Forum whore
I've done it on and off over the last 20 years. I've had alternative transport laid on in the form of a bus 4 times in the last 2 years. It's nowhere near as bad as people make it out to be, or indeed you. It costs me $170 a month. About half that of running a car and a third that of a motorcycle. So they'd need to double the cost before I considered an alternative.Originally Posted by mrchips
If a man is alone in the woods and there isn't a woke Hollywood around to call him racist, is he still white?
Forum whore
That's not much more than I pay to take my car and park.
I take the boy to school on the way to work and given my need to start at odd times I *could* choose to piss about for an extra hour + one way to jump on the bus into town (buses few and far between up here) OR to catch a bus to Jville and then jump on a train...which will probably break down or run late.
Instead I choose to jump in the car and get to and from work in less than 15 minutes each way - when I want/need to, none of this standing on the platform freezing my arse off waiting for yet another train.
I did the train thing for a while there - I was regularly late to work, despite catching a train that was supposed to get me to work with 30 mins spare to walk a 5 minute distance. When hubby was catching it recently to UHutt he had nothing but trouble and at one point was kicked off a train unfairly - left to wait another hour in the freezing driving rain waiting for the next train.
Nah - you couldn't pay me to use public transport. Perhaps it's also because I live so close and work the hours and times that I do but I can come and go as I please and it means I don't have to hire someone to look after my boy and take him to school each day. Aside from the obvious savings there it's something I like to be able to do and that's worth paying for the convenience of using my own vehicle to get to work.
Sorry environment
Forum whore
I don't think so.
What about Insurance, maintenance costs, petrol, and other consumables? I used to pay around $600 a year on insurance for the bike, $30 pw on gas, a set of tyres every 4 months or so ($5-700 per set), and the odd insurance excess for the bike being knocked over by people who don't leave a note or simply getting blown over in the wind. That's not counting servicing every 6000kms (depending on bike and recommended servicing costs) at anything up to $1100 for full service including valve clearance checks and lubing stuff like steering head and swing arm bushes and suspension linkages.
I ran a car for 6 months and that was cheaper than the bike by a huge margin, but still more than $170 per month with the costs amortised properly. Unlike most people I service my vehicles regularly and change tyres before the belts are showing and even replace fan belts and cam belts before they break.
I have a hell of a lot more "spare" cash not running a vehicle and using public transport. It's a flat $170 per month, no surprises. I'll not go back to using my own vehicle for commuting. I can read on the train. The reading while driving was getting me into trouble.
I don't aim for the train that gets me to work on time. If I do I ring the boss to say I'll be late. Mind you I start at 7am and I've never had any issue with the train at that time of morning. It's the buses that piss me off more than the trains, but even then I'm in a frame of mind with the commute where I just go, "meh" and get the next train/bus. Way less stressful that driving/riding and in Spring/Summer/Autumn I work exercise into my commute by walking to and from the train station, taking the long route home through Belmont Forest park.
If a man is alone in the woods and there isn't a woke Hollywood around to call him racist, is he still white?
Forum whore
You go through a set of tires every 4 months on an NZ250??? I find that hard to believe mate. Also sounds like you might try doing some of your own servicing and maintainence work to save some $'s too.
Forum whore
Hahahahahha. You're really funny. Not.
If a man is alone in the woods and there isn't a woke Hollywood around to call him racist, is he still white?
Forum whore
I agree with Jim (much as it pains me)
Commuting by train is cheaper. It takes a lot longer and its bloody annoying but its cheaper and I usually grab a snooze each direction.
I have a daily 100km commute. Using a mid priced option of a 10 trip ticket = $81.50
Parking is $11.50 per day ($57.50) and even running the Starlet was at least $50 to $60 PW in fuel, the Camry SW is probably $100pw. Bike parking is free (atm) but I really cant be arsed sharing the road with half awake homicdal maniacs....
Watchful Old Bird
In actual dollar terms it may be "cheaper" to use public transport if you do the whole cost of ownership, maintenance etc etc.
The missing values from that approach though are the cost of your time and enjoyment. I have a similar commute to Paul and when adding in travel to and from train station at each end the extra time per day is significant against the time for a direct door to door ride. Then there is the 'value' of the grin factor from being on the bike.
Transport mode choices are about more than just $$$.
Hardcore Biker
+1In actual dollar terms it may be "cheaper" to use public transport if you do the whole cost of ownership, maintenance etc etc.
The missing values from that approach though are the cost of your time and enjoyment. I have a similar commute to Paul and when adding in travel to and from train station at each end the extra time per day is significant against the time for a direct door to door ride. Then there is the 'value' of the grin factor from being on the bike.
Transport mode choices are about more than just $$$.
We worked out for a year in monetary costs was going to be around $3700 a year in public transport.
The bike costs more to run but saves me almost 2 hours in time a day.
I can get to work when I want and leave work and be home 20 min later..
Money is not everything.
Watchful Old Bird
Based on the national average hourly wage of $25/hr thats $250/wk or $12000 p.a for a 48 week working year.
Forum whore
Not everything, but for some people it requires careful consideration. My public transport costs are about the same as the yearly fuel bill for my Z750 was, partly because I don't use the bus very regularly outside of Winter. In terms of the "wasted" time, it is the ONLY opportunity I get to read. Given that that is by far my most favourite hobby I see that "downtime" as a huge positive. I save money, I get to read. I have no commuting stress.
This means that when I get another bike, I'll actually be able to go on some decent rides from time to time as the bike budget won't be eaten by commuting, and I won't be burned out with climbing in and out of bike gear and having to treat every other commuter as a sub-moron level threat, every-fucking-day. Riding bikes might even be fun! Heaven forbid.
If a man is alone in the woods and there isn't a woke Hollywood around to call him racist, is he still white?
Forum whore
No economy views commuting time as "productive time". Unless of course you have public transport that enables remote access to work. Then it's bonus productive time. Getting yourself to and from work is your problem, not your employer's. It's still economically productive because you are consuming when commuting. Someone is making money somewhere from your commute.
If a man is alone in the woods and there isn't a woke Hollywood around to call him racist, is he still white?
Hardcore Biker
Lucky mine is $35 an hour.. lol
Forum whore
I dont get ANY grin time commuting into wellington... I just plain dont enjoy riding a bike to work in the traffic....
Hardcore Biker
I don’t really have an issue with traffic.
I leave home at 6.20 and I'm at work well before 7.. There is hardly any traffic on the road at that time..
It also means I can leave work at 3.45 and miss all the traffic going home too...
Forum whore
I leave home at 6.20 and I'm at work at 6.50 using public transport. Getting home takes aout 50 minutes because of the bus timetable that isn't designed to link with the trains in any way.
If a man is alone in the woods and there isn't a woke Hollywood around to call him racist, is he still white?
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