Every day, millions of people take to the street to either drive to work or take public transportation. If you’re lucky enough to live a stone’s throw away from your workplace, then all you have to do is to walk. Unfortunately, not all of us can live in the city center where most jobs are located. On average, people live about 7.5 miles away from their offices. Depending on what state or city you are in, that equates to roughly 30 minutes to one and a half hours of driving or commute.
Car maintenance can be quite a hassle. If you need to replace your Ford Mustang exhaust, you will have to order it specifically from authorized dealers. That’s what makes driving to work a problem. The miles can take a toll on your car. It means paying more for insurance premiums, repairs, and replacements. It means taking your car to get serviced regularly. Is it that convenient to drive yourself to work?
Advantages of Taking Your Car to Work
Yes, it is absolutely convenient to have your own car. You are not limited by time constraints. You can miss your train or bus and have to wait for another 30 minutes before the next one arrives. Having your own car means having control of your time. The only thing you need to be concerned about is the traffic situation. You can estimate what time you should be leaving home to arrive at the office on time.
Taking your car to work also means having a bit of downtime. Sometimes, mornings can pass by so quickly that you forget to relax. That one-hour drive to work can be your way of reconnecting with yourself. You can listen to your favorite jam, collect your thoughts, and mentally prepare for the day ahead.
Unless you are working in a busy city like London, Paris, or New York, it is quicker to travel to and from your office. You can take the backroads and shortcuts that public transportation will not. You don’t have to deal with what feels like 10,000 stops before you get to yours. If you have an emergency and have to leave the office soon, you’ll get to your destination faster if you have a car.
Benefits of Taking Public Transportation
You have the option of taking public transportation, which is a lot cheaper than driving to work. You don’t have to pay for toll fees and concern yourself about surging fuel prices. All you need to do is get to your bus stop or subway station at the exact time you expect your bus to arrive.
You can use your commute time to read a book and catch up on emails. Trains are often faster than cars because you don’t have to deal with the traffic situation on the highway. It is more convenient to alight from the bus and work to your building’s entrance door without having to worry about a parking space.
The choice of whether to drive or commute to work depends on where you live. In New York, even billionaires like Warren Buffett take public transportation because of the traffic situation. But if you live in a relatively non-busy city or state, you can take your car to work and benefit from its convenience.
