A SOFTWARE engineer spends two hours each way traveling just 50 kilometers to work – his schedule is flexible, but there is always traffic.
He tried to return home an hour after his shift ended and still ended up in heavy traffic.
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Danny Brown is a software engineer living in Diablo Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.
Its journey from the northern part of the valley to the southern part is just 50 kilometers and, outside of commuting hours, it takes 33 minutes by car, according to Google Maps.
However, when Brown leaves for his work shift starting at 10am, he has to leave long before 9:30am.
In fact, to ensure he got to the office on time, Brown developed a detailed strategy depending on how early he was supposed to get to the office.
In an exclusive interview with The US Sun, he detailed his list of options for combating Interstate 680 South’s notorious suburban traffic.
“There are some days where I need to be early for a meeting or sometimes I have a few meetings scheduled, and on the last one I need to meet someone in person, so to do that I have to go in and do all the meetings in the office,” Brown said.
“So when it’s one of those days, I have some choices.”
“One is to leave at 6am to avoid heavier traffic. The traffic here starts around 5am. And after 5am you check Google Maps and every 5 minutes your ETA increases,” he said.
Some days, Brown clarified, he doesn’t need to be in the office until 10 a.m.
At that time, traffic still did not improve 33 minutes earlier than expected.
Therefore, your second strategy is employed.
“The second option is to get into the office at 10am. You would think there would be no traffic, leaving after 9am to get to the office by 10am, but not here, no!” he said.
“If I leave at 9am, Google Maps tells me I should arrive at 9:50am or sometimes after 10am. But sometimes if I wait until around 9:25, it says I will arrive at 9:55.
“But there have been times when I’ve expected traffic to clear up around 9:25, but it doesn’t, so I end up having my 10am meeting at home.”
Getting home after being stuck in traffic for nearly two hours is no easy task, as Brown discovered there was no strategy that would help reduce his commute time — even if he waited well until 7 p.m.
“I have to wait until about 7 a.m. to leave to avoid the usual traffic,” he said.
I already sit a lot from being in front of a computer all day, and adding another 1.5 hours of sitting is uncomfortable. Since I started this work, I noticed that my hips and back are always very tense and if I don’t try to be constantly active it bothers me more.
Danny Brown, software engineer
“Lately I’ve been getting home after 8. Sometimes I feel bad because my family is waiting for me to get home for dinner.”
To help ease the traffic on the way home, Brown started going to the gym to beat the brunt of the traffic – and it worked – instead of an hour per 20-minute commute, it’s less than an hour.
However, this means less time at home with the family.
“Even if I got home early, left early, say leave at 5 and get home at 6:30, it feels like an hour and 30 minutes was wasted,” Brown said.
“I’d rather wait until the traffic takes less than an hour, even if it means getting home later, unfortunately.”
The effects of long trips
Commuting isn’t just bad for your gas mileage—it can also affect your physical and emotional well-being.
Sitting in the hot sun and traveling at single-digit speeds can be irritating, and a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine determined that those who traveled more than 20 miles had higher blood pressure and lower cardiorespiratory scores than those who they didn’t. .
“Those with longer commutes may be more likely to be exposed to heavy traffic, resulting in higher levels of stress and more time spent sitting,” the study says. to read.
“Commuting represents a source of chronic stress that has been positively correlated with…high blood pressure, self-reported tension, fatigue, and other negative physical or mental health effects.”
Spending more time behind the wheel meant less time at home with loved ones, less time spent with close friends, and therefore lower self-reported happiness.
Therefore, many drivers reported being more prone to road rage, bad mood, and lower job satisfaction.
Read more here.
Having operated under these strategies for over a year, Brown realized there were physical and emotional costs that came with the near-constant mental gymnastics, work, and problematic daily commute.
“Driving in traffic (especially when you expect there to be no traffic, like after 7 p.m.) can be a little annoying,” Brown continued.
“And so I already sit a lot from being in front of a computer all day, and adding another 1.5 hours of sitting is uncomfortable. Since I started this work, I realized that my hips and back are always very tense and if I don’t do that, I don’t try to be constantly active, it bothers me more.”
BROWN IS NOT ALONE
Studies show that long trips like Brown’s have lasting effects on a driver’s physical and emotional well-being.
According to Keck Medicine at the University of Southern Californiaspending too much time behind the wheel directly translates to less physical activity overall.
Helge Van Herle, MD, MS, a cardiologist at the University, said this may mean going up a few pant sizes.
“A recent to study found that individuals with a 30-mile round trip were more likely to be obese, with an unhealthy waist measurement,” she said.
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“Increased waist measurement in men and women may be associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus, heart disease and stroke. In this study, even a 20-mile round trip was associated with higher blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.”
Coming home later than expected can put drivers like Brown in a worse mood, making them less welcoming to family, loved ones or friends.
The study also found that it is more difficult to get quality sleep due to earlier wake-up times combined with long shifts and late bedtimes.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
