the 9-5 workday is what kills traffic

[Uppsala9496]

I get to work around 06:40 and leave promptly at 15:00. Usually checking emails and getting last minute things done around 16:00 from home.

I do not contribute to traffic (plus I live 15 minutes from the office, so my commute is nothing but a few side roads).

 

[Fern]

who thought having 75+ % of the work force starting work at the same time is a good idea

I believe the habit started back long ago. Lighting wasn't good, so we followed the 'sun clock'. Also, many early jobs were manufacturing that typically required everyone to be there at the same time to run the line(s). This still has a lingering effect on vacations, particularly in Europe. Everyone had to take their vacations at the same time.

if 1/3 of those people worked 7-3, and the other third worked 11-7 (would love this as im a night owl)

wouldnt traffic be alleviated by up to 33% at all times?

I would think a type of flex time would be more popular. I remember many years ago (the 70's) my father worked for the state's DOT. They could choose to start at 7am, 8am or 9am. This helped spread out the traffic (bear in mind this was a state capital where most of the employees were state workers so it had quite an effect).

Fern

 

[Red Squirrel]

I agree the 8-5 or 9-5 or similar schedules suck. Everything should be shift work and should be longer hours but with more days off. I find life so much better since I started shift work, I actually have time for myself and it's not an endless cycle of going to work each day with only a short 2 day weekend.

When I'm on 12's I do find there's way less traffic earlier in the morning and later in the evening. Of course that would change if everybody was on the same style schedule... but assuming each business had their own schedule system it would at very least spread out the traffic. For my commute traffic does not change too much though, the biggest difference is whether or not I hit the red light when crossing the highway, which is 99% of the time the case. If it happens to be green that removes like 3 minutes to my commute which is already under 10 minutes. Though with high traffic sometimes I'll be sitting at the stop sign of my street for a good 5 minutes waiting for a clear in traffic.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

I commute 30 miles 1 way. Fortunately my route doesn't include major freeways since my county is pretty rural, so there's never any traffic unless there's an accident or construction. If that's the case, I'm pretty much f'ed, otherwise, the drive is a great way to prepare for the day and decompress on the way home.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Everything should be shift work

Screw that. Shift work is for the peons. I want to work like a human being and get up in the morning, work, be home for dinner, relax in the evening and sleep at night.

 

[Imp]

I get to work around 06:40 and leave promptly at 15:00. Usually checking emails and getting last minute things done around 16:00 from home.

I do not contribute to traffic (plus I live 15 minutes from the office, so my commute is nothing but a few side roads).

You should move to my town.

The freeways are clogged from 6am to 9pm daily. Local roads or arterials start sucking around 7am and lighten up from 1am to 6am because if it's not rush hour, the right lane's for parking. Leaving at 3:30pm isn't good enough because that's when everyone from the bedroom communities go home.

 

[ElFenix]

rush hour starts at 5:30 am out here. no, really. had to catch an early flight and was amazed at how many cars were already on the road. and you might as well not leave the office until 7 pm because you ain't getting home that quick.


and we aren't getting trains because trains spread communism.

or the local congresscritter is bought by road and concrete firms.

one of the two.

 

[Carson Dyle]

and you might as well not leave the office until 7 pm because you ain't getting home that quick.

When I lived in Boulder I knew a lot of people who commuted from the direction of Denver. They'd pack the bars during happy hour because there was no sense in getting on Rt 36 until at least 6:30 or 7PM.

 

[NutBucket]

I work 6-4. At least I cruise in one direction. The drive home sucks anytime between 2 and 6, give or take.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Field engineer here. Suck it, desk jockeys.

 

[Bob the Coder]

Field engineer here. Suck it, desk jockeys.

I would love to work "in the field." I hump a desk for a living

 

[Imp]

I would love to work "in the field." I hump a desk for a living

You say that now, but I did a ton of work in the field, literally outside not just off-site, for 2 years. It sucked. Had to drive to other towns, put on 500+ km a day more than a few times. Fight traffic to work, then fight traffic to work site, tons of bullshit paperwork. Having to put on sunscreen double sucked.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I would love to work "in the field." I hump a desk for a living

While it probably has some perks, I'll stick to being a desk jockey. When I have to call out a tech at 3am to go fix something that is in a road side cabinet and it's 40 below outside, all I can think of is how I'm glad I'm not the one having to go out there.

Or same can be said in summer when it's like +30 out. It's great on the nice days, but nice days are far and few between. Then there's rain, that's the worse. The fibre splicers put up a temporary hut, but still a pain dealing with cold and wet tools.

I guess you get used to it, and it just becomes part of the job.

 

[Blanky]

Or move to a city that doesn't suck. Lots of suckers waste a lot of time commuting.

 

[Midwayman]

My last job had 'flex time'. The 'core hours' were 8 hours long. I don't think they understood what flex time meant.

 

[NutBucket]

Or move to a city that doesn't suck. Lots of suckers waste a lot of time commuting.

Sure, if said city has comparable job opportunities (as a minimum) and a nice climate.

 

[NutBucket]

My last job had 'flex time'. The 'core hours' were 8 hours long. I don't think they understood what flex time meant.

You were expected to work 12 hours days. Duh.

 

[TwiceOver]

who thought having 75+ % of the work force starting work at the same time is a good idea

if 1/3 of those people worked 7-3, and the other third worked 11-7 (would love this as im a night owl)

wouldnt traffic be alleviated by up to 33% at all times?

One third and "the other third"?

Math can be a real bitch sometimes.

 

[pete6032]

One third and "the other third"?

Math can be a real bitch sometimes.

We call it the "retard and run" method.

 

[MrPickins]

Who works 9-5? Everyone I know goes in at 8 except for the part timers.

Lots of people in my office complex come in after 9:00 and leave at 6:30-7 (including myself).

But, it's mostly software/tech companies, so that may be the difference.

 

[Genx87]

Or if we moved past working in cubicles all together traffic wouldnt be a problem. How many people honestly need to be in the office daily? imagine if even 20-30% of the work force worked from home.

 

[pete6032]

Lots of people in my office complex come in after 9:00 and leave at 6:30-7 (including myself).

But, it's mostly software/tech companies, so that may be the difference.

What do you do for dinner then? By the time you get home aren't you ravenous?

 

[MrPickins]

What do you do for dinner then? By the time you get home aren't you ravenous?

I usually eat breakfast when I get to the office, then lunch around 1 or 2 (I'm on lunch right now at 1:20).

I usually get home around 7 or 7:15 and eat quickly afterwards. Half the time, I'll IM my wife as I'm leaving and she'll have dinner ready (she works earlier hours).