Commute from Alpine to El Centro-would you do it?? (San Marcos: where to live, agricultural)

[lrmsd]

I second the suggestion to have your husband rent a room or an apt. during the workweek [4 days?] and come home for the other 3. OR, find a different job. I know he likes his job and it's well paying, etc. but honestly, there ARE other options than the two you've painted yourself into a corner with (in your mind. In reality, there are many other scenarios but someone needs to be willing to consider them).


Good luck!

[unquiltom]

As long commutes go, that one isn't bad. There's very little traffic between Alpine and El Centro, so you can set the cruise control and just steer the car. The bad part will be during the winter. They do occasionally close the 8 during bad winter storms, so he could be stuck either not able to get home or not able to get to work.

[LuvSouthOC]

Life is too short to put their husband through that horrendous commute. It's not just the wear and tear on one's car, it adversely impacts your health (e.g. weight gain, heightened risk for blood clots due to inactivity) and your mental health. Please do not ask this of him. Stay where you are and look for a job elsewhere. Once found, move out of there.

Note too the danger of falling asleep at the wheel, drunk drivers, and the possibility that he may lose control of his vehicle on those windy roads.

[malcorub16]

Originally Posted by LuvSouthOC

that he may lose control of his vehicle on those windy roads.

True, doesn't the 8 shut down when it snows in the Mountains?

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by malcorub16

True, doesn't the 8 shut down when it snows in the Mountains?

Yes. I have heard of them closing; it usually happens when San Diego's Mt. Laguna is getting bombarded with snow.

[USDefault]

The proposed daily commute is pure insanity. If my wife pressed me to undertake this anxiety-ridden, heart-attack inducing daily grind, I'd seriously begin to question what, exactly, my families' priorities are. Because plainly the husband's well-being isn't it.

[Pedro2000]

The other question is do you even like Alpine? It's nice, but it's not exactly downtown or the beach areas and so on. It's not just a stones throw away from a lot of the attractions. It's one thing to buy a property with a bigger house and land and so on. It's another to move from El Centro to Alpine and hope it's better.

It's a nice area, but are you really sure it's what you're looking for? Because you'd pretty much be at home alone most of the time as your husband will either be staying in some hotel or apartment in El Centro during the week or commuting the mad commute 4 times a week.

I also assume with the 4 day work weeks that means 10 hour shifts for him. So not only is he commuting long and far, he's putting in 10-11 hour days(lunch) to boot. So if he needed to be at work by say 8am and gets done work at say 630pm (30 min lunch) , he's gone at like 530am and doesn't get home till 830pm or something. And then eats and goes right to bed because he needs to get up early. Nobody in their right mind would continue to do that long term. Or they'd wind up in an early grave.

[NorthSDLifer]

Originally Posted by unquiltom

As long commutes go, that one isn't bad. There's very little traffic between Alpine and El Centro, so you can set the cruise control and just steer the car. The bad part will be during the winter. They do occasionally close the 8 during bad winter storms, so he could be stuck either not able to get home or not able to get to work.

The drive down the rocky hill to the valley can be a drag with those semi/trailer-clogged curves and wind. (Of course, the wind can be a pain well before then too). I do it a few times a year when visiting family. Sure wouldn't want to do it every day.

[Losfrisco]

Originally Posted by msmildred

Thanks for your input, everyone. As I mentioned, he may have some flexibility with his job, but for the most part he would be making the trip about 4 days a week. Living in El Centro is incredibly difficult, and the heat and pollution is getting really hard to handle. However, I do understand how hard it would be over the long term to make that drive almost every day.

Is there anyone he can carpool with? There are plenty of commuter vanpools going that way depending on the hours he works.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

My cuz did this but he is a pilot with his own small plane. That being said, he had a few nail biter commute days when the motor stalled.