![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidBefore I started commuting by T, I was glad to not be commuting by car anymore. It's more environmentally sound, I'd be able to fit in a bit of exercise each day walking to and from the station, and I'd have time to do other things while commuting. Plus a month pass costs just a bit more than what I had been paying in tolls monthly (adding in gas and wear-and-tear makes it just that much more apparent how much I'm saving, even if I keep the car for errands and such on evenings and weekends).
Reality, however, is a bit different than my image of what the commute by T would be.
I hadn't thought about how the car commute is really just one step, one change: get in the car and go. There's traffic and tolls and jerks on the road, but those are all expected, and don't change my modality. The T commute, on the other hand, is walking to the station, taking a train, taking a second train, and walking to work. None of these are onerous (well, other than standing on the platform in the heat), but there's a lot of shifts. Plus there's balancing while the train is in motion (since seats mostly aren't available), which is a constant sort of action. I have to be alert, in different ways. Mentally, it's as least as challenging as the car. I wonder if walking the whole way (once it's cooler) will be easier, just because it's one mode of transport, and I can get in a rhythm.
Another factor I hadn't considered was weight. In the car, I could bring whatever I wanted to work, books, gym bag, lunch, plants, armadilloes, whatever. By T, I have to factor it in every time. Is it worth carrying a gym bag to work, or should I go home first to get it (especially knowing my inertial tendencies once I'm home)? What one or two things am I going to bring in to the office to make my space work better for me (so far, mostly shelf-stable food to have on hand)? Do I want to have an extra book with me? (Probably not.) There's also the related bulkiness factor: even if it's not heavy, but it's a pain to carry, I'm unlikely to bring it in (food in 9 x 13 pans immediately comes to mind).
All that reading time I thought I'd have hasn't quite materialized as I'd thought. Some of it is physical limitations, juggling bags and book and holding on. Some of it is the time limitation; I'm not on any given train for very long, and I find it hard to jump in and out of books. Plus there's the distraction factor of all these people around me, with all sorts of stories going on all around me. I also get the view of the city as we cross the river, which never fails to be interesting. The problem is that I'm one of those people who tends to fall into books, and this isn't a situation that allows that. I suppose I should get magazines or newspapers, but neither appeals nearly as much as books.
Oh, and I have less flexibility for errands. Or at least, I have to think about them earlier than before, deciding whether I should do something on the way home, or get the car afterward (still the current default for all major food acquisition).
I wonder if this will feel different as I become more accustomed to it (and as the weather changes).
Reality, however, is a bit different than my image of what the commute by T would be.
I hadn't thought about how the car commute is really just one step, one change: get in the car and go. There's traffic and tolls and jerks on the road, but those are all expected, and don't change my modality. The T commute, on the other hand, is walking to the station, taking a train, taking a second train, and walking to work. None of these are onerous (well, other than standing on the platform in the heat), but there's a lot of shifts. Plus there's balancing while the train is in motion (since seats mostly aren't available), which is a constant sort of action. I have to be alert, in different ways. Mentally, it's as least as challenging as the car. I wonder if walking the whole way (once it's cooler) will be easier, just because it's one mode of transport, and I can get in a rhythm.
Another factor I hadn't considered was weight. In the car, I could bring whatever I wanted to work, books, gym bag, lunch, plants, armadilloes, whatever. By T, I have to factor it in every time. Is it worth carrying a gym bag to work, or should I go home first to get it (especially knowing my inertial tendencies once I'm home)? What one or two things am I going to bring in to the office to make my space work better for me (so far, mostly shelf-stable food to have on hand)? Do I want to have an extra book with me? (Probably not.) There's also the related bulkiness factor: even if it's not heavy, but it's a pain to carry, I'm unlikely to bring it in (food in 9 x 13 pans immediately comes to mind).
All that reading time I thought I'd have hasn't quite materialized as I'd thought. Some of it is physical limitations, juggling bags and book and holding on. Some of it is the time limitation; I'm not on any given train for very long, and I find it hard to jump in and out of books. Plus there's the distraction factor of all these people around me, with all sorts of stories going on all around me. I also get the view of the city as we cross the river, which never fails to be interesting. The problem is that I'm one of those people who tends to fall into books, and this isn't a situation that allows that. I suppose I should get magazines or newspapers, but neither appeals nearly as much as books.
Oh, and I have less flexibility for errands. Or at least, I have to think about them earlier than before, deciding whether I should do something on the way home, or get the car afterward (still the current default for all major food acquisition).
I wonder if this will feel different as I become more accustomed to it (and as the weather changes).
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-09-03 10:25 am (UTC)A couple notes
Date: 2004-09-03 10:26 am (UTC)2. Some cars get a lot more people than other cars. This is because of the way the stations are laid out with regard to exits and such. You can increase your likelihood of finding a seat if you get on a car that is farther from the exit (or uses a different exit).
3. Getting on at an earlier stop can make quite a difference in crowdedness as well. In the morning, getting on at Harvard will mean fewer people on the train than getting on at Central (most likely).
