September 28, 2008

  • so, as some of you no doubt know, i start work in three days.

    my method of transportation to the office is something i've been thinking about in great detail lately.

    i have two choices: my car, obviously, and the VTA light rail. at the time of day i'll be hitting the freeway, it'll probably take me close to 45 minutes to get into mountain view. possibly longer. my car is more comfortable, it doesn't pigeonhole me into a possibly inconvenient schedule, and leaves me with a form of transportation once i arrive. however gas is expensive, as is vehicle maintenance.

    the VTA light rail system has a path i can take from the Great Mall in milpitas to about two blocks from the office. it costs $62 a month for a pass, but i could easily burn that much gas in a week and a half. it would mean less wear-and-tear on my car, and i wouldn't spend much, if any, time on the freeways stuck in traffic. as a rider of public transportation i'd be able to listen to my ipod, work on my laptop or play my DS. but it would mean getting up earlier, which means either less sleep or an earlier bedtime. i'd also be at the mercy of the public transportation schedule, and i'd be in deep shit if i happened to miss the train. and considering i'd have to ride the bus or drive to the great mall, the savings i get, if any, would likely be marginal and i'd likely not be helping the environment.

    at this point, driving to work seems like the better choice.