Posted on 02/22/2010 7:54:01 PM PST by americanophile
JANESVILLE, Wis. – In the early dawn, after another week building cars, Michael Hanley leaves his job in Kansas. He quickly zips into Missouri, then heads up a ribbon of highway past grain silos and grazing deer, across the frozen fields of Iowa, over the Mississippi River and into the rolling hills of Wisconsin. Finally, he pulls into his driveway — 530 miles later.
It's one heck of a haul: more than 1,000 miles roundtrip, 16-plus hours of driving, every week.
"I like to say I gave up an eight-minute commute for an eight-hour commute," he says wearily, running a hand though salt-and-pepper hair as he watches his two sons play basketball for the first time this season.
After the aging General Motors plant where he worked for 23 years was idled about a year ago, Hanley faced a Hobson's choice: Stay with his family and search for an autoworker's salary ($28 an hour) in a county where more than 40 percent of its manufacturing jobs disappeared from 2006 to 2009. Or hang on to his GM paycheck and health insurance and follow the job, no matter where it leads.
In his case, it led to Fairfax, Kan., the same place his brother and two brothers-in-law — also GM workers, and now his roommates — landed. For others, it has been Indiana or Texas.
The long commute is not just a story of hard times, tough choices and a shrinking American auto industry. It's also a case study of what happens when an aging industrial town loses an anchor, when workers too old to start over and too young to retire are caught in a squeeze and when economic survival means one family, but two far-flung ZIP codes.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Moving the family wasn’t an option?
...guess not. I can understand how hard it is to move a family.
I’m doing the exact thing
I didn’t read the entire article, but one would think he could move closer to where his job is. 1,000 miles per day would get old really fast. I live in a rural area, and was close to doing around 160 per day, but was offered a job 15 minutes away(thank God) before the other company made an offer. Even then, we moved closer to the job I got, and now I’m only 5 minutes away. Nothing beats a very short commute to work. It would take one hell of a job offer to pull me away from that.
That’s just it. The government IS “on their side” or rather on their union’s side. If UAW hadn’t been sucking the blood out of their employer, their employer (and their jobs) wouldn’t be withering away.
I drive 100+ miles each way every day. Been doin’ it for 10 yrs.
Me too.
Like, they say, herding cats. If I were the wife I’d start worrying.
They think the government’s on their side...they’re only killing their own industry. Only when government gets out of the way and adopts true pro-growth policies can it be said to be on the side of the American people.
What kind of vehicle do you drive? I have a long commute, also, and have been thinking about moving to a Diesel engine, maybe a Volkswagen Jetta or even a Golf.
More like selling the house was not an option. This is happening a lot right now, I know several people lucky enough to get jobs in the last few months, but often at the cost of it being out of state. Each one of them is underwater on their mortgage, so now each is left with a choice. Commute and try to sell the house, or give up and forclose on it, and move the family to the new location.
Well, not to worry, I’m sure UAW will be living it up once Toyota is convinced that all its recent troubles will dry up and blow away as soon as it unionizes it’s U.S.A. workforce.
Sorry, didn’t study the story hard enough. Pending sale of house in a dog market would be a reasonable explanation.
Yes, God bless him, but he made the decision. His commute is his choice. He could have rented his house out and moved his family closer to where his job is. It is tough on kids to have to change schools, but sometimes kids have to learn how to roll with the punches.
Actually I’m staying here. My fiance passed away in Oct ... so I have NOTHING to go home for. Time to start a new live here in Phoenix ... And THANK GOD I’m out of Kalifornia
Yep - I do the same thing. 48 miles each way to work. It’s not great money, but it’s steady work.
Curious, too. My commute is going from 35 to 72 miles each way this year- also thinking of eventually going to a Diesel VW. Only thing I don't like is the oil changes sound pricier and must be at 3k on the nose, apparently.(My Toyota is at 5K, now.) I drove a Diesel rental van in Europe on a vacation and loved it. Rarely had to fill it up, and it was loaded down with people and luggage.
“1,000 miles per day would get old really fast”
Yeah, those 16 hour daily commutes and 8 hour work days get old real fast.
My drive way to my office - 112 miles. I have 373,000 miles on my 2003 Dodge Neon.
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