4. Getting off at Park Street and walking only adds something like 5 minutes of time, so you could reduce your transfers by 1 if you did that, plus walking through the Common and Public Garden in the morning is a pleasant experience.
5. Backpack instead of bags. Frees up your hands for reading.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-03 10:27 am (UTC)Re: A couple notes
Date: 2004-09-03 10:40 am (UTC)Re: A couple notes
Date: 2004-09-03 10:42 am (UTC)1. I've been varying my timing based on when I can get myself out of the house; I hope I'll shift a bit earlier next week.
2. I've been aiming for the minimal walk cars, too (hoping that there are people aiming for particular cars for other stations...), mostly because switching at Park it makes a difference if I can be among the first people up the stairs; it slows down considerably.
3. I've been using Harvard, partly to get on at an earlier stop, and partly because the walk is much prettier (and a little shorter). I was thinking about the walk in the winter, when Harvard will definitely be a better bet, since the university does a great job of keeping paths clear.
4. When I came in for interviews, I did that, but I've gotten lazy. Perhaps when I get out of the house earlier, so I don't feel quite the same time pressure.
5. Yeah, the Camelbak isn't large enough to carry stuff in, really. I mean, I can fit some things, but not much. Which means shopping for a backpack. Any suggestions for particular design features to look for/ avoid?
PS: another benefit of Harvard
Date: 2004-09-03 10:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-03 10:49 am (UTC)Re: A couple notes
Date: 2004-09-03 10:51 am (UTC)But definitely one thing to look for is good weight distribution. Lots of straps to buckle around you so that you can distribute the weight so it's not all on your shoulders.
Re: A couple notes
Date: 2004-09-03 10:54 am (UTC)I haven't had a pack in so long I'm not sure if all the things like extra mesh pockets, specific water bottle holders, etc., are useful or not. (Hm. Perhaps Bitty will have some suggestions.)
Re: A leashed armadillo is worth two...
Date: 2004-09-03 10:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-03 10:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-03 10:59 am (UTC)I'm also hoping to shift my timing earlier, which would likely help with the exhaustion from extreme sardine can effect.
duh
Date: 2004-09-03 11:08 am (UTC)Re: A couple notes
Date: 2004-09-03 11:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-03 11:26 am (UTC)I like having outer mesh pockets for water bottles, small umbrellas, etc.; I wish I'd found one with a small pocket on the waist or shoulder strap, for easy access to keys, cell phone, wallet, etc. (They do make them! But I didn't find one like that in time, sigh.) But then I like being able to get at certain items easily, without having to undo all the goddamn straps and taking the pack off. :)
My current pack is an REI model, and I've seen some really nice ones (one REALLY light, but still with lots of pockets) at EMS in Harvard Square.
And as an aside: yeah, it sucks rocks carrying much baggage on during rush hour. Try one large flat bag carrying a BIG drawing pad, plus pack, plus another large bag with model buildings . . . during the (#^$*#%&*#^ post-game crowd on the Green Line.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-03 11:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-03 12:47 pm (UTC)(Though I've just been reading about the glories of good customer service at EMS....)
no subject
Date: 2004-09-03 12:53 pm (UTC)I can't imagine carrying all the stuff you did for class. I'd think it's rather nigh impossible...
no subject
Date: 2004-09-03 01:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-03 01:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-03 01:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-03 01:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-03 01:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-03 01:39 pm (UTC)I'm really curious to see how a winter goes, too.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-03 01:41 pm (UTC)I've been ambivalent about headphones for a while. Yes, they let me listen to what I want, when I want, but I feel disconnected to what's going on around me, which I have always felt undesirable, even if what's going on isn't that wonderful in and of itself.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-04 12:27 pm (UTC)You might want to leave a pair of regular shoes at the office and just wear your boots to and from work when it starts getting wintery. That works for me when I T.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-04 07:59 pm (UTC)How do audio books work for you? The kind of concentration listening takes may be different from that for reading, and it leaves your hands free. And having someone read to you is "kind of like" conversation, in a way that music isn't, so maybe you wouldn't feel as out of touch with your surroundings.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-05 03:54 am (UTC)In some ways, I think the T commute will be easier, since I won't (a) necessarily be clearing off my car immediately (might even get in some x-c skiing instead :-), and (b) be driving on reasonably hazardous roads. I've been lucky so far, but the office I'd been at never seemed to close, even though they knew they had people coming not only from MA, but RI and NH too. Though greater possibility of falls walking on (potentially not well cleared) sidewalks, I suppose.
Audio books
Date: 2004-09-05 04:02 am (UTC)I hadn't considered audio books, though. I might try them out (borrow equipment, get a book from the library) on a trial basis, and see how it feels. (I think the other part about books vs. music in this case is that I'm also absorbing some thoughts of some sort, rather than being entertained, no mental energy required.)
Thanks for the suggestion.
no subject
Date: 2004-09-06 05:33 pm (UTC)Nice icon!