08-25-2006, 08:56 PM
"Having a car you like, and working near home, and gobs of cash"
If you can hook me up with the gobs of cash part, I'd be really happy!
Many years ago, while staying in California for a weekend with a girlfriend who was going to Disneyland with her family, I took part of the weekend and drove from LA to San Diego, to attend a comics convention. It was 10:00 at night, the traffic between these two cities was astonishing! I was in a rented car. As I recall, I pulled over to wait out the traffic in a fast food place. I sat and drank a coke for an hour, trying to figure out why people were on the freeway in such numbers.
In my case, the trip was voluntary and recreational, it wasn't a commute. But then, the others on the road weren't commuting for work, either, not on a weekend, not that late at night. Those who commute sometimes have other options besides the freeway.
I'd much rather be in NYC, if I had to do that kind of driving on a regular basis.
I would add that where people choose to live, and work, is rarely involuntary. It's not as though we have no power to make decisions about our working and living conditions, distances, and locations. Some choose to live with the tradeoffs, and consider traffic part of the cost of living, in exchange for other benefits. I'm not one of those who would tolerate unbearable traffic as part of my lifestyle, unless there was an overwhelmingly compelling reason to do so, or unless it was temporary. I'm shocked if someone drives like this long term, not by the conditions, but by their choice to do so. I'd have to wonder what tradeoffs are involved, and imagine they must be worthwhile, otherwise they'd make other plans.
If you can hook me up with the gobs of cash part, I'd be really happy!
Many years ago, while staying in California for a weekend with a girlfriend who was going to Disneyland with her family, I took part of the weekend and drove from LA to San Diego, to attend a comics convention. It was 10:00 at night, the traffic between these two cities was astonishing! I was in a rented car. As I recall, I pulled over to wait out the traffic in a fast food place. I sat and drank a coke for an hour, trying to figure out why people were on the freeway in such numbers.
In my case, the trip was voluntary and recreational, it wasn't a commute. But then, the others on the road weren't commuting for work, either, not on a weekend, not that late at night. Those who commute sometimes have other options besides the freeway.
I'd much rather be in NYC, if I had to do that kind of driving on a regular basis.
I would add that where people choose to live, and work, is rarely involuntary. It's not as though we have no power to make decisions about our working and living conditions, distances, and locations. Some choose to live with the tradeoffs, and consider traffic part of the cost of living, in exchange for other benefits. I'm not one of those who would tolerate unbearable traffic as part of my lifestyle, unless there was an overwhelmingly compelling reason to do so, or unless it was temporary. I'm shocked if someone drives like this long term, not by the conditions, but by their choice to do so. I'd have to wonder what tradeoffs are involved, and imagine they must be worthwhile, otherwise they'd make other plans.