>But then again, it could be that for many the job is in X and you live in
>Y and between X and Y no train, bus or matter teleportation booth provides
>a connection.
:) oh the fantasies I used to have about some sort of mini-helicopter that
would take me straight from A to B, with no treacherous hills, icy roads,
and curving roads that twist around the Finger Lakes. I used to drive from
Syracuse east to Hamilton and back to Syracuse and then west to Geneva --
for about five weeks when schedules overlapped at Colgate and Hobart
William Smith. If I remember right, that was 240 miles a day. I then
commuted south to Cortland, to teach at Cortland State. My easy days were
trips to SU and University college to teach two other courses.
I used to entertain myself, wondering how we'd do it if we had mini helicopters -- and I realized that it would be pretty freaky, b/c we'd have to have "roads" in the air to avoid people smashing into one another.
But anyway, public transportation is great. I love my car for reason Woj has mentioned before (I think). I don't have to worry about someone else's schedule. If I'm running 5 minutes late, no biggie. I'll be late for work by 5 minutes. If I miss the bus.... If I have to stay late for work--and many of us do--no worries.
In Ny, I didn't have to worry about being soaked and frozen. In FL, I don't have to worry about traipsing from bus stop to home, store, office, wherever and getting soaked with sweat on the days when it's 95 degrees F but feels like it's 120 as you practically wade the the humidity.
I used to ride my bike from a small rural town, up and down big hills. A =1.5 hr ride with the wind to my back. I don't have to worry about that nice trail of grime up my, uh, crack. :p.
I can remember the mad rush when I was in grad school. Get everyone up, make sure they're fed, pack it up for school/daycare. Rush, rush, rush, rush. Run to the sitter's house, chat with her and play with little "goober" who was fascinated with my stockings (poor kid), run out the door, rush rush rush, get on the road, drive drive drive. Find parking, traipse up the hill to campus or catch the bus, Rush fuckin' rush fuckin' rush. Teach class. Meet with students. Hang with friends. Committee meetings. Go to class. Rush rush rush. Run off to Manny's house for an impromptu meeting that last 'til 11 pm. Place toothpicks properly to keep my eyes open. Grab some caffeine and nicotine to make sure I stay awake for the ride home. Rush rush rush. Get home. Crash. Get back up four hours later and do it all over again.
I can imagine going insane trying to make sure I'd get all that accomplished while working around a bus or train schedule.
And yeah, as a woman, I worry about sitting on a train or waiting at a bus stop late at night. My son's GF was accosted two days ago by two guys who tried to kidnap her while she was waiting for a ride. Fortunately, she screamed and someone came to the rescue.
Maybe life would be different. IF everyone used public transportation, bosses wouldn't expect you to stay late? Somehow, I doubt it, but who the hell knows.
I'm not at all against PT. If I'm fortunate enough to get a job, I plan on taking advantage of PT and ride sharing -- on principle. Never could in the past b/c I lived in such remote places, it was rare that schedules overlapped enough that ride sharing was viable. Still, I always have a fallback: a car to get where I need to go the morning that I have to help sonshine with a printer that won't print his paper or help the neighbor chase after the dog who's escaped and is terrorizing the neighborhood looking for bones in garbage cans. :)
K
"We live under the Confederacy. We're a podunk bunch of swaggering pious hicks."
--Bruce Sterling