Great Article On Why Driving Is The Worst Way To Get To Work.

http://gizmodo.com/the-best-ways-to-get-to-work-according-to-science-1733796033

Confirms what we already know, cars are the worst way to get to work.
Bikes just so happen to be the best!
Well walking and transit are also pretty darn good.

 

My husband always gets stressed out when he is driving anywhere. He easily says bad words, gets frustrated and angry. Even just a simple 30 minute ride to the mall can make his blood pressure go up. All because of his driving. When we are commuting or even biking, he is calm. He never says a bad word and even hums happily. And of course, how about the price of gasoline? That is sure to make your blood pressure spike up lol. With biking, there is no fuel involved and it is really the cheaper alternative.

 

An interesting read, but a bit to biased for me to take at face value. Just the facts if you please.

 

I split my commuting between cycling and driving.

Even if I only bicycle to work one day a week, it helps me appreciate driving and not take it for granted. Knowing just how much work it is to cover the 20 miles to my workplace helps to give perspective on how great, even in traffic, traveling by automobile truly is. Too many take daily conveniences for granted.

 

When you drive to work using your car you are not only spending for your gas if you are not lucky to get a free parking then your travel going to work becomes even more expensive than a regular commute.

 

I wish it were feasible for more people to cycle to work, or even take public transit. Where I live many people have an hour or more commute each way, which is not only stressful but also too far for most people to cycle twice a day due to how long it would take. Public transit isn't much better as far as time goes, but at least you can relax and listen to music or even nap.

My boyfriend's office is only a nine minute drive from our apartment but due to traffic it often takes a half hour or more, and he has one of the better commutes out of the people we know. The route is terrible for walking and biking as well, so he's had to come up with different ways to manage his stress while driving. I work from home and get everywhere I need to go during the week either on foot or bike, and even though it's annoying sometimes because it takes longer, I'd still rather that than being stuck in a car with my blood pressure rising.

 

I really agree that this article is pointing out some good things although a lot of depends where do you live and how long distance you have to your workplace. In my previous work my trip was almost 40 kilometers and noway I could have made it with bike so I used my car and there was no transit available since I worked in night shift. However, my current workplace two kilometers away as I moved in the city and now I am able to use my bicycle in commuting which is faster option in the city than going with transit or car.

 

The article has some interesting points to raise, but it isn't very representative of all situations. For many people circumstances make bicycle commuting the least feasible option. If it is not a feasible option for some people a switch will increase stress and negate a lot of the health advantages.

 

It is difficult to avoid the heavy traffic if you choose to drive to work, unless you wake up as early as 5am. You also need money for fuel unlike riding. Fumes from vehicles pollute our environment making it unsafe for us to live in. I think riding is the most efficient way to go to work than driving.

 

My country, the Philippines, has the fifth worst traffic in the world. Drivers and commuters alike lack the discipline to use designated loading and unloading areas. Metro Manila is increasingly becoming more and more populated, even though it already lacks the space to accommodate more people. Despite the traffic, people are buying more cars, simply because a car is a status symbol.

The article just repeated what my professor in urban studies said. There are many easy ways to reduce the traffic in Metro Manila, and one of them is to encourage people to walk or ride bicycles. Riding a bicycle is more environmental-friendly than driving a car. It is also a good exercise. The article also added that 'riding or walking to work makes you healthier and happier.' There are so many ways that riding a bicycle and walking can contribute to a better society. I just hope the government takes notice and makes use of the great value of these little actions.

 

Thanks for sharing the artcile bike, it's really well written and the illustrations say it all. When I am commuting in my bike passing by the cars stuck intraffic I do wonder, why are those guys doing there? Why not grab a bike or other transport instead of being stuck in traffic?

 

That article gave me a laugh. Over here, the concept on the road is this - roads are for vehicles and not for pedestrians. And since 2-wheels are considered pedestrians so that's very clear that riding is not the best way to travel around here. Although health buffs and environmentalists are saying otherwise, I still believe that the roads are reserved for motorized vehicles so in order to give preference to the 2-wheels, there should be a specific lane for such travelers.

 

The article is interesting, but it is clearly biased. it doesn't represent a very broad perspective. There are many situations in which driving would be the best commuting option.

 

I wish I was in a physical condition to ride to work every day, but alas, I can't, so I drive too. Maybe it's because I'm a recent driver (only got my license in April) but I don't feel that stressed when I drive. I usually leave with plenty of time in case there's a traffic jam and if there is, I just look for a nice talk show on the radio. If anything, I prefer jams because I go slow rather than at 60 km/h when I don't feel that confident yet.

I do feel a little jealous when I'm in my car and a cyclist passes by next to me lol.

 

All BS written by a leftist person trying to put a scientific spin on their BS. Sure setting a car isn't exercising but so what? Most people don't exercise anyways! And besides the average commute is 20 miles one way, I doubt any of you here except maybe one would want to commute 20 miles to work and 20 miles back stretching your 9 hour work day to 12 or 13 hours. Add on top of that most of America lies in a cold belt which eliminates the possibility of riding 20 miles to work in the snow!! I'm lucky I'm only 4 miles from work, but what about those that commute 50 miles to work? Yeah, complete and utter nonsense from some leftist, I guess in the ideal world where everyone just drives no more than 5 miles and with beautiful year round 70 degree averages then it would make sense, but most Americans that simply isn't true.

 

Many people have the mindset that there is only one "right" way to do something. In many ways, driving is great. There are, however, a multitude of means to get to and from work.

I like to mix it up. I try to bicycle at least once a week. Yes it is 20 mile and yes I do it in the winter through snow and I am not the only one. I also carpool, ride together one way and bicycle the other. If our bus system here wasn't so screwed up, it would take me 2 to 3 hours to get to work, I'd use that too.

 

You rode your bike 20 miles one way to work in the snow? How long would that take you? You won't catch me riding in the snow, I hate the cold regardless what my forum name may imply, which means something else anyways.

 

I agree that riding or walking is the best way to get to work. But it also depends on how far or close to work you live. Some people can only cycle or walk a certain distance before getting tired. Plus no one wants to get to work all sweaty.

 

I'm retired now. I considered riding to work but never did it, since one way would have been 45 miles. I had to be on the job at 6 and look at how early I would have had to get up. Fortunately for me, I got off at 2:30 PM so had plenty of time to ride.

 

It's the opposite here. People commute to work by bike to reach the place of work on time. Heavy traffic would eat most of your time when you are in a car. However, the Philippines is a tropical country and Metro Manila is a very dusty place so office workers like me cannot consider riding to work. Most of the morning riders I see are messengers and laborers who don't need to look at their best at work.