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The Indefinite Article.

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

The Commute

This morning I made the epic commute from Austin to Houston. I left at 5:30, stopped by the Starbucks at Guadaloupe and 38th, took 290 and 610, stopped by the Starbucks at the Kroger on Kirby and arrived at the office at 8:45. It wasn't a bad drive and the traffic on 290 and 610 wasn't bad at all. On the way in I was listening to the local NPR station talking about how bad the sprawl and the long commutes people make are.

I'm not so convinced. The drive wasn't hurtful, although I'm glad I don't do it every day--mostly because I'm not inclined to wake up at 5 am. I think a lot of the pollution issue could be solved by higher mileage vehicles. I don't think you are going to get all of these people to where they want to be during the day (i.e. the office and lunch out and the grocery store on the way back and the dry cleaners and the Montessori school at a specific time) by bus and train without drastically altering the commercial and social landscape in unfeasible ways, even with "Transit Oriented Development" and the most odious use of imminent domain.

I've talked bad about Starbucks putting in a store at Guadaloupe and 38th, but it proved handy when I wanted caffeine this morning. I'm all for Starbuckses along the vast wasteland of a drive to Dallas, but putting in a store in a neighborhood with a good coffee-spot ecology is not sportsman-like behavior. They already have one at 24th street for the campus folks, why put one in to compete with Spiderhouse, Mojos, that gelato place and Moxie-coffee (where I haven't been but I think is at 38th and West St.)?

On the other hand, what other coffee place in the neighborhood opens up for morning-time working folks? Spiderhouse doesn't open up until 8:30 am. I'm not certain when JP's opens, but when Amber and I went there about 7 am on a Saturday, it took a half hour to get coffee even though there was only one person in line in front of me. The one sleepy guy there wasn't enough to really be open. At Starbucks this morning there were two staff, one prepping and one ready to whip out coffee right after their posted opening time.

posted by Adolph at 10:20 AM

11 Comments:

  • "On the way in I was listening to the local NPR station talking about how bad the sprawl and the long commutes people make are.

    I'm not so convinced. The drive wasn't hurtful, although I'm glad I don't do it every day--mostly because I'm not inclined to wake up at 5 am."

    Of course you would not be convinced. It is precisely the repetition of the commute that grinds away at the commuter; it is death by a thousand little cuts; and the mal-effects of the grind do not immediatley percolate up into the consciousness as a negative feeling about the commute- rather, they often manifest themselves as an imperceptible increases in fatigue, anxiety, stress, irritability, etc.

    And then one day, perhaps after years of the grind, this accumulation of little evils burst like a boil in your mind and you realize that the commute is killing you- or at least making you miserable.

    Take it from me- I grew up in Southern California and Northern Virginia. There are few worse commutes than in those two areas. My folks commuted every day, for years. I have seen them worn the fuck down by the end of the week. At the dinner table I could almost see my old man uncoil from the slow stress of a long drive. Believe me, It takes a lot of home-made guacamole to exorcise traffic demons.

    By Blogger pablo, at 10:45 AM  

  • "It wasn't a bad drive and the traffic on 290 and 610 wasn't bad at all."

    not after eight when most have gotten to their destinations. congestion earlier is, of course, much worse.

    "...I don't think you are going to get all of these people to where they want to be during the day ... by bus and train without drastically altering the commercial and social landscape in unfeasible ways, even with 'Transit Oriented Development'..."

    - i'd have to regretfully agree with you. it takes me nearly half an hour to get downtown on the train and another 30 to 40 minutes to get home by bus. then, a 7 to 10 minute walk to my doorstep. it is the best of all possible transportation scenarios. The romantic notion of taking an hour-long downtown lunch is nothing more than fantasy.

    "It is precisely the repetition of the commute that grinds away at the commuter; it is death by a thousand little cuts; and the mal-effects of the grind do not immediatley percolate up into the consciousness as a negative feeling about the commute- rather, they often manifest themselves as an imperceptible increases in fatigue, anxiety, stress, irritability, etc..."

    -- i must also regretfully agree with paul. at the end of the day, the fatigue of work-commuting (and the circumstances it creates) is very real and unfortunately manifests itself in how you deal with those around you once you get home. Those of you who don't have a daily commute, count your blessings.

