Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Americans spend 100 hours a year commuting to and from work

Americans spend 100 hours a year commuting to and from work, according to the recent U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.

Hmm, well let's do the math (note I was a communications major for a reason). My commute is about 20 min each way. That is 40 min a day in transit. So if work 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year, minus 20 days for holidays and time off that is 240 days a year. Take that 240 days and multiply it by 40 min and then divide by 60, I spend 160 hours a year driving to and from work.

(40 min) x (240 work days a year) / (60 min to an hour) =
160 hours a year


I guess that makes me above average (as usual, haha). Feel free to try it yourself. Maybe you are above average too (if you are an Encyclopedia Branigan reader, then that is a given).


Yup, that's how I roll to work...or would if I knew how to drive stick.
I can feel my dad shaking his head as I type this...


To take it a step further, if my commute is about 14 miles (lets round to make my life easier, thanks) and gas is about $2 a gallon (again rounding for ease) then I drive 28 miles a day, times 240 days, and my beautiful truck gets about 24 miles per gallon highway (let's pretend I don't drive erratically) on a 19 gallon tank (this is getting complex)...

(28 work miles per day) x (240 work days a year) /
(24 miles per gallon) x (19 gallon tank) x ($38.00 per tank) =
$560.00 per year on work gas
(theoretically)

I don't know where that stands with averages...but I'd say my commute isn't bad at all. Give it a try. Thankfully, I get to spend that 20 min peacefully driving by myself. The same cannot be said for this poor guy...



Be sure to vote for his terrible commute in the Quaker State World's Worst Commute contest at
http://quakerstate.com/#/worlds-worst-commute.

Thanks to Mr. Perri for making me love my borat-bluetooth-drunkard-smoke free commute.

1 comment:

Digital Ice said...

All this math made my head hurt... thanks for the unbelievably tiny shout out lol....you could have linked to my blog...thanks hahaha

Vote for me!