Constant driving in traffic and your health... (Irvine, Pasadena: school, to live)

[YoungTraveler2011]

takes me 17 mins to drive to work and 20 mins to my apt from work in the PM.

i have all the amenities i need in my building and everything else i need is within 1 mile of where i live.

the traffic during the weekends is a lot better than during the week... so i barely deal with it at all.

the goal is to live close to where u work. if u can't, then it'll be absolute hell and it'll deteriorate your health.

personally, if i couldn't live close to work, i'd move out of LA.........or id get a job close to where i live.

[John_marts]

It sure beats me up after awhile. I usually go back home to take a nap on a day off from the sun beaming down on me for hours in my car. I also drive with my top down pretty often too.

Other than that, the traffic in LA doesnt bother me at all, even owning a manual trans. I've adjusted to the driving style immediately after moving here and came to realize right away this is what you deal with here. LA drivers from what I gather are much less agressive and willing to let you in compared to NJ drivers. But they also have a bad habit of driving at the same, slow speed, no matter if the traffic cleared or not. I love driving though. I usually take my car out on canyon roads when I have days off.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by ChristinePlovesME

I am wondering if any Los Angelinos can actually tolerate heavy traffic?? I mean like spending over 4 hours/day in traffic and sometimes more.

I don't know anyone who does this, or anything close to it, and I can't imagine what it would be like. The longest commute I ever had in decades of working in L.A. was 45 minutes one way....and I thought that was bad!

[MItoBH]

Originally Posted by YoungTraveler2011

takes me 17 mins to drive to work and 20 mins to my apt from work in the PM.

i have all the amenities i need in my building and everything else i need is within 1 mile of where i live.

the traffic during the weekends is a lot better than during the week... so i barely deal with it at all.

the goal is to live close to where u work. if u can't, then it'll be absolute hell and it'll deteriorate your health.

personally, if i couldn't live close to work, i'd move out of LA.........or id get a job close to where i live.

Sounds like you planned life perfectly. Did you happen to find your apartment first and found your job, or vice versa? This is exactly how I aim to position myself when I relocate there later this year.

[ChristinePlovesME]

Originally Posted by John_marts

It sure beats me up after awhile. I usually go back home to take a nap on a day off from the sun beaming down on me for hours in my car. I also drive with my top down pretty often too.

Other than that, the traffic in LA doesnt bother me at all, even owning a manual trans. I've adjusted to the driving style immediately after moving here and came to realize right away this is what you deal with here. LA drivers from what I gather are much less agressive and willing to let you in compared to NJ drivers. But they also have a bad habit of driving at the same, slow speed, no matter if the traffic cleared or not. I love driving though. I usually take my car out on canyon roads when I have days off.

Drivers less aggressive...you are kidding. Im from Boston.....they are nicer there!
I got my answers....guess some people can deal with it, or at least pretend to as this is a very politically correct board.

[ChristinePlovesME]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

I don't know anyone who does this, or anything close to it, and I can't imagine what it would be like. The longest commute I ever had in decades of working in L.A. was 45 minutes one way....and I thought that was bad!

Yes, that is the MAX anyone should drive BUT that is not always the case...........and this is not just about work commute.....
I think people on this board are fooling themselves or they just arrived here and convince themselves "all this is just okay", dont complain grin and bear it......
Try going anywhere at anytime....not just work!! Apparently people here dont mind spending half their afternoon on the 405....

[SandyCo]

I think people get seduced by the idea of being able to live in L.A., and they figure they can put up with a long, awful commute. However, when they do that daily grind over and over, year after year, the stress builds.

I can't understand the people who live in the Antelope Valley just so they can own a home. The 14 is packed by 6:00 a.m., and there's also that bottleneck at the 5.

I was thinking of moving further out to decrease my rent, but even as far away as Oxnard and Ventura, the prices wouldn't justify the longer commute. I'd just be putting more wear and tear on my car, and I'd probably end up with a Xanax prescription!

[ChristinePlovesME]

Originally Posted by SandyCo

I think people get seduced by the idea of being able to live in L.A., and they figure they can put up with a long, awful commute. However, when they do that daily grind over and over, year after year, the stress builds.

I can't understand the people who live in the Antelope Valley just so they can own a home. The 14 is packed by 6:00 a.m., and there's also that bottleneck at the 5.

I was thinking of moving further out to decrease my rent, but even as far away as Oxnard and Ventura, the prices wouldn't justify the longer commute. I'd just be putting more wear and tear on my car, and I'd probably end up with a Xanax prescription!

Thank you....first sane response.....I very much like the Ventura area and always looked for work in that direction but ended up on the boarder to OC......thought I could tough it out, but NOOOOO.....traffic never goes away and worked grave yard a few times and the 5 north was already packed with big trucks....bumper to fricken bumper....at 5:30 am.

BTW, my house is for sale and I am trying, I say trying to head back to New England......not Boston, that city is a different kind of nightmare...lol

[i'm not a cookie]

I totally agree. I live in DTLA and work in SM. After an extremely busy day at work the last thing I want to do is sit in bumper to bumper traffic. By the time I get home it's dark outside, which I find to be rather depressing. Within the next two months I plan on moving to Santa Monica, I will ride my bike to work, the gym, and home. This will free up my time and make living in LA a much better experience for me. Shouts out to the LA metro for finally making SaMo accessible.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by ChristinePlovesME

Apparently people here dont mind spending half their afternoon on the 405....

I think they do!

"I’ve been having a recurring dream. I’m driving down the 405 from Santa Monica to Irvine as traffic speeds up, slows down, or stops entirely, and I’m always in danger of being late. Then I wake up—and it’s time to make the trip for real..."
Your LA Commute May Be Hazardous to Your Health