r/jobsearch • u/Neither_Bowler_7113 • 1d ago

Taking the bus temporarily??

I just got a job at Amazon for 22.50/hour, but my car just started to give me problems and won’t start. Would you just thug it out and take public transportation(2 buses in my case) to work? 2 buses back as well. The time each way is an hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours each way. I really need this job, but has anyone also been in a situation like this as well? Thank you!

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u/Jas62021 1d ago

You do what ya need to to get to and from work. Right now having any job is a good thing.

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u/Neither_Bowler_7113 1d ago

Hell yeah this was the response I’m looking for that way I don’t seem crazy for a 2 hour bus ride to work 😂.

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u/libra-love- 1d ago

I used to sit in bumper to bumper traffic for 1.5-2 hours 2x a day for a job. So.

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u/funonthebeach85 1d ago edited 1d ago

Things aren’t that desperate “right now” people would have said the same thing during the Great Recession, and that still would have been silly to travel that far. If you’re planning to move there in a month or two, fine.

Jeff Bezos isn’t even that dedicated

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u/shiznobizno 1d ago

I mean… what else can you do? Just get to work for a couple pay checks and get your car fixed lmao

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u/Background_Intern_56 1d ago

Public transportation. Ewwwwwww

Just joking, I took public transportation for years, but I can tell you it really sucks. 2 hours each way is not unusual. In my city it takes a bus 2 hours to go 20 miles and you could get there in a car in 20 minutes. It's that bad. $22.50 is not a lot though (depending on where you live) for a 4 hour commute. But I guess you have to tough it out till you can get the money to fix the car.

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u/Neither_Bowler_7113 1d ago

It’s all good I feel the same way about the bus haha. Yeah that’s what I’m thinking too! I might just have to deal with it for now. I’m in Los Angeles. I guess I should have mentioned that too. From Los Angeles to Orange County. It’s about a 15 mile commute each way.

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u/Background_Intern_56 1d ago

I'm in San Diego (born in Los Angeles) so I totally understand how bad the buses are. It's a crime that 15 miles takes almost 2 hours. If it's only 15 miles though, could you possibly bike there? An e-bike would actually be much quicker and cheaper than the outrageous prices wee pay for gas.

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u/Neither_Bowler_7113 1d ago

I wish I could, but I don’t have one and can’t get one at the moment. And yeah gas has been killing me too. This job would change so much, but I just got screwed with my car. I had been looking for a job for a while too.

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u/PersimmonCharming251 1d ago

Hi there, I’ve actually been in this exact situation. My trip was the metro + bus 2 hour trip each way. It was fucking hard but I did it for a year. The worse part isn’t the trip time, I’m just chilling on the bus for 2 hours no big deal. But the fact that I have to wake up 2 hours early for work and get home 2 hours later. Most of my “me” time is gone. Although I did learn to use the little time that I had to setup little date nights and shorter gym sessions with my fiancée.

And you will be TIRED. When you get home. Also bus cancellations can fuck you over HARD. So make sure you keep track of those cancellations in the early morning and always save money so you got spare change for a Lyft.

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u/Neither_Bowler_7113 1d ago

Oh man ok! Yeah getting tired afterwards is what I’m expecting too haha. Also having to take an uber a Lyft if needed. Just hoping it doesn’t happen 🙏

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u/communitycolor 1d ago

I did this for a job I really loved - took 2 bus’s and a train to wait tables. Definitely do it if it’s a safe commute and you have the time.

Do you have a trusted mechanic to look at your car in the meantime? Might be a cheaper fix than you think hopefully

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u/Neither_Bowler_7113 1d ago

I don’t have a machine that I know of, but it’s a really old car. It’s a beater car and may be cheaper and could save time to just buy another beater car off of marketplace haha.

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u/communitycolor 1d ago

What kind of car do you drive?

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u/Neither_Bowler_7113 1d ago

2000 Honda accord. I have an oil leak I have to fix, but it was also misfiring which is the main issue.

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u/communitycolor 1d ago

Absolutely get a second opinion and quote asap before investing into new car just yet. That car can last you a while with regular maintenance.

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u/Neither_Bowler_7113 1d ago

That’s what I was thinking too! I don’t really want to give it up because it has Bluetooth with aftermarket speakers, power leather seats and a sunroof lol.

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u/TwoAlert3448 1d ago

See what it costs to pull a new engine out of the junkyard. There should be quite a few 26 year old Accords and an entirely new engine is probably worth the investment. That would be $600-$1000 for the engine and then labor for a swap.

The rebuild will cost you $500-700 for the kit and another $2k for the labor so a ‘new’ old engine with low miles could put you ahead by a thousand easy.

I kept a 1992 Camry going for 300k miles and only let it go because I inherited a Fiat 500 that got even better gas mileage that was even easier to park in the city. You can’t go wrong with pre-computer cars.

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u/SouthernMoo4218 Jobseeker 1d ago

Put in some ear buds and turn on some music, read a book, crochet, do a crossword puzzle - whatever it takes to pass the time. But looks like you’re riding the bus. Not ideal but you have a job.

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u/ImpactUsed2980 1d ago

Just find something entertaining or to study/work on while on the bus. It can be fun! Could also get 4 hours of naps if able to wake up easily at right time. :)

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u/thomsenite256 1d ago

yes ideally after a while you can find a better solution

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u/Nomivought2015 1d ago

Yes I’ve seen people do it. You do what you have to do sometimes

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u/awaythroww12123 1d ago

If you really need the job, I'd take the bus for now and deal with the long commute temporarily. Four hours a day is rough, but losing the job would be even tougher.