Commute to Baltimore?

[AMP]

Does anyone live around Waldorf or a little south who commutes to Baltimore? Is it worth it? What is the ride like? When do you leave in the mornings?

A friend is deliberating taking a job up there, and wasn't sure if she should gear up for a move immediately or stick it out for a while until she finds a house/apt in a place she really likes. But will the commute from down here drive her nuts while she looks?

TIA for any info!

 

[migtig]

She'll probably wind up killing somebody - with either road rage or sleeping at the wheel. I factored the commute once. I currently have 1.5 hours one way. B'more would have added at least another hour (due to traffic and fellow commuters). So that's 5 hours a day in the car. No f'ng way.

 

[Chain729]

In addition to what "Ms. Welder" said, if she takes the job, she'll be better off moving first. 5 hr., 2-way commute and no personal leave to locate a new residence and do the move is going to suck. If she can't move before starting the job, she might want to re-think taking the job.

 

[huntr1]

At 9:00 at night, it takes 1.5 hours to get to Mechanicsville from Essex. That's with doing 70 mph and no traffic. It'd be hideous to commute during normal commuting hours from Waldorf to Baltimore. I commuted from Timonium to Silver Spring for about a year. It sucked.

 

[Kizzy]

Does anyone live around Waldorf or a little south who commutes to Baltimore? Is it worth it? What is the ride like? When do you leave in the mornings?

A friend is deliberating taking a job up there, and wasn't sure if she should gear up for a move immediately or stick it out for a while until she finds a house/apt in a place she really likes. But will the commute from down here drive her nuts while she looks?

TIA for any info!

No effing stinking way I would do it. I have worked for the State of Maryland for over 16 years, I travel there often. I just moved in July of this year from Waldorf, and I would travel from 229, to 228 to 373, bypass Waldorf all together and 373 would dump me off just prior to the 301 and Rt. 5 split in P.G. County, from there I would head up 301 to 3 to 695W towards Towson. It took no less than 2 hours, ever. If I had to sit in the traffic in Waldorf to get to the 301 and Rt. 5 split, I would have pulled every fricken hair out of my body. There is no way I would travel that distance to work unless that salary was more than 100K. I have taken all the routes to get to Baltimore, 210 to 295, followed 295 to the 695 beltway, the 95/495 beltway all the way up to the 695 beltway. If there is an accident, forget it, you will sit in traffic F O R E V E R. I once sat on the beltway for nearly 5 hours while they landed the helicopter.

 

[Hot N Bothered]

I've made that commute on occasion for meetings and such. I'd shoot myself if I had to do it every day.

 

[happyappygirl]

I go from Oakville (south of mechanicsville) to Annapolis every day minimum 1.5h one way on Fridays over 2h. I spend 65.00 a week in gas plus wear and tear on my car, and every single morning there is at least one accident somewhere along the way...little cars sitting on jersey walls in the median (j/k), dumpies, something, including being rear-ended myself....

I have accepted a job offer in DC and am anxiously waiting for the completion of a security clearance. Tell you anything? I'd much rather ride than drive, and in terms of actual miles, it's less for me.

 

[tipsymcgee]

It really depends on the hours you're working, though. Baltimore is a longer drive but going up 301 and 97 there's generally stop light traffic, with the worst being just prior to 97 and the Upper Marlboro light right above Rte. 4. If you're working downtown and can get there early, traffic in Baltimore is much lighter than going down 295 and getting into DC. It's another story if you have to go further around the beltway towards Towson, that's a definite no-no.

 

[AMP]

Many many thanks to all of you for sharing your experience on this one! I can see that expecting to commute for more than a week or so would be ridiculous.

I don't know how some of you did it.