Why do Californians not mind the long commutes?

[Antoneo]

My professor said that Californians don't mind long commutes and that there is a reason why California is so highway/automobile based, especially in Los Angeles. Anyone know what he is talking about? Was there a business development in the past 50 years?

 

[Renob]

One word for me Money, I did it for 14 years.

Now I live in Round Rock TX and live 8 min for work.

In the Bay Area CA I had to fill up my truck sometimes 3 times a week, now only every 4 to six weeks.

Life is good.

 

[AreaCode707]

Because I never had one.

<---- NorCal Girl.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

how far is it you consider a long commute?

I drive 1200-1500 miles a week.

 

[jagec]

"length" isn't so much distance as time.

Believe me, the traffic in LA makes NYC look like a ghost town.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: Antoneo
My professor said that Californians don't mind long commutes and that there is a reason why California is so highway/automobile based, especially in Los Angeles. Anyone know what he is talking about? Was there a business development in the past 50 years?

How many people commute from New Jersey to NYC every day? Or from Arlington into DC? How is this a California thing?

 

[z0mb13]

this will change when gas prices skyrocket

 

[NutBucket]

I commute about 450 miles per week for school right now. I don't mind for a few reasons

a.) The area my school is in sucks. I wouldn't want to live there.
b.) I love where I live now.
c.) Where I live now is closer to work.
d.) I'm close to my friends/gf/family.

To me these benefits outweigh the driving.

 

New Yorkers don't mind a long commute over a short distance.

 

[Kalvin00]

Originally posted by: HotChic
Because I never had one.

<---- NorCal Girl.

Heh, true

 

[anxi80]

i mind them, but gotta pay the bills somehow. sometimes, you just gotta pay to play. (and with gas prices the way they are right now, im paying out the nose)

 

[Antoneo]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Antoneo
My professor said that Californians don't mind long commutes and that there is a reason why California is so highway/automobile based, especially in Los Angeles. Anyone know what he is talking about? Was there a business development in the past 50 years?

How many people commute from New Jersey to NYC every day? Or from Arlington into DC? How is this a California thing?

I see your point but my professor singled out California. He said a certain corporate environment created this business related phenomenon and there was a 20-30 year span when this happened. I'm googling but can't come up with any leads so I thought perhaps ATers in California might be know what this guy is talking about.

Perhaps he is referring to an explosion of highway creation because of a certain event?

 

[jadinolf]

22 miles one way.

Commute time one and a half hours.

So wonderful.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: Antoneo

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Antoneo
My professor said that Californians don't mind long commutes and that there is a reason why California is so highway/automobile based, especially in Los Angeles. Anyone know what he is talking about? Was there a business development in the past 50 years?

How many people commute from New Jersey to NYC every day? Or from Arlington into DC? How is this a California thing?

I see your point but my professor singled out California. He said a certain corporate environment created this business related phenomenon and there was a 20-30 year span when this happened. I'm googling but can't come up with any leads so I thought perhaps ATers in California might be know what this guy is talking about.

Perhaps he is referring to an explosion of highway creation because of a certain event?

I don't know, I've lived in California my whole life, and the averge commute for most people is maybe 30-45 minutes. Is that any longer than any other metropolitan area in this country?

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: Antoneo

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Antoneo
My professor said that Californians don't mind long commutes and that there is a reason why California is so highway/automobile based, especially in Los Angeles. Anyone know what he is talking about? Was there a business development in the past 50 years?

How many people commute from New Jersey to NYC every day? Or from Arlington into DC? How is this a California thing?

I see your point but my professor singled out California. He said a certain corporate environment created this business related phenomenon and there was a 20-30 year span when this happened. I'm googling but can't come up with any leads so I thought perhaps ATers in California might be know what this guy is talking about.

Perhaps he is referring to an explosion of highway creation because of a certain event?

Simply because LA has such a vast urban/suburban area. Although there are seperate cities they are all so close to each other that its kinda flows into one bit city.

