Working in LA + traffic = insane

[ImGoinNuts]

Hey. Well if anyone is from here, or if traffic is as ridiculous as it is here, and puts up with the daily commute for 20+ years, I commend you.

 

I don't know how you do it?

 

I put up with it for, uhh.. 10 years, but then last year I got laid off, been out of work since.

 

In a twist of irony, I found that losing my job was the best thing to ever happen to me. I "forgot" what life was all about, and now, I wake up at 11am.. sleep late.. I totally, 100% avoid traffic rush hour times... so, it "feels" as though the population in LA is like 3,000. It's great. I haven't even seen a traffic jam in a year...

 

I didn't need a vacation, I just needed to not work!!!

 

But then, reality is, my savings will run out.. but, I knew this day would come. I saved up and got all geeky with the funds.. and so with this time I want to just... do something? Something to make life here not so sucky.

 

I just don't know what.

 

I feel like, I could not go back out there, just because of the traffic. I think if work shifts were more staggered, maybe rotating, possibly do away with the 40 hour week.. make it 6 hours per day.

 

Think about it. I bet you a million bucks, every single one of you who works 8 hours does at least 2 hours of nothing.

 

Don't lie

 

So.. WHY don't we just cut those 2 hours, and do all work in 6 hours?

 

Even better.. let's do 5 hours straight, no lunch. Go in at 12, leave at 5. Another group does 7am to 12. Another 5 to 10.

 

Cuts traffic by a 1/3.

 

Also, all these food places, mom and pop shops, always CLOSE AROUND 6. So all us working adults can NEVER utilize these shops. Only the kids, college kids, retired folks.

 

Why not, those type of shops stay open late, thus, booming the small biz economy, and serving those later shifts??

 

 

So what do you think? Change the American formula of a 8 hour/40 per week system to say, varying shifts, less hours.

 

IMO, all the products, the goods, don't need more manhours, it needs happier men.

 

Or women.

 

I haven't met one truly happy person out there..

 

I think this has been how it's been historically.. forever?

 

Why can't we TRY??

 

Just a test?

 

Like, for one month, let's try.

 

What do you think would happen?

[PhoenixLady]

Here's a thought: Why not leave LA altogether? You couldn't pay me to live there or in any other big city again. No way.

[stillafool]

Me either. I lived in L.A. for many years and I started to find the 405 packed at 2:00AM! WTF? I am so much happier now that I've moved out of CA altogether.

[NewLeaf]

Just out of curiosity, where did you move to after living in such a large town for so long. I've been in LA 12 years, NYC, 3 years, DC 6, years, and Boston 2, and Chicago 1, but I grew up in a small town. I'm looking for interesting hidden spots with culture, probably a college town, with a not too severe climate.