Commuting to work

Starting Point. Discuss the questions below.

How do you commute to work?

Do you like commuting? Why (not)?

How can you make the most of your commuting time?

Think of a list of disadvantages and problems you can experience while commuting. Are there any possible solutions or ways to mitigate them?

Extra Info

Focus on Vocabulary. Explain the meaning of the words below.

to take a toll on (your health)

lifespan

slightly

on the dot

the gig economy

Focus on Comprehension. Answer the questions below about the video.

Questions:
1. How does the average American commute time compare to previous decades?
2. What negative health effects have been linked to long commutes?
3. According to a Canadian study, which modes of transportation are associated with higher life satisfaction?
4. What negative effects can driving alone have on a person’s mental and physical health?
5. How do public transit commuters generally feel about their commuting experience?
6. Why do some people view commuting as a source of stress?
7. How has the change in communications affected the way people use their commuting time?
8. In what cases is having a home accessible to transportation more important than living close to the workplace?
9. Is commuting the best way to spend a significant amount of time?
10. What can be said about coming home after a long commute?

Focus on Listening. Watch the video. Read the transcript below if necessary.

Answers

Correct answers:
1. The average American commute time has been increasing over the last few decades.

2. Long commutes have been linked to obesity, stress, anxiety, depression, higher blood pressure, higher divorce rates, neck and back problems, and shorter lifespans.

3. People who walk, bike, or take a train have higher life satisfaction according to a Canadian study.

4. Driving alone for long periods can lead to an inactive lifestyle, which has negative effects on both mental and physical health.

5. Public transit commuters tend to be slightly healthier and more satisfied with life, but they often resent timetables and experience stressful situations.

6. Some people view commuting as a source of stress because of factors like transfers, delays, cancellations, and the time it takes away from other activities.

7. The change in communications has made commuting an extension of the workday or an opportunity to engage in activities that couldn’t be done otherwise.

8. In the gig economy, having a home accessible to transportation is more important than living close to the workplace.

9. Commuting is not considered the best way to spend a significant amount of time.

10. Coming home after a long commute can be a relief and a way to unwind from the day.

Transcript

🎵 This is my morning commute. I get up, get ready, get in a car, drive to the train station, look for parking, get on the train for an hour and a half, arrive at Penn Station, get on another train, walk five minutes and start my work day. Is this killing me? 🎵

Before you go and post that comment telling me to move closer, you need to see that I’m not the only person doing this. This is the train station I commute from. This place is huge and yet it’s full almost every single day. Just this past fall they had to rip out an entire section of trees to make more space for parking and it’s still not always enough. 🎵

According to US Census data, the average American commute is nearly 30 minutes one way, a number that’s been on the rise for the last few decades. In general, people are choosing to commute further and farther than ever before. And those long grueling hours in cars, on trains, or buses can take a toll on a person’s health. Especially when we all hate it. So very, very much.

If you commute or you’ve been on the internet at all, you’ve seen the articles. And maybe you’ve read the studies. Commuting has been linked to higher rates of obesity, stress, anxiety, depression, higher blood pressure, higher rates of divorce, neck and back problems, shorter lifespans, and you get the point. Commuting long distances just isn’t good for you. But a lot of it comes down to how you do it.

For example, a Canadian study of commuters in Montreal found that people who walk, bike, or hop on a train had a higher life satisfaction than those with comparable commute times on other types of transit. In another study, British researchers found that people who drive to work instead of using public transportation are more likely to be obese. And that’s not it. Research has shown that driving alone, in particular, can make you more miserable. You’re alone with your thoughts for hours, often in frustrating situations, so it’s not really surprising that this is a disaster for both your mental and physical health. Yet according to a 2010 report, this is exactly how 80% of Americans commute to work every single day.

Now by comparison, those who take public transportation are slightly healthier and slightly more satisfied with life. Yet we tend to be more negative about our experience overall. Public transit commuters often resent the timetables. If I don’t leave work at 6 o’clock on the dot, I won’t catch the 621. If I don’t catch the 621, I have to get on the 653. And that’s the difference between me getting home at 8pm and me getting home at 8.45. Throw in things like transfers, delays, cancellations, and you have a really solid foundation for a very stressful, very annoying commute.

Basically, none of this is looking good for my mortality. Then why do so many of us do it? Commuting has been viewed as a source of stress, but in fact it gives people a break. It’s sometimes the only hour of the day that individuals have alone to be by themselves, to think, to listen to music. Meaning my commute isn’t technically dead space in my day. I catch up on reading, I listen to podcasts, I take advantage of the alone time, but I can also get work done when I need to. The change in communications has made commuting an extension of the workday or an opportunity for the individual to do things they couldn’t otherwise do. It’s not just a way to go from point A to point B.

In other cases, we have people who live in the gig economy, and so having a home that is accessible to transportation is far more important than having a home which is next to your workplace. If you’re not going to have a lifetime job, let’s have a lifetime home.

So, is my commute actually killing me? Well, it’s certainly not the best way to spend so much of my time and it is exhausting, but you can make the most of it. And there’s something to be said about coming home at the end of it all.

Video Lessons

Curriculum

Commuting to work

Starting Point. Discuss the questions below.

Focus on Vocabulary. Explain the meaning of the words below.

Focus on Comprehension. Answer the questions below about the video.

Focus on Listening. Watch the video. Read the transcript below if necessary.

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