scrubbedexpat141

Alright campers,

Just curious here on how far most of you 'commute'.

I live Bidniz Bay and work in JLT, in the mornings it's about 25 mins along Al Khail and round JLT in. Fine, lovely drive at 120ish all the way.

In the evenings, I sit in traffic to get out of JLHelmet and then traffic all the way along SZR, stop start for roughly 45-60 minutes. I've tried to go up Hessa (I think) to Al Khail but it takes forever to queue to get onto Al Khail.

I'm not normally bothered by driving but the stop start SZR idiot race is just beginning to grind and I'm curious to see if I'm not alone in dreading it?

NB: Can't move, the mrs works in Mirdiff so Biz Bay is in the middle...give or take.

shiva

About 30 paces

Used to be about 3 miles that took an hour then I saw sense

Kix

Work from home with an internet connection - surprised you can't do that scampy

Bahtatboy

20 minutes drive (min 15 if no traffic, over an hour in the summer when every man and his donkey converge of the resort known as Sidi Bouzid--God alone knows why). Greater incompetence than anything I've seen (including the rag-tag of nationalities in the ME), but thankfully with almost zero aggression and most vehicles incapable of accelerating the skin of a rice pudding. Unfortunately that caveat doesn't hold good for the big ****-off coaches transporting workers to the industrial zone, whose drivers just don't give a ****: total arseholes. And the taxi drivers who are suicidal / homicidal. Wandering dogs, donkeys and sheep don't help, either. Was thick fog this morning: 80% of vehicles with defective lights, 10% with no lights (and it was well before sunrise)...

Millhouse

26 minutes to work - same everyday, no traffic, no lights.

different route home due to the stupid road layout. Anywhere between 30 and 45mins depending on time of day, traffic and lights.

I do regret having a manual some days it must be said.

Ethos83

Can you not take the metro? There's a stop in Business Bay and two stops in JLT. You might have to walk a few hundred meters but that can only help...

Your girlfriend may work in Mirdiff but if you'd had sense you'd know it's not that long of a commute from someplace like the Greens, Tecom or the Marina to Mirdiff. It's the reverse that's a right pain because the bulk of the traffic in the AM is towards Jebel Ali and in the afternoon towards Sharjah (as you've now discovered). Your girlfriend is a teacher which means she's on the road earlier in the AM and earlier in the PM too, which would allow her to avoid the peak rush hour.

When I lived in the Greens and worked at DAFZA (even further away than Mirdiff) the drive was only 25 minutes both way. Sheikh Zayed to the Dubai Mall flyover to Business Bay and Airport Tunnel and the same in the afternoon (reverse the order). My Marina friend who worked in SHARJAH only had to drive 45 minutes both ways.

Irishbeekeeper

120 seconds of walking
I had to pay extra to be able to have to live closer to the office, it pays for itself in SO many intangibles
lunch time, nip across, gym, pool etc
more time with family etc etc
plus no more blood pressure due to the idiots on the road
dont have to worry about parking, fuel, oil, insurance (yes i honestly dont see the need to buy or maintain a car...cabs, the metro and rentals cover every scenario in my opinion)
in scamp's case I understand that since the two people have to travel to opposite ends of the road then it makes sense to be in the middle, but I think you should seriously look at the metro option, or maybe a car pool, the calming effect of not having to drive...even if it is only for a few days in the week is so good for the nerves

Millhouse

nothing worse than living close to the office, in my opinion.

Irishbeekeeper

not if ur the boss

Bahtatboy

Millhouse

fair point. I'm just a worker bee, not the bee keeper.

The Dean

Exactly 8km (which includes exactly 1km getting out of the apartment car park - no, really) which takes exactly 10 mins (which includes the car park and a 2-mins-ish wait at WTC roundabout lights).

WTC - underpass - SZR for about 100 yards - underpass - Maktoum Bridge - underpass that does a sharp turn to the left - about another 0.something km to the firm's car park.

Pleasant enough.......... and Malcolm and Sarah on Dubai Eye for company..........

scrubbedexpat141

I hurt my neck last week and worked from home, surprisingly didn't take the piss (I used to work from home a fair amount in the UK), probably worked more than in the office....but got marked down as sick. Typical shit recruitment mentality. Wish I'd done ****ing nothing.

I don't doubt it!

We like where we live, I know I bang on about it but for two years I was paying in the 60k bracket for a 1400ish sq ft 1bed. Downtown is on our door step and we like it / prefer it to the Marina end of town.

That being said, I have suggested next year we look at The Greens etc, maybe even go proper suburban in the Springs.

I swear the traffic is getting worse, in the evenings it's just rammed, that or recently there have been more accidents...

Ditzy

I drive a lot. 30km to school then another 20km to work and then again back to front. Not factoring in any other trips here there and everywhere. don't mind it really.

weasel decentral

Nice 20 minute drive along a beach road almost all the way, no real traffic except the odd jam caused by an accident.

Usually see every day; random camels or dogs on the roads, cars or trucks driving on the wrong side of the road (it's a dual carriageway), ridiculous speeds (both slow and fast), museum piece cars, people riding on the roof of cars or trucks, and at least one thing so crazy that it actually stands out from the rest of the madness.

When I leave I think I will need counselling to reintegrate with the world.