That’s right – my commute home tonight lasted a torturous seven hours from start to finish. As if that were not bad enough, just before hour seven, I realized that my windshield had a crack running nearly the entire width of the glass.
At approximately hour number six, I had to make a risky escape from the left most lane (where I was traveling at the dangerous speed of 0.5 miles per hour) to answer nature’s call. Of all the days not to have a bottle or cup in the car – and yes I would have!
By far this has been the worst commute that I have endured. With a 65-mile drive each way to work, I’ve had my share of 2-4 hour drives. But 7 hours is a new record for me. I could have made it nearly half way to Disney World. Heck, I practically could have walked home quicker than it took me to drive home tonight.
While I wanted to offer up some sort of prize to the person that could top my nightmare of a commute, I realized that it would be nearly impossible to confirm any story.
Therefore, I’d like to open up the comments tonight for all of you to share your stories about a nightmare commute – as I am sure just about everyone has at least one experience that will make us cringe.
Photo courtesy of Rich Moffitt
{ 49 comments… read them below or add one }
You’re insane. All the more reason for you to speed up that transition to home-based work and ditch the commute for good.
Michael Kwans last blog post..NFL Week 15 Results
I cannot disagree with you. As a matter of fact, I have a meeting this afternoon to potentially explore the feasibility of that very thing.
That sounds like an exciting meeting. Be sure to let us know how it works out!
Nicks last blog post..Sunday Snapshots – 010
It was a good meeting but the two sides were too far apart on the details and it is not going to work out. It’s unfortunate too as I think it really could have worked out well.
That’s very unfortunate, we were all hoping that it would work out for you!
Nicks last blog post..Sunday Snapshots – 010
Thanks, I appreciate that.
7 hours is a heck of a long time to be sitting in a car, especially for a 65 mile drive. If you figure you’re going to need the same time to get back to work, then you don’t really need to get out of the car. Just turn around when you reach home and drive straight back to your office.
Fortunately I am off on Wednesdays as a result of my flexible schedule. However, I have an appointment in the city this afternoon and had to drive – the train station did not have any available parking (crossing my fingers that the commute home will be better than last night).
I recommend you call in with a case of the “I Don’t Wanna’s” tomorrow.
If you don’t, you might snap and we’ll all see you on the news slipping and sliding around the freeway banging on peoples cars.
Daniels last blog post..What I’m Into
Lol. Tomorrow might be a day for that phone call as they are calling for more snow as well as icing conditions. On the bright side, tomorrow is my last day of work for 2008 as my vacation starts Friday.
In Los Angeles, I’ve had a 15-minute bus ride pushed into a 50-minute ride before. Afterwards I tried walking the same route and it only took 40 minutes. Yep, walking is faster. Driving in Los Angeles traffic can easily double or sometimes quadraple the time it would’ve taken at, say, 3am. But that’s because of accidents, constructions, or just too many cars. No snow. And definitely no seven hour drive if it’s only 65 miles (three or four is fair).
Kelvin Kaos last blog post..A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa
Lol, it is kind of sad when you can walk somewhere faster than driving due to the congestion. I’ve never driven in LA traffic but have heard plenty of horror stories.
I used to live in Los Angeles. I had to go pick up my mom at the LAX airport and her arrival time was 530pm. I nearly cried when she told me her arrival time. Sitting in the 405 at rush hour is brutal.
We don’t call the 405 “the largest parking lot on earth” for no reason… Speaking of which, I might need to go to LAX twice tomorrow…
Kelvin Kaos last blog post..Ugly Muppet Toy Pageant 2008
Might have been better off planning to get there 30-45 min early and save yourself the hassle of of sitting in rush hour traffic huh?
Nicks last blog post..Sunday Snapshots – 010
Just finished trip #1. It wasn’t bad, but that was 11am, not exactly rush hour. At work we see people staying around till like 8pm or 9pm all the time just browsing the web… all waiting for traffic to clear up. Anyway, someone else might take the trip #2 to the airport instead.
Kelvin Kaos last blog post..Ugly Muppet Toy Pageant 2008
Omg, that is a lot of time to spend on riding home with car. One more hour and that would be like another full time job. Totally crazy. Not to calculate how much it is stressful and painful. No other comments. Good luck in next days… It might get even worse…
Jessica Ws last blog post..Why is Professional Web Design so Important
Yeah, I spent almost an entire “working” day on the drive home. If you factor in the morning commute, I think I spent more time in the car than I did working.
I used to work for an inspection company and regularly would travel from Swansea (Wales) to Peterhead, which is the north of Scotland for what would often be a half day job. It’s a 601 mile trip which is bad enough, but the worst part was the guy I used to travel up with didn’t want to learn to drive. He would smoke in the van all the way up, which I hate and take a blanket to wrap him self up in and go to sleep Grrrr. I don’t fancy driving in the snow though, the first sign of frosty or snowy weather in Swansea and you will see loads of abandoned cars, the City has snow so infrequently its just not equipped to deal with it when it happens. 65 miles in 7 hours, I think I would be crying.
Wow! Traveling 601 miles for a half-day job, that sounds crazy! Based on your description, I think that I would have pulled the car over and told the other guy to get out, lol.
I hate commuting. I spend most of my time either on the train or in a car travelling between places. It really gets to me at this time of year with delays due to weather and traffic.
Generally speaking, I don’t mind the commute – if I did, I would not have lasted the last 6+ years driving 65 miles each way. But a night like last night seriously makes me question it all.
I am blessed! I have not had major bottlenecks as yet. I have however had the problem of high discomfort levels about which ladies do not talk. Here too, after some discomfort, I have been able to find rest rooms.
Nicole Prices last blog post..Festive Gifts (Part II)
Hope you can continue to avoid those bottlenecks!
