is the start of mine funnily enough
---

I normally take my 3DS or Vita to play.

Podcasts are amazing. I have an hour commute both ways and its made it enjoyable as opposed to a struggle.
---

I used to take the bus for 40 minutes each way for work. I just read the news on my phone and listened to music.
---

Why do people who HATE driving insist on getting themselves jobs required to drive in such large numbers people want self driving cars and take away the pleasure of driving from the rest of us?
---

bulbinking posted...

Why do people who HATE driving insist on getting themselves jobs required to drive in such large numbers people want self driving cars and take away the pleasure of driving from the rest of us?

More energy and time efficient
Much lower fatality rate
Parking is no longer a concern

It's much better for society. Sucks that some people like driving, though, but a lot of people love horses too and I'd rather see those in the middle lane on the highway as little as possible too.

EightySeven posted...

More energy and time efficient
Much lower fatality rate

Make it more difficult to get a license so only skilled drivers are allowed to drive vehicles.

Ever heard of hypermiling?

EightySeven posted...

Parking is no longer a concern

This has nothing to do with cars driving themselves and everything to do with there not being enough space in cities, unless you want individuals to not even be able to own their own self driving cars.

EightySeven posted...

It's much better for society.

Funny how you make this claim when it hasn't even happened yet for us to see if that claim is true.

"if you wanna see how good the bill will be you have to sign it first, but blindly trust us idealists, guys!

EightySeven posted...

a lot of people love horses too and I'd rather see those in the middle lane on the highway as little as possible too.

False dichotomy. Switching from animals to mechanical transportation is not the same as choosing to have a string of codes control the same vehicle on the road.

I also feel most people who think AI can handle all the subtleties of driving aren't good enough drivers to pay attention to all the things consciously to understand it would only work if ALL the cars were working on the system.

Much like communism, it only works if everybody is contributing equally into the system.
---

bulbinking posted...

Make it more difficult to get a license so only skilled drivers are allowed to drive vehicles.

Or rather than making it harder for less skilled drivers to make a living we could push towards self-driving cars and let enthusiasts drive on tracks or specially designated roads. That way everyone wins.

bulbinking posted...

Ever heard of hypermiling?

Yeah, computers do a lot of it 100x better than people though. That's kind of the point.

bulbinking posted...

unless you want individuals to not even be able to own their own self driving cars.

Ideally you could still own a car if you wanted to, it's just that you wouldn't be able to park it downtown and it would have limited utility in high traffic areas unless you want to send it back to your house when you get to your location or pay for a garage spot. Most people would be perfectly happy to pay for a service that brings a car directly to their location. Basically like Uber only without the driver and accessible anywhere.



bulbinking posted...

Funny how you make this claim when it hasn't even happened yet for us to see if that claim is true.

You're right. It's impossible to know anything without seeing it with your own two eyes. Statistics, causality and extrapolation aren't things.


bulbinking posted...

False dichotomy. Switching from animals to mechanical transportation is not the same as choosing to have a string of codes control the same vehicle on the road.

Here read this: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/analogy

bulbinking posted...

I also feel most people who think AI can handle all the subtleties of driving aren't good enough drivers to pay attention to all the things consciously to understand it would only work if ALL the cars were working on the system.

I feel like people who think AI won't be able to handle everything a human can are probably haven't read anything about it. A lot of people think AGIs will surpass human intelligence in our lifetimes. Also, it won't only work if all cars were working on the system. It just won't work at peak efficiency until they all are. There are demonstrated tangible benefits that occur at any level of adoption.

I'm not huge into music either, but I put it on during long commutes anyway. I find singing along a pretty fun way to spend the time, even if I suck.
---

I loved driving that far to and from work. It gave me time to think. In the morning I listened to a morning show and on the way home I just thought and would unwind.

If I had a one hour commute to and from my job, I'd move.

My commute is 20 minutes and I don't even live in the same town as where I work.
---

All these posts about moving... is moving really that easy in america and/or wherever you live? Are apartments and places of residence really in that high abundance? Must be nice all things considered if so.
---

EightySeven posted...

let enthusiasts drive on tracks or specially designated roads

Okay you clearly have no idea what you are talking about.

How much do you know about motorsports and regulations/areas currently designated for such activities? Its already shrinking to the point only the rich can participate and self driving cars aren't even a thing everywhere yet.

Why don't we simply improve public transit systems that already exist instead of replacing something that gives people autonomy in their lives? Because the push for self driving cars is all about population control.


EightySeven posted...

Ideally you could still own a car if you wanted to, it's just that you wouldn't be able to park it downtown and it would have limited utility in high traffic areas unless you want to send it back to your house when you get to your location or pay for a garage spot. Most people would be perfectly happy to pay for a service that brings a car directly to their location. Basically like Uber only without the driver and accessible anywhere.

Are you so mechanically inept to not understand how many potential problems this could create for individuals should even the slightest thing go wrong?

Think of issues with plane delays, now imagine getting a delay because your car you sent home can't pick you up in time.

