Commuter Surveys
Three of the five responses we got to the survey are posted here.
Response 1
I commuted to and from my last job, so these answers are from that period. Roughly eight months since I switched to my current job.
How do you commute (bus/train/subway/etc. Not cars.)?
Bus.
How long do you spend commuting each day? Is it broken down at all (for example, having to change buses, etc.)? How long do you spend waiting, and how long actually riding?
Roughly an hour each way, with ten minutes of that being time spent at the stop. No changeovers and few stops in between.
How is public transportation in the city you live in? Is it used much? Crowded? Unreliable? Disorganized? Anything you can tell.
Public transportation in Atlanta is very basic, and only with the gas prices going up in recent years has it progressed to a point that taking it is a reasonable option for anyone outside the central metro area.
Are there usually seats available, or do you often have to stand?
Seats are plentiful, even to the current date. The bus line I ride typically runs at 75-80% capacity.
What kinds of things do you generally do during your commute?
Read, listen to music, play a handheld game system.
Do you read often? What do you read? Documents for work? Novels? News? Magazines? Why do/don't you read? Enjoyment? Escape?
I read novels, a few magazines, nonfiction publications such as philosophy and theology books, or books/notes for class if I'm studying. I read often, both for enjoyment and to learn.
Do you read while commuting?
Yes.
Why do you read while commuting?
It's a cheap, varied, and plentiful form of entertainment. It's also portable, and I can stop and mark my place at any time.
Which types of documents you listed previously would you read while commuting? Are there any you'd never read at such a time? Why?
Anything except the more in-depth nonfiction - reading Kant on a bus makes it tough to focus on what can be a difficult read regardless of the setting.
What problems and restrictions/inconveniences do you come across while reading on commute? Noisy? Bumpy? Having to look up to check for your stop? etc.
I grew up travelling a great deal, and I learned to read in the car or on a bus without getting carsick or being overly distracted by surrounding noise and activity. If someone or something is especially distracting I might have to put some distance between us, but otherwise I'm fully capable of ignoring my surroundings.
Any seasonal/weather/miscellaneous issues (e.g. wearing gloves in winter vs. turning pages)?
Not really.
Do you read while waiting for the bus/train/whatever as well?
It depends on if there's a place to sit comfortably. I don't like to read while standing.
Response 2
How do you commute (bus/train/subway/etc. Not cars.)?
I bus to school/work.
How long do you spend commuting each day? Is it broken down at all (for example, having to change buses, etc.)? How long do you spend waiting, and how long actually riding?
To work, about 20 minutes. School, about an hour with one changeover. Waiting, generally ten minutes for the first from home, and about two minutes (sometimes less) for the next since it’s always early.
How is public transportation in the city you live in? Is it used much? Crowded? Unreliable? Disorganized? Anything you can tell.
Very crowded, especially in winter and before work/lunch/after work time. They always show up, but they’re very rarely on time (sometimes upwards of fifteen minutes early/late). Most of the bus drivers are helpful and can tell you were to get to somewhere you don’t usually do.
Are there usually seats available, or do you often have to stand?
Usually have to stand on the bus to and from school, can usually sit in the one from work and home.
What kinds of things do you generally do during your commute?
Listen to music.
Do you read often? What do you read? Documents for work? Novels? News? Magazines? Why do/don’t you read? Enjoyment? Escape?
I read all the time. Novels, magazines, newspapers, poetry, short stories, textbooks, notes, WTFever, really. I read for learning, and for fun; not really escapism because books that count as “escapism” (fantasy, sci-fi, romance, etc.) I read but with a healthy dose of cynicism, and sometimes I can’t suspend disbelief enough to enjoy them. I prefer reading over television by a huge margin.
Do you read while commuting?
Not usually.
Why don’t you read while commuting?
Because I’d miss my stop. It’s happened a few times, so I don’t do it anymore.
Response 3
How do you commute (bus/train/subway/etc. Not cars.)?
I commute by bus or taxi.
How long do you spend commuting each day? Is it broken down at all (for example, having to change buses, etc.)? How long do you spend waiting, and how long actually riding?
I work on a rota so it differs every week, my stop is about 10 minutes to walk to, and I make sure to get there 10 minutes earlier due to the fact that only one bus runs through where I live and if I miss that, I’m screwed. The bus journey itself takes about 25 minutes due to there only being the one for my village and two others so it needs to go the long way round into Maidstone. It always feels longer in the morning because of the damned school kids who all seem to eat a ton of sugar before they get on the bloody thing. If it’s a taxi then usualy home in 10 minutes or so after the initial 15 minute wait for it to get to me at work.
How is public transportation in the city you live in? Is it used much? Crowded? Unreliable? Disorganized? Anything you can tell.
Crowded? Unreliable? Disorganized? – All of those. I hate the busses in Burham.
Are there usually seats available, or do you often have to stand?
Really depends, sometimes you can get a seat, sometimes you can’t.
What kinds of things do you generally do during your commute?
Pray to god that there is no traffic and listen to my shuffle.
Do you read often? What do you read? Documents for work? Novels? News? Magazines? Why do/don’t you read? Enjoyment? Escape?
I read all the time, there’s no set genre of book, anything that looks interesting I will read from Stephen King books to the Harry Potter ones. I read for escapism, enjoyment and the fact I like to get lost in a world that isn’t my own for a few hours.
Do you read while commuting?
No, but I do read while waiting. I always have a book with me for waiting and breaks at work.
Why don’t you read while commuting?
I feel sick when I read while traveling which sucks on long journeys.