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commute

Let's all admit it; commuting to work kind of sucks.

Whether you drive, cycle or take public transport, there's always going to be something that bothers you.

The guy manspreading on the Luas; the child stinking up the bus with cheese and onion crisps; the traffic that moves two inches every ten minutes.

Commuting turns many of us into total cranks, so instead of thinking negative thoughts on your way to and from work, here are some tips to make your journey a little less aggravating.

Headphones all the way

If you take public transport, headphones will be your saving grace.

Say goodbye to listening to whatever chart music the young ones are blasting at the end of the bus, and say hello to listening to your favourite artists.

 

bicycle, bike, cyclist

Podcasts are your new best friend

If you don't fancy dancing along with Beyonce, then a podcast is the way to go.

There's nothing better than being able to sit back, relax and let someone else do that talking. It's also enjoyable to listen to a constructive conversation without having to say a word.

There are so many podcasts out there at the moment targeted at millennials, so you never know what you could learn on your way home. Here are a few of our faves.

Read, read, read

There's only so many Cosmo articles you can read on your journey. 

Many of us complain that we don't have enough time to read our favourite books anymore, so commuting is the perfect time to catch up on your fave fiction and fantasy novels.

Reading will also help the commute go by much faster.

Stash the snacks

Whether your commute is 30 minutes or two hours, we've all found ourselves thinking about food at some point or another.

Do yourself a favour and bring a few snacks on your commute.

Be smart about it though – nuts or a bar is fine, but you don't to be like that child up the front suffocating people with the smell of stinky crisps.

Walnuts in the jar

But don't drink

There's nothing worse than stepping onto your bus or into the car and realising you need to… relieve yourself.

Try not to drink anything about 30 minutes before leaving your job, and try refrain from drinking once you're on the bus/Luas/train/car.

Buy a portable changer

Going back to traffic being so unpredictable – a 45 minute ride home could easily turn into 90 minutes, and if you have nothing else with you but your phone, you'll be at a total loss when the battery dies.

No games, no music, no reading, no nothing. So, do yourself a favour and buy a portable changer. 

Your future commuter-self will thank you.

 
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Relying on public transport can get the better of you at times, especially when you've had a draining day in work, it's lashing rain outside and your bus has magically vanished from the Real Time.

We're approaching back-to-school season which means the traffic is going to be far worse than it was this summer. Oh how we'll treasure those blissful mornings when our bus could actually drive through Rathmines.

Google Maps has always helped you get from place to place, whether you’re driving, walking, biking or taking public transport. And we know that journeys can be complex, often involving multiple modes of transportation to help you get around town.

Today, we’re making it easy to pair public transport directions with biking options so you can travel that first or last mile with ease — like when you’re headed to work at the peak of the busy back-to-school season so you need to ride your bike to the nearest bus stop to make that important 9 a.m. meeting on time. 

Here’s how it works:

  • Enter your destination in the search box, tap on “Directions” and then on the public transport tab. 

  • From there, you’ll automatically see routes that feature cycling options paired with public transport directions. 

  • If you’re biking, you’ll see routes tailored for cyclists along with everything you need to know about the public transport portion of your journey. 

  • All of this information is automatically factored into your total travel time and ETA so you can know exactly when you’ll get to your destination. 

Public Transport directions paired with biking will be available on iOS, with Android rolling out in the following weeks.

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If you're lucky, you have just returned to work this week after having a lovely long festive time off. 

However like many people, you may have been jolted harshly out of your stuffing and Baileys induced stupor by the cruel realities of the back-to-work- commute. 

Here's a few of the things you may have experienced this week that reminded you you're back to reality (no, not reality!):

1. The existential crisis

There are three types of existential crisis which can occur on the commute home. 

The first is a legitimate breakdown where you suddenly realise that this bus stuck in traffic is a metaphor for your life going nowhere and that you'll be forever alone with no career prospects and a mean landlord etc. Luckily this crisis only occurs on really bad days and can be rectified with a Netflix binge, a hug from the housemate and some hot chocolate.

The second is the fake existential crisis, where you're gently resting your forehead against the bus window, as rain trickles down it outside and poignant lyrics play in your ears as you imagine yourself in a scene from some kind of rom-com montage. 

The third is arguably the most serious and usually happens when you decide to be a productive human and go grocery shopping after work instead of opening a tin of Hoops for the third night in a row. It's the moment of sheer panic when you realise that there is no way you're going to be able to gracefully descend the stairs of the Dublin Bus without either falling down and splitting your head open, dropping your phone and losing it to the commute or dropping a shopping bag, casing tampons and apples and biscuits to burst forth and roll around the upper deck causing general mayhem. The stress.

Image result for kardashians headphones

2. The inconsistency of public transport

A very basic complaint, but the only thing you've waited on over the last two weeks is the turkey to cook, so suddenly being forced to huddle at a freezing train station looking longingly into the distance and almost straining your eyes to see if the train is even vaguely in the distance is a shock to the system. 

This, combined with the current weather conditions, has the entire commuting population of Ireland feeling very sorry for themselves indeed, as evidenced by the harassed facial expressions and perpetual checking of real time information apps that coincide with the return to work. 

Image result for judge judy

3. The brutal competitiveness

Sharpen those elbows and brace yourself, because the actual stampede to get on or off the bus at any given time is obscene. 

It reminds us of the scene in Jumanji where the entire house is demolished as a hoard of rhinos, elephants and zebras careen through the place in their rush to get out. 

Everyone else is the rhinos. We are Alan Parrish.

Image result for jumanji stampede

4. The raver

The raver sits either right beside you or in front of you with the world's least sound isolating headphones on and his volume set to tinnitus-inducing.

