Fake Commuting: Do You Do It?
-
A phenomenon that's been documented during COVID is "fake commuting". Essentially people who are primarly work from home, get in their cars and drive to grab coffee or something similar, just for a change of scenery and to keep pre-COVID routines.
I have to admit, I 100% do this. On days where it isn't raining, I've been walking to Starbucks, but I typically drive there every morning then back to my place.
Who else is doing this out there?
Curator
1986 Dodge D100 & 2021 Jeep Wrangler Willys -
Hah, no, I've driven 235 business miles and met in person with 15 clients so far this week, and it's only halfway through Tuesday.
-
No, but I probably should. I've been waking up 10-15 minutes before work and making a cup of coffee while I clock in and get to work. On Friday's when everyone is gone or off, I'll clock in from my bed and meander for the first hour.
Work still gets done, quotas are met and sales are being beat. So I figure I must be doing something right
2013 Chevy Volt
2014 Mini Paceman S -
@CarsOfFortLangley Definitely have to leave the house. Man, if it gets to the end of the evening and I haven't gone outside I feel so cooped up and crazy. Some days I take a drive through the back roads behind my house, or I walk out for coffee and a cookie. Or sometimes even just spend a few minutes pulling weeds. I have to get out of the house!!
-
I haven't had a hair cut in over a year. The time previously spent commuting is now spent on my hair.
-
@carsoffortlangley No, since my plant has been closed a total of 1.5 days for COVID since all of this started.
-
@carsoffortlangley Not me. I'll get up and put a pot of coffee on. Have breakfast while checking the overnight dispatches. Then straight up to the home office.
My pre-COVID routine for too many years I can remember, was wolfing a bowl of cereal, standing up in the kitchen, before heading out the door. It's a nice change for now.
-
@rctothefuture said in Fake Commuting: Do You Do It?:
I've been waking up 10-15 minutes before work and making a cup of coffee while I clock in and get to work. On Friday's when everyone is gone or off, I'll clock in from my bed and meander for the first hour.
I'm the same way LOL. Why wake up early when the "commute" is from the coffee maker to the home office?
-
@rctothefuture I've really focused on keeping everything "normal"
I still get up at 4:30am, but instead of commuting, I gym or clean the house. I still hop in the car and grab coffee and I still log off at 4:30pm. And I shower, shave and wear decent clothes every day.
Otherwise, I think I'd lose my mind.
Curator
1986 Dodge D100 & 2021 Jeep Wrangler Willys -
@forsweden Get a haircut hippy!
-
@carsoffortlangley no but I end up taking a drive around once or twice a week, mostly after work
-
@carsoffortlangley I used to get up at 5, now I get up at 7. My commute is on foot and takes about 15 seconds. I still shave and shower etc, but I am now wearing lounge pants and a random long sleeve t-shirt, not something I would wear to the office.
I feel bad not driving the car more, as I am paying for the thing, but given the weather at this time of year, along with local roads and drivers - just weekends.
-
Nope, I do get up an hour later because my commute doesn't exist. But I still take care of the cats (food, water, box) and instead of driving in, then getting a cup at the office, and eating quick at my desk I just pour a cup in the kitchen and eat at my...desk. I so much miss hot coffee in the winter, only have cold brew at home. I need a French press. I also do shorts/t-shirt unless I have a client zoom/teams then I wear a button up shirt.
@ForSweden I went a long time without a haircut last year - so long that I would go out on my runs with it done up as mohawk lol. The wife has gotten good at cutting it, so no more mohawks.
-
@carsoffortlangley I get up at the same time and shower and get clean clothes, but I don't take as far as actually getting in the car. Sometimes after I fill my coffee mug my wife helpfully chips in with a "Have a good commute, don't trip!" but I don't think that counts.
-
Absolutely not. Get some extra sleep, you heathen!
-
@carsoffortlangley fair enough, I'm loving the athletic shorts and t-shirts every day. I had to wear dress clothes the other day for a baby shower and it felt weird getting all those clothes on. Haven't worn them in almost a year!
-
Unfortunately, I still have to do real commuting, even though my job can be done 100% from home and was done from home March to August of last year. Nothing changed but they are mandating that we work from the office
-
@carsoffortlangley Absolutely. WFH is actually pretty bad for me mentally; I need to be able to compartmentalize my "place I work" vs. "place I live" that isn't just separate rooms. So when I have had to actually WFH, I always try to have some part of my morning routine include getting out of the house.
-
@carsoffortlangley Haven't been doing that, but I can see the allure. My son drove up to the coffee shop today to get a coffee, but I think also to get out of the house and grab some stick time. He should be driving to school every day, but covid.
-
Does taking my kid to daycare count?
Other than that, and the occasional day that I do have to go in to the office (it's a 40 mile drive so I'm thankful for WFH), I've been using the extra time to either exercise more or just get more work done without having to actually work super late all the time.
-
@forsweden Ha! I am in the same boat. My son asked me what I was doing in the shower for so long and with a straight face I had to tell him "conditioning."
-
@rctothefuture said in Fake Commuting: Do You Do It?:
No, but I probably should. I've been waking up 10-15 minutes before work and making a cup of coffee while I clock in and get to work.
In the fall, my wife, who is WFH and usually spent about 45 commuting each day, lamented that all she's doing with the commute time is sleep in. We started getting up early, as before, but it didn't last long. We're rededicating to more fitness and better eating habits, so maybe we'll try doing that again.
-
I've gone back and forth from WFH to the office, and I'm back at home again (new baby, so WFH is the compromise to paternal leave) and I just sleep in and work when I wake up, typically. Today that didn't work out so well because I had a project sliding sideways that I needed to correct.
When i was going to the office I would to to the gym early, and yesterday my 6 yo put his hand on my stomach and said "Dad, why is your belly so big? are you growing a baby?" ...little booger...
So I'll be getting a "home gym" set up soon so I can exercise here and eliminate the non-baby bump. -
@carsoffortlangley No, I do an actual commute but only because I am one of the few in the office. Most everyone is working from home and I am close enough that it’s nice to make the walk in the morning. When I was working from home I did have certain days that were “pants days” where I would actually put on normal clothes so I didn’t feel like a complete lay about
-
@fintail said in Fake Commuting: Do You Do It?:
I feel bad not driving the car more,
And you can't even say that you're saving money on gas, since gas is so cheap these days, at least around here. We're still under $2/gal.
#Planelopnik all the things
Yamaha YTR-8335
Yamaha YTR-8445
Schilke P5-4