My travel time yesterday was tripled. Not because of major snow fall but a lot of accidents. Was it full moon or was it because of slippery road? I just know that I drove trough the places I’ve never been before.
That is the thing that I found the most frustrating – there were no accidents on the road that were causing the delays, it was just heavy traffic and snowy roads that had not been plowed at all.
Although, it is a good thing that there were no accidents, as that means people at least stayed safe.
A cup…you wouldn’t?
Bet you wee in the shower too
Last night I certainly would have – I came quite close to just stopping and going on the side of the road, it wasn’t like traffic was moving anyways.
No, don’t go in the shower, lol.
“It’s all pipes!”
Ryans last blog post..Depression Era Christmas Ads
Wow, that is harsh. It snowed real heavy yesterday and today. Today I got a snow day and maybe tomorrow. I can’t imagine driving to work under those conditions. Hope that home business stuff goes your way.
Damiens last blog post..Take a Breath and Get Over it
I have a feeling our kids may get a snow day for Friday, as tomorrow they are calling for more snow and icing throughout the area.
As a matter of fact, I am being proactive myself and working from home tomorrow to avoid any possibility of a repeat commute.
I am really lucky that way, no long commutes. In fact any place that I need to be is within half an hour’s driving time. I did get stuck in a killer grid lock once, that lasted a long time.
Gosh this is crazy, and I thought traffic over here in the UK was bad!
That’s crazy, seven hours is a long time to be in a car. I definitely can’t come close to that, but one time I had to go to the bathroom extremely bad and was stuck in traffic! And then when I got to the place where I was going, I had to wait to use the bathroom for like 10 minutes. Every second was torture, I was walking around the room trying to make the pain go away and people were looking at me but I couldn’t stop or it became unbearable.
When I finally did make a stop to use the bathroom, it was painful walking and I wasn’t positive that I was even going to make it, lol.
Wow! Makes me glad to live in a rural area. Two questions though:
1. Was there ever any concern for the level of fuel in your gas tank?
2. What did you do for 7 hours? Especially going that slow! Sounds like it would have been a good time to have a ham radio in the car
Nicks last blog post..Sunday Snapshots – 010
I know what I would do….id play on my iphone, my pocket entertainment.
hehe, you could keep up on your RSS feeds that way I guess.
Nicks last blog post..Sunday Snapshots – 010
1. No real concern. I’d started the trip home with roughly a 1/2 tank of gas and was slightly under 1/4 by the time that I made it home.
2. Talked on the phone, sent a few emails, text messages, and used twitter a little bit. That and listed to tunes on Sirius.
Well, at least you were able to be somewhat productive and hopefully didn’t get too terribly bored.
Nicks last blog post..Sunday Snapshots – 010
WHAT!! 6-hours = road rage
Derek, sorry to hear that opportunity didn’t work out for you and I hope something else comes up.
I doubt you would have used the bottle…
Jaysons last blog post..Ivory Homes Staying Positive… Despite a Bleak Future for Housing
So, speaking of a nightmare commute. I know that mines not that bad but lets just say the President was involved. About 4 months ago I was driving back home from school and usually the evening commute takes me an hour and is 25 miles long. About 8 miles from my house, and an hour into the drive, i realized that traffic wasn’t moving. Well, turns out that the President’s helicopter was landing in the private airport near my house and so the road was blocked off for 2 hours for the helicopter to land. The 8 miles of commute that usually takes 15 minutes, took me a little over 2 hours. Isnt that quite interesting?
Enkay Blogs last blog post..Still Looking For Tips
For waiting that long, did you at least get to see the helicopter?
So did you find out what was going on while you were waiting or did you just have to wait it out and wonder and then find out later?
Nicks last blog post..Violent Video Games and Violent Behavior – Correlation: Not Cause and Effect
You took a 7 hr drive and found it treacherous. I took a 10 hr bike adventure and found myself scared on a loeely highway. It was around 2 am by the time I reached home and vowed never to do it again. Its too dangerous.
Lillas last blog post..Looking for experts
I missed this post during my holiday rush at the office, and only saw it on your Speedlinking post.
Speaking for myself, for 13 years I’ve been driving 2 hrs, each way, for my commute. On a few occasions I have had snow-induced 5-6 hr rides, but you win the prize for the longest.
My hat is off to you.
Charlie on PA Tpks last blog post..Should old aquaintance be forgotten?
Do you do that commute 5 days per week or do you have a flexible work arrangement? I’ve been doing my commute for 7 years but fortunately my normal schedule is a 4-day work week plus the occasional day from home.
Lately the commute has really been dragging on me though and I could really use a change on that front.
Until May, I had an informal “work from home” 1 day a week with my employer… one that last nearly 4 years.
Over last summer (and in time for $4/gal gas) it was rescinded because a-hole colleagues told the customer on a number of occasions “Oh I can’t meet you that day, that’s the day I work from home!”. Since then, that VP left the company, and it looks as though it won’t be coming back.
So now I a drive ~1,200 miles over 5 days.
Charlie on PA Tpks last blog post..Should old aquaintance be forgotten?
Ugh, sorry to hear that your informal arrangement was thwarted by people taking advantage of the situation. Hopefully they will revisit that down the road.
Ouch, while the duration of our commute is quite similar, I travel less than half of that distance with a commute of roughly 500 miles over 4 days.
How many cars have you gone through in those 13 years?
My sympathies to all of you, it’s awful.
Did it for years, included Boston traffic and sometimes very windy, icy & treacherous walking!
One part I remember fondly was a couple of Friday afternoons, 2 hours before there was a game scheduled at Fenway Park. The traffic just froze solid, & it took 2 hours to get home, just 2 miles over the city line.
working from home now
CvilleBirders last blog post..DJ Consoles | DJ Music Mixers | Music Mixing Consoles