    By Blogger Killy, at 11:04 AM  

  • Oh gods-of-self-employment let me count the ways I love you.
    1.2....3....4...5.......etc. forever

    By Blogger taggart, at 11:34 AM  

  • well, shit taggart, you commute the furthest of all of us; although, maybe not as frequently.

    By Blogger Killy, at 3:14 PM  

  • Yeah, business travel is a whole nother grind for a different post.

    I should have mentioned that the NPR station was talking specifically about Houston. My basic premise is that 1. commuting in Houston isn't a totally bad deal, and 2. the current crop of alternatives, even if executed beyond people's wildest imaginations, aren't sufficient. I think the key to the future commute will be higher efficiency cars with more automated controls, not trains that link to buses that maybe you can bring your bike on.

    By Blogger Adolph, at 4:22 PM  

  • "I've talked bad about Starbucks putting in a store at Guadaloupe and 38th, but it proved handy when I wanted caffeine this morning. I'm all for Starbuckses along the vast wasteland of a drive to Dallas, but putting in a store in a neighborhood with a good coffee-spot ecology is not sportsman-like behavior. They already have one at 24th street for the campus folks, why put one in to compete with Spiderhouse, Mojos, that gelato place and Moxie-coffee (where I haven't been but I think is at 38th and West St.)?"

    Starbucks planted a store there exactly because there is a "good coffee-spot ecology." Is it reasonable to expect some businesses to respect the turf of other businesses? Or for big biz like Starbucks to avoid competition with smal biz like Prima Tazza -- right across the street?

    p.s There's a Starbuck's in the center of the Forbidden City in Beijing.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:45 PM  

  • Yes there is some wear, where, and tear on the body from being away from home, but not the soul sucking of the daily 45 min or longer commute. At the end of my day or the regular business traveler there are no dishes to wash, meals to cook, children to do anything with. ONly work.
    June was the worst because I was flying every three days and changing beds the same. That creates a whole different and unexplainable discombobulation.
    After the whole deal I woke up one night frightened when Liz's foot touched mine (Sat straight up, freaked out) weird.
    As far as Starbucks is concerned, I made peace with their empire long ago, decent wages and benefits for their employees which other coffee shops may not be able to do.
    Their product has tanked and have seperated the quality of their product through different brands, Gap/Old Navy=Starbucks Banana Republic=Seattles Best.
    I frequent neither unless otherwise left no other option.

    By Blogger taggart, at 11:35 PM  

  • One of my appreciations for Starbucks is that it puts stores in places like Pasadena, places where the visible coffee-ecology previously consisted of Diamond Shamrock and the like. Starbucks may not be the sine qua non of coffee drinks, but their relatively uniform quality and attention to a speedy aquisition experience make them a nice resource. As I think of it now, putting it across the street of Taza Fresca is maybe not so bad as I've been unfavorably impressed with Taza Fresca and there is a need an early-morning coffee place north of campus.

    By Blogger Adolph, at 9:18 AM  

  • Drip Coffee consistency being the staple drink?
    Ever since the development of super-automatic espresso machines the quality of their espresso has dropped. I remember talking to Baristas at Starbucks and their experiences during their several day training camps about coffee and espresso, now they teach them to press buttons. Oh well.

    By Blogger taggart, at 9:44 AM  

  • I thought you guys were hardcore! listen to yourselves - defending starbucks! what happend to you guys??? next thing you know you guys are going to be married, having kids and driving overpriced volkswagons...

    By Blogger Killy, at 9:49 AM  

  • drip coffee makers and a travel coffee mug are the best way for me to enjoy the morning than anything else - even better than that is a weekend morning with a cup of hot coffee fresh from the camping percolator i got for 7.00 at target

    i hate commuting - it really stinks - i used to commute from san marcos to austin every morning and every afternoon for a year - it was an hour long drive at that time during traffic

    most recently i have been driving to katy and back - twice a day to visit my mother who is visiting my sister and her newborn little girl – this is a half hour drive from my door to my sister’s door – it is mind-bogglingly boring maddening

    i hate commuting

    By Blogger CarolinaDivina, at 11:14 AM  

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