Or do you think the system will run perfectly? Nothing runs perfectly.

EightySeven posted...

Statistics, causality and extrapolation aren't things.

And all of these things point to loss of jobs and individual autonomy over where they want to transport themselves.

EightySeven posted...

I feel like people who think AI won't be able to handle everything a human can are probably haven't read anything about it.

How much time have you spent programming or researching how AI functions? Are you just going to take the word of somebody you don't know because they have a degree? Just like the religious blindly follow their pastor because "well hes a paster I can't question his knowledge about god I'm not a paster derp"

Systems don't exist within a vacuum and everybody assumes there wont be unforeseeable variables which affect road conditions that AI WONT be able to adjust for that a human easily could (a competent human, again, make it harder to get a license like it used to be. Test have actually become easier than the past but kids these days don;t know because they are so disconnected from their parents generations they think everything that happens to them is entirely new or different)
---

How much time have you spent programming or researching how AI functions? Are you just going to take the word of somebody you don't know because they have a degree? Just like the religious blindly follow their pastor because "well hes a paster I can't question his knowledge about god I'm not a paster derp"

Systems don't exist within a vacuum and everybody assumes there wont be unforeseeable variables which affect road conditions that AI WONT be able to adjust for that a human easily could (a competent human, again, make it harder to get a license like it used to be. Test have actually become easier than the past but kids these days don;t know because they are so disconnected from their parents generations they think everything that happens to them is entirely new or different)

I work with machine learning for a living.

It can and will be able to outperform pretty much everything a human can do.

We won't be at this point for 50+ years though. The people who think we are less than 10 years away from this are dreaming.

thebestestbest posted...

It can and will be able to outperform pretty much everything a human can do.

But at what costs?

Is taking away autonomy worth it to indulge the lazy and save the inept?
---

Thursday & Friday - Chris Daniels show on AM Radio
Saturday - Handle on the Law on AM Radio
Sunday - Usually flippng through religious & sports programs hoping to find something interesting before giving up and listening to classics on the RIVER on FM

Drive back is usually Armstrong & Getty whether live or the best of on AM

I don't mind the radio occasionally turned off either, especially after a long day
---

saspa posted...

All these posts about moving... is moving really that easy in america and/or wherever you live? Are apartments and places of residence really in that high abundance? Must be nice all things considered if so.

In the US. Yeah pretty much. I imagine there are some places and neighborhoods that are fairly static but in my area there's always houses for sale and apartments or even rooms to rent.

The major cities might have a price hurdle. I'm not sure how far your money might stretch between an hour's distance outside of NYC or SF.

Podcasts
---

bulbinking posted...

Test have actually become easier than the past but kids these days don;t know because they are so disconnected from their parents generations they think everything that happens to them is entirely new or different

In the UK tests have been made intentionally misleading to farm theory test payout and discourage more drivers on the road.
---

Kyuubi4269 posted...

Zeus posted...

Kyuubi4269 posted...

saspa posted...

aren't a fan of music

Do you just hate fun, like as a rule?

tbh, music and sports were always two things I was just never able to get into either.

As someone who was like that, but only as a child, I strongly recommend you actually look for good examples of these instead of basing everything on the awful, heavily-commercialised versions. Sport and music at the very heart of them are directly appealing to humanity, you just need to find the ones that appeal to you.

It's not based on mass market or commercialized versions of those things, it's just nothing does it for me (more importantly, the issue of popular media, a *lot* of popular media is broadly appealing; there are plenty of films I like that most other people like). I pretended to like things as a kid, but sports bored the hell out of me and music just never did anything for me (other than the occasional show tune). When it comes to listening, I'd rather have talk radio or something else on. Instead of sports, I'd rather watch film, tv, etc.

While in theory there could be a music out there that might appeal to me (since, although I've heard a lot of music over the years, there's likely tons I haven't), there are only a certain number of sports and none of them have really worked. Even MMA I can't watch that long and I only care about the matches themselves.

Likewise, there are a lot of things which do interest me -- and are equally important within human society -- that most people don't care about, such as history.

bulbinking posted...

Why do people who HATE driving insist on getting themselves jobs required to drive in such large numbers people want self driving cars and take away the pleasure of driving from the rest of us?

Because people have relatively little choice in who's hiring, especially when your work is more specialized. The only people who can just work anywhere are guys in low-wage, menial positions.

And, in general, human drivers are more dangerous and less reliable than machines.
---

Zeus posted...

It's not based on mass market or commercialized versions of those things, it's just nothing does it for me (more importantly, the issue of popular media, a *lot* of popular media is broadly appealing; there are plenty of films I like that most other people like). I pretended to like things as a kid, but sports bored the hell out of me and music just never did anything for me (other than the occasional show tune). When it comes to listening, I'd rather have talk radio or something else on. Instead of sports, I'd rather watch film, tv, etc.

