Thursday 28 March 2002

Pic of the day: Commuting is not the same for everybody. (Screenshot: The Sims.)

Commute: Work or leisure?

It's well past 15 (3PM) when I start writing this, and I have not yet read today's Nova Notes. Why? Because in the nominally Christian country of Norway, today is a holy day and most of us don't go to work. (Some essential jobs still must be done, like nursing the sick and making fast food. But my job is not like that.)

Yes, I usually read Nova Notes on the commuter bus to work. I also read the latest news, about suicide bombers and the daily retributions, about politicians babbling about things they don't understand, and about new inventions in computing and communications. Sometimes I make notes about things I have been thinking of, to expand into future entries. This is all courtesy of my constant companion Cassie, the Cassiopeia E- 125 Pocket PC. There are a couple unread e-books too, though I typically read those later in the day.

(Incidentally, Fictionwise.com has started selling secure Mobipocket e-books. Mobipocket is basically an e-book reader with copy-protection technology that assures you're not copying your e-books. Fictionwise has so far sold multi-format books with copyright but without copy-protection. Not all authors share this trust in the inherent goodness of their readers, so the site has been heavily slanted towards science fiction, the genre of the born optimists. The new books (which will supplement, not replace, the old) open doors to new worlds such as Xanth and Shannara.)

On the bus home, I often read a magazine. Not for long, because I usually fall asleep, tired in my head after a workday. But there is something I do not read: Anything work-related. I don't even think about work on the commute. I think about life, the universe and everything else. Because I'm not paid before I punch my card, and my commute is my own time. I will enjoy it to the fullest. And I do. Sometimes I even think that it would be nice to have a longer commute.

***

Not all people are lucky enough to have a bus or train going where they want. Some have to drive a car. This really hampers the reading, I dare say. Well, I sure hope so. But there are still ways to put that time to good use. Lots of people listen to music. Some listen to audio tapes or CD's with books, or sermons by their favorite preacher or rabbi. Occasionally something interesting may be on the radio. Still, driving does require more concentration than riding a bus or train.

If you commute with friends, you may have interesting discussions. If you travel with coworkers, it may be that the discussions turn to job- related themes. But keep in mind whether or not you are paid for it. Fairness would dictate that since you cannot fully use this time as you want, and neither can your employer, you two should split the cost. But most workplaces don't pay at all, or at best they pay the actual transport, not the time. So you don't owe them that time. But you owe it to yourself to do something for yourself, in that time. Do not kill time, for it is your life.

OK, I'll stop there before I come up with a suitable quote from Chris de Burgh. ^_^ Besides, my hand hurts again.

(Incidentally, I read Nova Notes later in the evening. The day is not quite the same without.)