The Better Show
Crafting a Better Commute
Episode Summary
Ways to rethink your daily commute by transforming it into exercise, a time to learn, a time to socialize or removing it entirely!
Episode Notes
Ways to rethink your daily commute by transforming it into exercise, a time to learn, a time to socialize or removing it entirely!
Show Notes
- 0:50— Ian starts off with a stat that the average commute in the US is 25 minutes and Darren and March share their current commute times.
- 2:00— March shares some additional stats about commute times and how people commute to / from work.
- 3:19— Research shows that commuting tends to be more stressful for women than for men possibly because of the larger responsibilities women tend have around managing day to day household and family tasks.
- 4:05— Ian notes the difference between basic commuting and being stuck in traffic and shares his disdain for being stuck in traffic.
- 5:53— Because time is Ian’s most valuable resource, many of the key decisions in his life (including where to live and how to spend his commute) are optimized to minimize the amount of wasted time in his day.
- 8:59— March shares what commuting is like growing up and working in Ireland.
- 9:52— March shares his experience originally living far away from work with a very long car commute and then moving close to work where he had a short walk to work.
- 11:47— March’s optimizes his 22 minute commute time today listening to audiobooks and podcasts.
- 12:00— Whenever March has the opportunity to pay a toll to use the express lanes and reduce his commute time, he takes it — no matter the price — because it’s ultimately the price for additional productive minutes of his life.
- 12:46— Ian uses the same logic when making all health-related decisions.
- 14:06— “Driving through the twisty roads of the Italian Alps is fun. Driving the highway from my home to my office blows.” — March
- 14:21— Darren inadvertently improved the quality of his commute by buying a convertible several years ago.
- 20:31 —As a member of the Millennial generation, Ian shares that he doesn’t really remember flying commercially prior to 9/11 and recounts his fascination over how stress-free it is to board a train.
- 21:47— We talk about train experiences and some of the more scenic and peaceful train routes in North America.
- 24:29— We talk about car commuting and ways to improve the experience starting with audio books and podcasts.
- 25:41— Darren shares his tip for allocating his driving commute time to catching up with friends and family.
- 27:30— March advises against meditating while driving but suggests some alternative tactics to relax and recharge while commuting.
- 27:58— Tip for commuting: good, comfy driving shoes.
- 28:35— March and Darren empathize with women who have to wear high heels and Darren confesses that he lacks the grace to be able to drive or walk in heels.
- 29:30— Ian shares a tip for those with back pain: crank up the heated seats.
- 30:41— Ian completely punks March and Darren.
- 31:10— March discusses the importance of adjusting your car seat so that extended commutes are comfortable and back-friendly.
- 33:11— Tip for long commutes: avoid the drive-thru and pack some healthy snacks.
- 34:34— How to start a carpool and leverage the commuting programs from employers and local municipalities.
- 37:21— Darren shares some tips for cycling to work or walking to work.
- 39:56— Pro tip for cycling to work: stop by your local bike shop and ask them for a trail map or tips for cycling locally.
- 40:25— Darren gives a shout out to his friends Ken and Dana who have a walking commute after moving into the city.
- 42:03— Darren shares his experience in trying to telecommute one day per week.
- 43:16— March decides to experiment with Uber Pool for his commute.
- 43:51— Darren is going to try to bike to work several times this summer and gives a shout out to his cycling buddy Chris (who, incidentally, is in much better shape than Darren).
- 45:25— Darren recommends the CityMapper app for planning trips and commutes in a major city.
- 47:04— Ian commits to learning how to change a bike flat and start cycling a bit.
- 47:56— Ian introduces us to a very cool sounding personal driver service called Dryver.com and Darren gets a great idea for a Christmas gift for Ian.
- 48:50— Ian shares a little about the very positive experience he’s had owning a nice car like the Tesla Model 3.
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