An Infovores Guide to Hacking Your Commute

Mark SutherlandCisco Systems

masuther@cisco.com

Moi

• Grew up in Fraserburgh• First commute: 5 minute school run– Soundtrack: Terry Wogan

• Moved to Edinburgh• Last Commute Edinburgh to

Livingston – (50-80mins)– Case Study

Que?

• Half hour commute ≈ 10 days every year.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalsextant/4673667376/

Expensive

• Time + Money• Livingston– Bus + Train: £160 pm– Taxi: £6 per trip– Total: > £3k pa

• All after tax :(

Journey Length

• Key factor in determining tolerability• Short commutes (<15mins) not an

issue• Long commutes (>90mins) will eat

your soul• Average commute seems to be 30-60

mins

Hack #1: Move!

Leg Power

Walk• Cheapest• Slow• Healthy• Simple

Running/Cycle• Cheap• Faster• Healthiest• Requires Attention• Sweaty

Private Vehicles

Car• Fastest• Expensive (min £3-4k)• EVIL• Requires Attention

Taxi• Fast• Expensive• Chatty• Best for short journies

Public Transport

Bus• Fast• Notoriously

unpredictable• Not much

space/comfort• The great unwashed• No thought required

Train• Super Fast …• … between stations• Tables!• Expensive• No thought required

Hack #2: Find the best seat

Meg Pickard: http://meish.org/2007/05/22/things-my-new-commute-has-taught-me-1/

Media

• Small-scale physical activities– Knitting– Origami– ???

• Input types– Aural– Visual

Audio

• Music• Podcasts– News (Democracy Now!)

• Audio Books

Reading

• Newspaper–Metro?

• Magazines• Books• Kindle• iPad

Phoneternets

• Internet! On your phone!• Twitter• Email• Instapaper• Games• Other apps

Combination

Audio Phone ReadingWalk/RunCycleCarBusTrain

Hack #3: Balance

• What works for you?• Takes time and fiddling• Can you half-listen to something for

interesting bits while reading something else?

Case Study: Livingston

• 5 min walk to Haymarket Station– Listen to Democracy Now! news podcast– Catch up with Internet on phone

• 30 min train journey to Livingston– Read a book– Listen to music

• 15 minute bus/5 minute taxi to Office– Podcast & Instapaper

If All Else Fails

• Work from home– 0 minute commute!– Save the planet!

• Quit– Find a job closer to home

Fin

Please mind the gap as you alight this presentation.

@marksutherlandmetanom.tumblr.com