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A question for the commuters 13:03 - Nov 14 with 5912 viewsunbelievablue

A couple of months ago I started a new job (which I love) which is in a beautiful location around 2 hours and 2 trains away from where I live. Moving to said location isn't likely to be feasible in the near future, btw.

I actually don't mind the commute, as I have become an early bird and I get a seat on both trains which is a luxury. So this isn't me moaning. Rather, I'm interested, what do others who have a lengthy commute do to pass the time? Sleep? Read? Work? Listen to music? Listen to podcasts? Leer at other passengers?


[Post edited 14 Nov 2018 13:04]

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A question for the commuters on 13:06 - Nov 14 with 4463 viewsReuser_is_God

I don't commute regularly (one day in London a week) but I'll often listen to a podcast or just sleep.

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A question for the commuters on 13:08 - Nov 14 with 4453 viewsfooters

It's amazing how quickly you'll get through a book when you're desperate not to make eye contact with people. But yeah, read mainly, listen to some tunes or a podcast.

If you want to learn a new skill, I found some language apps to be very good if you want to learn from scratch or just brush up. Makes you feel like you've achieved something in what could have been wasted time. Of course, you may need a few strong coffees before leaving to be bothered.

As for working, I always tried to leave my work in the office. Really don't like it creeping into my own time, though I always see a lot of people working on the tube.

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A question for the commuters on 13:08 - Nov 14 with 4447 viewsBlueWharf

All of the above, apart from work.
[Post edited 14 Nov 2018 13:08]
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A question for the commuters on 13:09 - Nov 14 with 4444 viewsSwansea_Blue

I used to have a 2 hour commute, but had to drive. I'd have loved to have been able to work. If you can use it as working time so your day doesn't have to be 4 hours longer with wasted commute time, it's a no-brainer imo.

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A question for the commuters on 13:12 - Nov 14 with 4426 viewsFtnfwest

i only have a 1.25 hour commute door to door and the train journey itself is only 36 minutes, which is slower than when i started 18 years ago by 10 minutes. We have a morning and evening 'train gang' and organise evenings out etc. Has the draw back of meaning that you have to talk to people in the first pace and by and large they should be from the town you're in.
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A question for the commuters on 13:13 - Nov 14 with 4420 viewsfooters

A question for the commuters on 13:09 - Nov 14 by Swansea_Blue

I used to have a 2 hour commute, but had to drive. I'd have loved to have been able to work. If you can use it as working time so your day doesn't have to be 4 hours longer with wasted commute time, it's a no-brainer imo.


Aye, but that would involve bosses/companies moving into the 21st century and looking at flexible working.

An old boss of mine would insist I'd stay at my desk until 7pm most days. Why? "If one of the senior managers comes in I want them to see you here." That despite the fact I'd finished the day's work some three or four hours previously.

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A question for the commuters on 13:16 - Nov 14 with 4404 viewsdavblue

my train is 37 min,s so i watch an episode of the US office of another TV show usually.

Work isn't really feasible the the tables aren't really big enough to work properly.
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A question for the commuters on 13:19 - Nov 14 with 4379 viewsDanTheMan

I don't have that long of a commute (40mins each way) but I tend to fill that with Podcasts.

Also now have a Switch which is great for public transport.

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A question for the commuters on 13:28 - Nov 14 with 4333 viewsSarge

A question for the commuters on 13:13 - Nov 14 by footers

Aye, but that would involve bosses/companies moving into the 21st century and looking at flexible working.

An old boss of mine would insist I'd stay at my desk until 7pm most days. Why? "If one of the senior managers comes in I want them to see you here." That despite the fact I'd finished the day's work some three or four hours previously.


If I had a job like that I’d be straight out the door. I’m actually considering moving back in to my family home in Ipswich (if they’ll have me) and working from home most days. I live and work in Surrey but I’ll be near 40 by the time I can afford to buy a house if I keep renting here. Fortunately I think my company would be fine with that and the first thing my boss said to me when I joined was ‘I don’t give a sh1t about facetime’ I thought he meant the app...
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A question for the commuters on 13:36 - Nov 14 with 4303 viewsbluewein

My commute is an hour each way, spend that time finding a new album every day via Spotify recommendations. Listen to that album on the way in and on the way back.

You be amazed how easy it is to discover great music that way...

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A question for the commuters on 13:38 - Nov 14 with 4296 viewsclive_baker

Where are you commuting to and from?

