So, as you have noted from my previous posts, the price of gas is on my mind. Very much on my mind. It costs way too much now and I have heard analysts on NPR talk about it getting as high as $7 a gallon. $7!!!! Holy Crap, that is a lot of money.
Currently, I work a 4 day work week, two 12 hour shifts and two 8 hour shifts. The commuter rail schedule to my town is not very good, as I have said on many occasions. On Wednesday and Thursday, my 8 hour days, I take the commuter rail in and home. It leaves the station at 5:43 AM and I get back to the station at 6:30 PM. Gross, but OK. On my late days, I get off at 8:30 PM and the next train home is at 10 something which arrives at 11:45 PM. Hence, my driving two days.
To be more economical, I have been parking at Riverside and taking the Green line into Boston. It is long but OK. But even driving there is 30 miles each way. With gas, toll, parking, wear and tear, that is a lot of money.
I looked at my schedule and the train schedule and believe I can modify my hours on Tuesday to be able to take the 8:20 PM train to be home by 10 PM, saving one round trip worth of gas. That is good, right? But on Fridays, I have to be there until 8:30 PM. There is no changing my schedule. If I were to be good, I would take the train home and be home at midnight. But that makes me so upset and frustrated.
So what should I do, blog friends? Be a good green citizen, conserve gas, keep our costs lower, and take the train every day, even though I will get home at midnight after leaving that morning at 5:43 AM? Do I increase our costs, use fossil fuels and drive in on Fridays, which will get me home between 10 and 11 PM (depending on the Green Line and Red Sox games)? Help me out and give me your opinion.
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3 comments:
I say run the numbers and decide that way. ((Friday Gas Cost)-(Friday Commuter Rail pass))annualized <>= home 1.5 hours earlier on Fridays
numbers always help me.
you could also carpool, move, tell the MBTA to add a 9 PM train from SS, tell your work to move closer to you, or invent an alternative fuel vehicle! I suggest a jetpack, I think we are overdue for jetpacks.
Yeah, I'd say try to figure out the cost and see if that helps you.
Also, it's great to do as much as you can to be green but it's not necessarily worth your mental health. If it's too horrible to take the train one day, and you can make the $ work, I say save your psyche and just drive. Commuting sucks ass.
I agree with the others. Figure out what the costs are. Remember that time is a cost too. Personally, I don't think that the way the earth is headed that you driving one day a week back and forth is going to change things. It sounds like you need that Hashbrown. You need time at home. It's very worthy to consider this influence on the planet, but your sanity and health will be important in the wellbeing of everything around you. Do what you need, is what I say.
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