> 8 hours (4+4) spent in commuting, driving or not, is an entire life. This isn't a realistic concern, but something pulled out of a cyberpunk novel.
You poor innocent child. Spent a couple of years of my life doing pretty much that, in crowded trains with a thousand others doing the same. Some did it for many, many years. It's a thing. (OK, I was lucky about where I worked and only had a 3-hr commute each way.)
Related data point... my commuting choices were
a) drive all or most of the way (saving 45 minutes to an hour each way);
b) drive 15 minutes to a park-and-ride, take a commuter bus;
c) drive 45 minutes to train station, take train in (extra 30 to 45 minutes each way, exta $$/mo).
Often did (b) for practical reasons, much preferred (c) for comfort. Didn't do (a) too often. (d) "black car" (private driver) was an idle astronomically expensive dream. But if it was only a relatively small premium over normal car ownership? I and 100's of thousands of my fellow commuters would have given our left kidneys.
In the Bay Area in particular it is known commutes from Sacramento, Gilroy, and elsewhere happen. To say nothing of traffic and closures (devil's slide is STILL closed between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay) creating 3+ hour commutes from what google maps may indicate as < 2 hour commutes.
Respectfully, some people drink motor oil, that doesn't make it a realistic concern.
I drove 90 minutes each way in/ around Atlanta and that was considered long; I had friends in NYC who were on the train 90 minutes each way and that was considered long.
I can't think of anyone I knew who had 2 hours each way, every day. (Some days, yes, but not as the norm.)
I do know folks who drive/ ride/ fly and then stay locally for some days, then commute back for the weekend or their WFH days. And most are for 2-3 hour driving commutes, not 4.
I agree with them 8 hours a day of travel "isn't a realistic concern".
You poor innocent child. Spent a couple of years of my life doing pretty much that, in crowded trains with a thousand others doing the same. Some did it for many, many years. It's a thing. (OK, I was lucky about where I worked and only had a 3-hr commute each way.)
Related data point... my commuting choices were
a) drive all or most of the way (saving 45 minutes to an hour each way);
b) drive 15 minutes to a park-and-ride, take a commuter bus;
c) drive 45 minutes to train station, take train in (extra 30 to 45 minutes each way, exta $$/mo).
Often did (b) for practical reasons, much preferred (c) for comfort. Didn't do (a) too often. (d) "black car" (private driver) was an idle astronomically expensive dream. But if it was only a relatively small premium over normal car ownership? I and 100's of thousands of my fellow commuters would have given our left kidneys.