I tend to read on my ipad or phone - news content, sport etc, sometimes podcasts or comedy. That seems to pass the time for me. Occasionally I'll reply to work emails, but I never do work per se.

Like you I don't mind commuting when I have to do it. I see it as a slight compromise in order to live where I live which I love, and work where I do which I also really enjoy and pays me well. If either of those variables changed I would look to address it.

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A question for the commuters on 13:48 - Nov 14 with 4244 viewsdavblue

A question for the commuters on 13:19 - Nov 14 by DanTheMan

I don't have that long of a commute (40mins each way) but I tend to fill that with Podcasts.

Also now have a Switch which is great for public transport.


I was thinking about getting one.

Was worried it would look too nerdy!
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A question for the commuters on 13:51 - Nov 14 with 4237 viewsclive_baker

A question for the commuters on 13:28 - Nov 14 by Sarge

If I had a job like that I’d be straight out the door. I’m actually considering moving back in to my family home in Ipswich (if they’ll have me) and working from home most days. I live and work in Surrey but I’ll be near 40 by the time I can afford to buy a house if I keep renting here. Fortunately I think my company would be fine with that and the first thing my boss said to me when I joined was ‘I don’t give a sh1t about facetime’ I thought he meant the app...


That's a nice option if you can do it. Infact, if you can work from home 'most days' the world is kind of your oyster (well, UK certainly).

I tend to wfh twice per week, which is lovely and really breaks my week up. It makes any commute more than manageable when I rarely do it more that 2 days consecutively. I work in central London so it has really opened up where I can live. I still spend most of my time in London where I have a flat but I've been looking lately at the prospect of selling up and moving further afield. I don't think I could go too far without moving jobs though, given I'm needed in the city 3 days per week. I would love that balance to shift slightly, even to 2 days. I think I would be out in the sticks, or near the coast somewhere then stay over 1 night per week or something. It's definitely the way the world's going with advances in technology and rocketing city centre office rent costs.

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A question for the commuters on 14:06 - Nov 14 with 4198 viewsfooters

A question for the commuters on 13:28 - Nov 14 by Sarge

If I had a job like that I’d be straight out the door. I’m actually considering moving back in to my family home in Ipswich (if they’ll have me) and working from home most days. I live and work in Surrey but I’ll be near 40 by the time I can afford to buy a house if I keep renting here. Fortunately I think my company would be fine with that and the first thing my boss said to me when I joined was ‘I don’t give a sh1t about facetime’ I thought he meant the app...


Thankfully that was only a contract job, so although I wasn't happy being kept behind for so long I could at least think about the stupid money I was on to do so.

This week marks a year of working from home for me. Love it. I'm able to do my job more effectively, happily and don't have to commute! No more fearing that 7am alarm... and I get to spend half the day doing something that I love in cooking.

Good to hear your boss is moving with the times. Clock-watching is awful for the individual and the company itself. There are still, obviously, many industries where WFH isn't possible, but for where it does apply, companies should look at it more seriously.

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A question for the commuters on 14:10 - Nov 14 with 4185 viewsBlueStreak

My commute door to do is about 1.45hr and involves two trains so I feel your pain. I also get a seat on both trains so am not too bothered about it all really.

Netflix is my best friend for these journeys. Download and away you go.

I also LOVE a sleep on the train, so generally watch something for 20 mins or so then get an hours sleep before getting into London. 5 minute walk to my office and ready for the day.
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A question for the commuters on 14:26 - Nov 14 with 4145 viewsBlueinBrum

Jesus is it really 2 hours?! Poor old buh
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A question for the commuters on 15:46 - Nov 14 with 4070 viewsMJallday

I tend to Sleep, although the other commuters on the A419 hate it.

my commute is about 1.5 hours each way by car. ive been doing it 5 years so its second nature now - i tend to mix it up... ill go M5>M50 > ledbury some days, A40 > ross other days, B4225 others. i can actually tell what time within a couple of minutes it is by the position i am on my commute. bit weird tbh - most people look at clocks :)

otherwise, radio is my companion. ive been through 5000 odd songs on my USB so many times i can tell the running order, so i tend to stick to the chat stations.


