David Burd, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – D.C. is one of the worst cities in the nation for traffic and for extremely long commutes.
What are some of these long commutes? Hagerstown, Md. to D.C. is one that comes to mind. And then there are the folks who live in Maryland and work in Virginia.
I once had a commute that was 63 miles one way from Germantown, Md. to Chantilly, Va. On a good day this commute would take at least an hour and a half. You don’t want to know what this commute was like on a bad day.
So what can be done to make these extreme commutes easier?
CNNMoney.com listed some great ideas for coping with commutes from hell.
- Take the scenic route. This will only work if your commute is not time sensitive.
- Use your iPod to listen to music. After all, doesn’t music tame the savage beast? Of course, it’s expected you will stop listening to music and check back with WTOP on the 8s for traffic and weather together.
- Use Google Maps or the car’s GPS and other transit apps (like Waze) that tell drivers in advance exactly how long traffic will delay your trip. Or trust our traffic people (remember the 8s for traffic and weather?) to tell you alternative routes.
- Drive to work with a friend or drive in with your spouse. You can use the time to catch up without little ears listening to every word. I’m talking about the kids here.
- Embrace mass transit. Sure it will take longer, but you can then multitask, by working on the computer and making phone calls while someone else worries about driving.
- Here is my favorite option: Telecommute from home, or stay in town with friends.
To make your commute as pleasant as possible I’d listen to Bruce and Mike in the morning and Hillary and Shawn on the way home in the afternoon. These folks have everything you need.
Good luck with your commutes and don’t be stressed.
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