theratracejournal.com

“All the high-paying jobs are in the major cities. This is where you need to be in order to excel in your chosen field.” – My friend, Dave.

Well, generally speaking, yes, that’s true. The greatest concentration of career-based jobs is in the city – and therein lies the problem. Our system is set up so that the very lucrative, high-paying occupations are in the core, and the workers live in the suburbs, within commuting distance, of course. Essentially, that’s what makes the rat-race what it is. (more…)

People watching can be very interesting. Since I began taking the train into work, I have had many opportunities to observe my fellow commuters.

I’ve come to the conclusion that many probably feel exactly like me, but are unable to make, or even consider the changes needed to break free. They have accepted defeat and slowly trudge on, day after day, making their contribution to society - accepting their lot in life.

They exit the train at the same time every day. Walking alongside thousands of others in a solemn march to the office towers – their faces void of any sign of happiness (of any expression really), they trudge on. They are beaten individuals. There is no hope here, just mindless drudgery.

What keeps them here? As with 99% of the population, I’m sure it’s the usual list of culprits. Debts need to be serviced, taxes need to be paid, lifestyles need to be maintained, and aren’t we lucky that our precious jobs can provide all that.

Where would we be without the corporation?

Well, I joined the masses this week and started taking public transit to work.

I live about 35km from the most northerly commuter station. I drive there and then catch one of three trains into the downtown core every morning. The drive is great because it’s in the country, nice scenery and very little traffic.

The lot is huge, so there is never an issue with finding a parking spot. I always assumed that I would have to arrive at 5am to get a spot.

I was amazed at the generous amount of space there was in each car. Plenty of room to stretch. Similarly, the ride was also very quiet and comfortable. I could learn to like this.

I caught myself nodding off a few times. I wanted to try to avoid this, as I have a bad snoring problem. Come to think of it, I also have a bad drooling problem. It’s not pretty.

So, after an hour or so of reading, sleeping, or whatever, the train arrived at Union Station - the main downtown terminal. By this time, we were very tightly packed, and it takes a while for everyone to get off. That’s the only drawback. Arriving and leaving downtown is very hectic. The terminal is filled with thousands of commuters, taking dozens of different trains and buses, all heading in different directions.

Boarding the train in the morning at the start of the line is great since there are hundreds of seats from which to choose. Boarding at Union Station in the evening is not quite as pleasant. There are literally hundreds of people trying to fill the hundreds of seats all at once. The good thing is that as we head north and make a few stops, the seats become more plentiful.

Walking from the station, I head to my office building. There is a literal sea of people (several thousand) and the only thing I can think of is how lucky I am to be walking with them and not against them.

This will take some getting used to. Usually, I simply park in the underground and take the elevator up to the lobby. Oh, what the heck, the walking can only be good, right?

By the time I am in the lobby and waiting for an elevator, I’ve lost 99% of the crowd and my day begins as usual.

I won’t lie and say that the crowds don’t bother me, they do. However, it’s short lived and most of my commute is peaceful. I didn’t realize how much a person could accomplish on a train. The thing about driving to work is that your eyes can’t leave the road for a second. There is nothing you can do while driving. I enjoy this part of the train commute and I plan to read several novels in the next little while.

I’m only 3 days into it, so I’ll let you know how it goes. I can’t wait to try this in the winter. I’m going to save hours of commuting time each day. I can put up with crowds for the peace of mind I’ll have, not having to drive through snow, sleet and ice.

With the recent events in the gulf pushing gasoline prices into uncharted territory, one might think that people would start looking at ways to conserve. This certainly is not the case in my neck of the woods.

There are, in my opinion, just as many single-person vehicles on the road as ever. The major routes are just as congested as they have always been. What gives?

Well, it would seem that a person’s need to commute to work in the quiet comfort of their own personal space is somewhat stronger than the need to maintain their bottom line.

Yeah, people complain about it for a day or so, but then they’re right back to what is comfortable and familiar.

At this time last year, I would have thought that gasoline prices in the $1.40C/liter range would result in massive protests and a huge decrease of vehicles on the road.

I envisioned cars loaded with 3 or more persons, trains filled to capacity and gas stations sitting idle.

This just doesn’t seem to be the case. We are carrying on as if nothing is happening. I think many people are simply accepting this as the cost of independence on the road.

Does that mean the oil companies can increase gas prices by 2 or *shudder* 3 times the current price, without any hint of opposition?

Really, wouldn’t you think that the un-breathable air and the damage to the environment would be incentive enough? Nope, far from it. There is only one thing that most people truly understand: their wallets.

At what point will the commuter simply say, “Hold on, this is enough, I’m going to have to find a cheaper way?” I don’t know. But one thing is certain; we will likely see a change in the very near future. I would venture to guess that we are approaching the upper limit of what people will freely pay. After that, we may witness car pooling and public transit becoming viable alternatives.

Never underestimate the power of economics.