When the Daily Commute Is Killing You. Quite Literally

It's just what commute does: it takes the fun out of driving a car or riding a bicycle or a motorcycle. In some ways, those who take a bus or a train are the winners here because they get to socialize. Of course, sometimes that means trying to get away from a weirdo, but, hey, it's still socializing.

I guess the longest workable commute is of around 100 miles, depending on the type of roads and speed limits it involves. Anything above that and you should be considering another job or another residence. However, with jobs becoming a highly valued commodity, turning one down may not be an option. And when you have a family and a spouse whose job is in the area you already live in, moving isn't exactly a snap decision. This can lead to pretty unpleasant situations.

But not as sinister as the one described in this video. Ted Clark lives in Calgary, Alberta, but he managed to find a job all the way in Vancouver, British Columbia. That means he has to cover about 1,200 miles every day to get to and from work, which means Ted has to give up on a lot of things. Including sleeping.

This clip, which is obviously a parody, is probably meant as a wake-up call for some of us out there who devote way too much time to our work, long commute or not. Seeing Ted go to all this trouble just to be a barista (sorry to all you coffee addicts, I know you think it's a very important job) makes you think about where your own priorities lie. Is there room for improvement in your life? Could you change something that would free up some time? Is the income/job involvement ratio good enough or could you do with less money if that meant more time spent with the family? Oh, yeah, and how about that gas money?