 

[z0mb13]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Antoneo

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Antoneo
My professor said that Californians don't mind long commutes and that there is a reason why California is so highway/automobile based, especially in Los Angeles. Anyone know what he is talking about? Was there a business development in the past 50 years?

How many people commute from New Jersey to NYC every day? Or from Arlington into DC? How is this a California thing?

I see your point but my professor singled out California. He said a certain corporate environment created this business related phenomenon and there was a 20-30 year span when this happened. I'm googling but can't come up with any leads so I thought perhaps ATers in California might be know what this guy is talking about.

Perhaps he is referring to an explosion of highway creation because of a certain event?

I don't know, I've lived in California my whole life, and the averge commute for most people is maybe 30-45 minutes. Is that any longer than any other metropolitan area in this country?

IIRC the automobile industry vs the train industry lobbied the gov, and the automobile industry won. That is why more freeways are built compared to subways/ trains

also if u see socal, its like pockets of population. Everything is kinda spread away (unlike norcal which is basically only SF and silicon valley)

also socal has a lot of open space, thus why the people spread, thus causing the traffic

 

[paruhd0x]

My Reason

 

[anxi80]

Originally posted by: paruhd0x
My Reason

i leave for work too early. cant see the coast, too foggy/dark. but when i come home, i get a nice view. especially when im sitting in a dead stop right around the racetracks.

 

[Stark]

Originally posted by: z0mb13

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Antoneo

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Antoneo
My professor said that Californians don't mind long commutes and that there is a reason why California is so highway/automobile based, especially in Los Angeles. Anyone know what he is talking about? Was there a business development in the past 50 years?

How many people commute from New Jersey to NYC every day? Or from Arlington into DC? How is this a California thing?

I see your point but my professor singled out California. He said a certain corporate environment created this business related phenomenon and there was a 20-30 year span when this happened. I'm googling but can't come up with any leads so I thought perhaps ATers in California might be know what this guy is talking about.

Perhaps he is referring to an explosion of highway creation because of a certain event?

I don't know, I've lived in California my whole life, and the averge commute for most people is maybe 30-45 minutes. Is that any longer than any other metropolitan area in this country?

IIRC the automobile industry vs the train industry lobbied the gov, and the automobile industry won. That is why more freeways are built compared to subways/ trains

also if u see socal, its like pockets of population. Everything is kinda spread away (unlike norcal which is basically only SF and silicon valley)

also socal has a lot of open space, thus why the people spread, thus causing the traffic

yep, the tire/auto industry teamed up to kill public transit in LA and the freeway system was built up. so cal has to be the worst designed urban landscape in the world... and on top of that we're completely dependent on a special blend of gasoline that ony this state uses.

We're idiots with no long term foresight, but the weather is nice!

 

[deftron]

Two words:

California girls

 

[MithShrike]

A lot of Californians think public transportation is below them. For instance I knew a guy who commuted 4 hours into the Bay Area from Stockton 4 days a week when he could have taken the ACE to the BART and gotten there quicker and cheaper.

 

[illustri]

Originally posted by: anxi80

Originally posted by: paruhd0x
My Reason

i leave for work too early. cant see the coast, too foggy/dark. but when i come home, i get a nice view. especially when im sitting in a dead stop right around the racetracks.

I miss La Jolla
*graduated

 

[db]

Nobody likes long commutes. The cost of real estate often dictates where you live (and where you can't live).
Most people don't have long commutes, but there are people that do 70 or 90 or 120 or more miles one-way each day--and that's gotta suck.

As for public transportation in Southern Califorina, it's too sparse given the large area, to be practical for most people.

 

[kermalou]

QUALITY OF LIFE N00B

 

[Wingznut]

<--- Lives 10 minutes from work.

My life is much too valuable to be spending a significant percentage of it driving to/from work. Even if there was a job that paid more, but was a longer commute (and presuming I couldn't move, for whatever reason), I doubt I'd take it. My time is worth a hell of a lot more than some cash.