[Post edited 14 Nov 2018 15:49]

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A question for the commuters on 16:28 - Nov 14 with 4007 viewsKing_of_Portman_Rd

I had a 2 hour commute when I lived and worked in London (still not sure how I quite managed it) by that I mean to live so far away whilst in the same city and by actually managing to get up and get to work for a whole 12 months while pi$$ing away 4 hours of my day each and every week day.

I sort of admire/despair/don't understand/feel smug when people commute any length of time.. I suppose I did it briefly and vowed to never do so again as it didn't agree with me, but must for some people.. I have been fortunate since that a 25 minute drive is about all that is needed and not sure I could push myself to travel much more than that now
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A question for the commuters on 16:35 - Nov 14 with 3995 viewsBurwell_Blue

I point blank refuse to have a commute longer that 30mins in the car and currently work 25 minutes from home.

Add up the hours you lose commuting over the course of the month and I guess it would be quite a surprising figure. A tricky one if you cannot move to be closer, would your employer let you work from home? I often take that decision, especially if when I check the A14 on Google when I wake up and I see its a bit of car park out there.
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A question for the commuters on 16:57 - Nov 14 with 3951 viewsSuperfrans

All of the above. Podcasts, books, watching the iPad, a sneaky snooze... Whatever takes your fancy.

If you read, you'll find you'll get through more books than you ever have before in your life. That's what I tend to do, as it is something I'll rarely find time to do at any other point - while, in contrast, I can listen to podcasts while walking and watch TV/films when I'm at home.

But do a bit of whatever you fancy and mix it up. That's the secret to surviving a long term commute...

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A question for the commuters on 17:19 - Nov 14 with 3897 viewsWarkTheWark

Watch a series / films, read books and listen to podcasts.

I used to do a daily commute but now i do 3 days from home i spend a lot less time on trains. I too didn't mind the commute when GA had their house in order. Some late nights became a real slog though as you'll remember from my twitter crusade.
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A question for the commuters on 18:31 - Nov 14 with 3804 viewsdavblue

A question for the commuters on 13:51 - Nov 14 by clive_baker

That's a nice option if you can do it. Infact, if you can work from home 'most days' the world is kind of your oyster (well, UK certainly).

I tend to wfh twice per week, which is lovely and really breaks my week up. It makes any commute more than manageable when I rarely do it more that 2 days consecutively. I work in central London so it has really opened up where I can live. I still spend most of my time in London where I have a flat but I've been looking lately at the prospect of selling up and moving further afield. I don't think I could go too far without moving jobs though, given I'm needed in the city 3 days per week. I would love that balance to shift slightly, even to 2 days. I think I would be out in the sticks, or near the coast somewhere then stay over 1 night per week or something. It's definitely the way the world's going with advances in technology and rocketing city centre office rent costs.


I’ve recently started to do a week in Central London and a week WFH split over 2 working weeks due to space constraints in our London offices. Not having to travel in and out means I work longer hours now.

It was also a cost thing, my travel was due to be just under 5k but I’ve pretty much halved that with the current plan.

I think if offices certainly in London will be a thing of the past and companies will rent meeting rooms/ space for assignments and home working will become the norm.

The cost of having someone in office space must be very restrictive financially Especially in London.
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A question for the commuters on 18:36 - Nov 14 with 3794 viewsclive_baker

A question for the commuters on 18:31 - Nov 14 by davblue

I’ve recently started to do a week in Central London and a week WFH split over 2 working weeks due to space constraints in our London offices. Not having to travel in and out means I work longer hours now.

It was also a cost thing, my travel was due to be just under 5k but I’ve pretty much halved that with the current plan.

I think if offices certainly in London will be a thing of the past and companies will rent meeting rooms/ space for assignments and home working will become the norm.

The cost of having someone in office space must be very restrictive financially Especially in London.


It certainly is, I’m involved in budgeting for that as part of my job and the rents are eye watering. People question why companies can’t give out more apprenticeships and the answer is it’s often not the £20k a year salary commitment that’s the issue, it’s actually the office costs associated with housing people from 9 - 5 that’s prohibitive.

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A question for the commuters on 20:38 - Nov 14 with 3691 viewsJoey_Joe_Joe_Junior

Podcasts. I do that on my commute, albeit only a 30 minute walk.
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A question for the commuters on 20:44 - Nov 14 with 3683 viewsblueconscience

I Just download some episodes of various series on Netflix/You Tube to watch on the Tablet/phone
[Post edited 14 Nov 2018 20:44]

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