For a magazine piece I’m writing, I’m looking for people with the longest daily commutes in Ireland. People who travel more than 90 minutes each way, every day. “Extreme commuters”, they’re officially called.
They’re a fast-growing group, and we’re going to see more, I think. The reasons are the housing slump and the overall slower growth economy. People will be anxious to keep jobs they’re in even if the company moves from Blanchardstown to Sandyford. And they may not be able to sell their Adamstown or Lucan gaff - or at least very easily - even if they were willing to waste the social capital built up with kids in local schools, local GAA clubs, whatever. So the 4.30 am riser is getting more common - not just to soothe the teething toddler.
I want to accompany a few of Ireland’s “extreme commuters” and see how they cope and what that’s like now - I’m hoping there aren’t too many with an ordeal like this guy. Where I grew up on Long Island, commuting was a central feature of life. People sat in the same seats on the same carriage on the 7.05 train from Ronkonkoma to Penn Station for 15 years, sitting next to the same people with the same coffee and danish from the same places. Reams have been written on the habits and social connections that form - but car is far more common, there and here.
My Dad commuted the 43 miles on the Long Island Expressway from our house to LaGuardia Airport for 30 years. He had his own rituals and strategies that got him through. What rituals and strategies are Irish extreme commuters coming up with?
I’d love even to take a stab at finding the person with Ireland’s longest (daily) commute - and a real person, rather than somebody with their own plane. (Still - where’s my jetpack? Arthur can’t even tall me anymore). My plan is to ride shotgun with a couple of “extreme commuters”, travelling with them from home to work and back again.
If you are an “extreme commuter” in Ireland or know someone who is - email me at rdelevan (at) gmail (dot) com.
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7 responses so far ↓
1 Damien Mulley » Blog Archive » Fluffy links - Wednesday 19th March 2008 // Mar 19, 2008 at 1:05 pm
[...] If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my site using a feedreader or email. Thanks for visiting - Damien.Shotgun! Want Richard to ride with you on your long commute? Richard is looking for the longest commutes in Ireland. [...]
2 elly parker // Mar 19, 2008 at 5:14 pm
I’ll give you a starting point then, although I know there’s bound to be longer ones out there.
My husband commutes 55 miles each way, taking about 75 mins each way.
3 LiamK // Mar 19, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Should check the train carriage of people who commute daily from Thurles/ Templemore in Tipp to Dublin every day. Around 200 miles total commute at the mercy of Irish rail!!!
4 john // Mar 20, 2008 at 1:37 am
Great story idea Richard.
If the traffic in Dublin is gridlocked, like it was a few weeks back on a bad day, my commute can be 2 hours 45 mins.
Hang out at Bus Aras around 5pm any day, look at the bus destination names, and you’ll have no shortage of people commuting to Wexford, Kilkenny, Waterford and the midlands.
5 Alan // Mar 20, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Irish Times did a feature on this a few years ago. It has only got worse I would say. I travel by bus to Dublin city centre from Wicklow town every day. Bus leaves 7.40am - gets to Dublin these mornings (with schools off) at just before 9am. When the school traffic is on the road, same journey takes an extra 1/2 hour on average. Return journey in the evening is average of 1 hr 30, but if there is anything on in the RDS make that over 2 hours!
I used to travel by car but gave it up a year ago as it was taking its toll physically. I don’t mind spending the time on the bus as I can read, snooze, use my internet tablet etc. and Bus Eireann are introducing a new fleet of buses on the Wicklow route complete with free wi-fi.
Wicklow Co Co did a commuter survey not that long ago which you might already know about but link below is to one of my sites where I put the results of the survey. You might find something useful there for your report.
http://tinyurl.com/3yydo5
6 TUG // Mar 24, 2008 at 12:20 am
I used to extreme commute to college so, if it was the bus, then it was 1hr 30 easy… Get the 7.15 am to be in at the doors to Kevin St. for about 8.45 otherwise good luck to the nine o’clock lecture…
I particularly remember one day leaving at about 7.30am and still being on Dorset St at 10am… Needless to say, we just went to the pub instead of college…
7 JC Skinner // Mar 24, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Brilliant idea. I’ve no doubt you’ll find people commuting over 100 miles each way every day in this country.
Hopefully they’ll still have ten minutes left in their 18 hour working day to talk to you!
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