Long distance, weekly commuters

[PhoenixOrion]

Anyone here who's work is over 3 hours away?

I used to have a coworker (retired) who lived 3 hours away from his family...he had a wife and I think a teenage daughter. He rented an apartment near work (5 minutes away) and would commute on Friday afternoon and come back on Sunday night from his house, spending the weekend with family. He did this for 6 years!........till his retirement.

Anyone with similar situation? How was it like for you?

 

[iamwiz82]

I live 3 min from work, if that's what you mean. 3 hours is unfathomable.

 

[IEC]

Unfathomable. I hope the pay is worth it...

 

[Pepsi90919]

that's retarded.

i do have customers 3 hours away though

 

[evident]

i work one hour away... not too bad, but three is nuts

 

[PhoenixOrion]

Forgot that my neighbor is the same way, he's a CRA or something like that....

He leaves on Sunday night or Monday morning to fly out to different clinical sites/testing centers around the country and he doesn't come back to his wife until Thursday or Friday. I think he's been doing this for 2 years now.

At least in my first example, the guy can just hop in to his car and drive 3 hours and he's home!

 

[ponyo]

I know a doctor who does something like this. He rents an apartment close to the hospital in an another town. He comes home to his wife and kids during his off days.

 

[LostWanderer]

I know a few people that drive 2-3+ hours each way every day from a rural area to a larger town. Nuts in my book, but they still do it day in and day out. I guess that's what people will do for a job if there's nothing better. I can't figure out why they don't just move, but I guess that's just me.

 

[PhoenixOrion]

I guess I'm trying to see how its like to be away from family for a whole work week and only see them on weekends or whatever the two-day day-off falls on...and be able to do this for more than a year like my former coworker.

 

[BornStar]

I work an hour and a half from my home and I rent a place thats about 10 minutes from work. I go home to my wife on the weekends. I realize an hour and a half doesn't sound that bad but it's 110mi of straight freeway driving so gas would be ridiculous to drive it every day; I'd have to have a $50 fillup every other day.

edit: I've done this for the past year and a half which is also the same amount of time I've been married.

 

[PhoenixOrion]

major con is the expense: gas, extra residence (apartment)

other cons that may not be obvious?

 

[BoomerD]

For many years, I drove from my home to various locations in the SF bay area. Almost never less than 1-1/2 hours in the morning, (usually more like 2 to 2-1/2) and never less than 2 hours in the after noon, (usually more like 3-1/2 to 4) Then worked 10 hour days OR MORE on top of the commute...

There have been a few jobs where I'd stay out of town during the week, but (hapily) those didn't come along very often once I turned journeyman. (then I could pick and choose my jobs)

 

[mooglemania85]

Originally posted by: PhoenixOrion
major con is the expense: gas, extra residence (apartment)

other cons that may not be obvious?

no sex during the week, unless you happen to get a mistress

 

[Wapp]

SPAWAR guys do this. They live in Charleston, SC and work in the DC metro area. The fly in Monday morning and fly out Friday afternoon. I hear the pay is incredible.

 

[Epic Fail]

Originally posted by: PhoenixOrion
major con is the expense: gas, extra residence (apartment)

other cons that may not be obvious?

getting away from the wife. :evil:

 

[RiverDog]

I spent 10 months doing this. 225 miles from home and drove a 15 MPG F-150. That SUCKED! Finally found and bought a house thats only 30 minutes from work. I would drive home on Friday evening, try to play catch up on Saturday, and Leave again on Sunday. I kept living in cheap motels during the week. Priceline was my friend.

 

[sciencewhiz]

I know someone who lives 2 hours from work (much longer in traffic, it's LA). One or two nights a week, he gets a hotel. Other times, he takes the train (longer, but don't have to worry about driving so he catches up on reading)

 

[Modeps]

My sister lived in CT and commuted 2 hours to NYC every day for a while. She said she didn't mind it at the time, but then ended up moving into the city. Long commutes == no personal time == unhappiness.

 

[Bootprint]

I've got a co-worker that's like that. But we work 12 hours 3 days a week, rotating day nights. So it doesn't seem too bad.
But then again he seems to hang around after his day shift is over and 'make' overtime.