While in theory there could be a music out there that might appeal to me (since, although I've heard a lot of music over the years, there's likely tons I haven't), there are only a certain number of sports and none of them have really worked. Even MMA I can't watch that long and I only care about the matches themselves.

Likewise, there are a lot of things which do interest me -- and are equally important within human society -- that most people don't care about, such as history.

All I heard is "I don't like ANY sport or music! Except, you know, MMA. And show tunes." and people do care about History when it's a history that interests them, much as I doubt you care about the history of my cat as it doesn't appeal to you.

Sports and music appeal to humans intrinsically, however there is often a lot of crap piled on top that obfuscates the pleasant elements.
---

Zues listens to showtunes and likes to watch men grapple each other on the ground. Hmmm.
---

Kyuubi4269 posted...

Zeus posted...

It's not based on mass market or commercialized versions of those things, it's just nothing does it for me (more importantly, the issue of popular media, a *lot* of popular media is broadly appealing; there are plenty of films I like that most other people like). I pretended to like things as a kid, but sports bored the hell out of me and music just never did anything for me (other than the occasional show tune). When it comes to listening, I'd rather have talk radio or something else on. Instead of sports, I'd rather watch film, tv, etc.

While in theory there could be a music out there that might appeal to me (since, although I've heard a lot of music over the years, there's likely tons I haven't), there are only a certain number of sports and none of them have really worked. Even MMA I can't watch that long and I only care about the matches themselves.

Likewise, there are a lot of things which do interest me -- and are equally important within human society -- that most people don't care about, such as history.

All I heard is "I don't like ANY sport or music! Except, you know, MMA. And show tunes." and people do care about History when it's a history that interests them, much as I doubt you care about the history of my cat as it doesn't appeal to you.

Sports and music appeal to humans intrinsically, however there is often a lot of crap piled on top that obfuscates the pleasant elements.

Well, no, I don't actually like MMA. I don't follow it, I've never been a fan, and I can't name more than 4 stars and 2 of them were also pro-wrestlers. However, I was giving you an example of something I've watched and been less bothered by. That doesn't mean that I like it, it just means that I'm less likely to change a channel or walk out of a room. On the other hand, if you somehow consider pro wrestling a sport (which it isn't, although the performers are athletes) then sure, that's one "sport" I like.

Show tunes are different because the qualities about music I don't like -- instruments playing, repetitive lyrics, and a lack of visuals which would give the music more meaning -- are less likely to be there or exist in a lesser quality. In fact, some of my favorite show tunes just involve people talking and telling a straight story, things which some people don't even really consider music. Basically I like audiobooks set to sound (Paul Simon's "The Boxer" is a non-show tune example in terms of something I heard and thought, yeah, I like that). But sure, when it comes to NPR, a show tune, or having nothing on, I'm less likely to pick nothing when Faith Middleton is on NPR, Chiyone Wolf is allowed to talk at length, or if I don't like the re-run.

As for history, the history of your cat isn't history. You may have a great cat but unless it won a decisive battle, saved (or killed) a president, saved spring break, etc, it's not historical. The fact that you'd go for that instead of actual history just denotes how little you care about history.

bulbinking posted...

Zues listens to showtunes and likes to watch men grapple each other on the ground. Hmmm.

o u

And, more importantly, a lot of popular sports seem to have men grappling with men (football, hockey, etc) unless it's women-only.
---

Uh, wait, so do you like the original version of The Boxer or are you talking about somebody doing a reading of the lyrics? I was kind of confused by your post. Because if you are referring to the original, it seems weird you'd like it since it has all the qualities you said you don't like (though "repetitive lyrics" is debatable since the chorus isn't actual words).

It sounds basically like your ideal form of music would just be spoken word/poetry.

My commute easily takes 80-90 minutes back and forth.

I ponder about my life choices and dwell on how worthless my life is.

I'm so sad...
---

joemodda posted...

My commute easily takes 80-90 minutes back and forth.

I ponder about my life choices and dwell on how worthless my life is.

I'm so sad...

Trust me its better than zoning out on mindless consumption of media and being unaware of why you act the way you do like most people alive today in western countries.
---

bulbinking posted...

joemodda posted...

My commute easily takes 80-90 minutes back and forth.

I ponder about my life choices and dwell on how worthless my life is.

I'm so sad...

Trust me its better than zoning out on mindless consumption of media and being unaware of why you act the way you do like most people alive today in western countries.

You should save your posts so that you have some grade AAA cringe material when you look back on them in 10 years.

I had an almost 2 hour commute each way from Hayward CA to San Jose CA for awhile, but only like 6 months. My friend though did it for like 7 years (he was freaking crazy).

I have avoided long commutes for along tie though, I hate them.

Now I don't even look for jobs that are more then 20 minutes away.

This was along time ago (when I commuted) before carpooling was common etc sadly, now I would probably carpool or something. Bus/public transportation was not an option as it would take to long and you would have to leave too early.

Moving to San Jose was an option, but I didn't work there long enough to make the decision.
---

Get satellite radio. Everything is there for you.
---