Occasionally they'll be sat somewhere else on the bus and you'll look around in vague irritation in search of the source of the sound. 

And they're never, I repeat NEVER listening to anything interesting like a true crime podcast or The Gully Feminist or a bit of Sigrid. 

Nine times of out 10 it's blaring EDM or dubstep so generic you can't even tell where one song ends and the other begins. 

Image result for funny headphones

5. The 'fragrant' fellow commuter

While we're on the topic of people on our bus, there's always that one person who clearly had a long hard day at work and needs a shower, or must have just smoked 40 cigs at the bus stop with the stress of being back at work, or is actually making you ill with the heady scent of too much eau de whatever. 

Sometimes we think that this experience is, truly, what separates us from the celebrities and famous folk. 

We bet Kim Kardashian hasn't ever had to squeeze into a seat next to that unfortunate soul with dog doo-doo on their show now has she? 

Image result for kim kardashian laughing

6. The Supermacs consumer

It might not always be a Supermacs curry chip, but it will always be something stinky AF. 

There's usually that one person on the bus or train absolutely dogging into a large fish and chips or a kebab who simply could not wait until they got home to eat, they were too famished. 

However, the steamy fast food usually fogs up the windows and makes everyone gag, except for the other starving hungry people who are then absolutely salivating and texting the housemate to 'please please please put some chips in the oven if you're home from work before me,' thereby ruining their healthy eating resolutions. The rudeness.

Image result for hungry funny

7. The man who spreads

We appreciate that there is the need to make a little more room between the legs for various genitalia, but essentially doing seated lunges and acting like your legs are physically repelled from one another is ludicrous. 

There has been more than one occasion on the Luas where we have missed our stops due to the obstacle course of male legs deterring our exits, never mind the discomfort of having to passive aggressively cross and uncross our legs while sighing to draw attention to the fact that we have a postage stamp worth of space compared to our commuting brethren. 

Our trick is to womanspread aggressively and see how many odd looks you get. Yes, I am lounging in my chair attempting to do the seated splits, what of it? 

Image result for manspreading

8. FINALLY getting home

For some reason, the bad weather makes traffic approximately 400% slower, and the actual frustration of sitting of an immobile bus in a traffic standstill is enough to trigger one of those aforementioned breakdowns. 

The joy of hopping off the bus or train, skipping down the road (or trudging, dependant on the day at hand) and slipping your key in the front door is one of life's truly simple pleasures. 

Now, the hunt for the slippers and standing in front of the fridge for hours to contemplate dinner can begin. 

Image result for slippers funny

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There are few things more dread-inducing than the prospect of staring down a packed tube platform full of stressed out and aggressive commuters at eight in the morning or, even worse, getting gridlocked in that notorious London traffic.

The intense crowds, frequent breakdowns and that wonderful quirk of the Tube wherein it has zero air conditioning or ventilation can make your morning commute feel like a battle march.

Not to worry, though; with a few simple steps you'll soon be bossing that commute like a pro and the stress will soon feel like a distant memory.

Here's how to survive London in rush hour.

Source: Pixaby

Know the Rules of the Game

Anyone who has been in London for more than five seconds will know that there is a Byzantine etiquette system comprising of dozens of rules that must be followed in order to avoid the ire of your fellow passengers.

Most of these rules are honestly just a combination of noise, urban myths and personal preferences, so definitely don't spend too much time getting worked up over whether your platform posture in on point.

As long as you know the few simple essentials, your trip will go more smoothly.

These are; keep your Oyster card ready and in-hand the second you enter the station, stick to the right on the escalators, don't talk loudly and, most importantly, never make eye contact with your fellow commuters.

Come Prepared with Distractions

Chances are you'll be dealing with the same commute every day, to the point where you could travel the whole route with your eyes closed.

This kind of commuter autopilot is common, with the positive side being that you should be able to zone out and immerse yourself in less stressful activities during your journey – just remember to keep your wits about you on station platforms and road crossings!

A good online game is always the ideal way to get through the journey, ideally something engaging like a puzzle game or online escapade.

For example, there are now lots of roulette games online, from European to American, that you'll be able to play at any point during your commute when you need to zone out, thanks to that sweet and brand new Tube WiFi.

Your commute is also valuable time in your day that you can use to catch up on things you've been neglecting.

So, read that novel that has been gathering dust, finish that podcast, or simply burn through your emails.

Source: Pixaby

Mix It Up

A morning commute doesn't have to be something to just get through, to be banished to the annals of memory and not thought about until 5 pm. You can actually enjoy it. The best way to do this is by occasionally mixing things up.

Explore your city by walking part of the journey, which might involve having to get out of bed a few minutes earlier but is definitely worthwhile in such a beautiful and varied city as London.

Even just going via a different bus route might feel like a refreshing and pleasant surprise, as seeing your city as new again will remind you why you moved here in the first place.

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Bus Éireann has announced an all-out strike, which is in place since midnight last night. 

Talks between five trade unions lasted more than three hours yesterday, and SIPTU’s transport sector organiser, Willie Noone, said the “time for talking is over.”

Now, Iarnród Éireann is being affected by the strike. 

"Iarnród Éireann has advised customers that there will be significant disruption to Intercity rail services today, Friday 24th March, arising from picketing associated with the Bus Éireann dispute," reads a statement from Irish Rail.

"Iarnród Éireann is not a party to this dispute."

Limited services will be available on the Dublin/Cork, Dublin/Limerick, Dublin/Galway, Dublin/Sligo, Dublin/Waterford and Dublin/Rosslare lines.

The 09:00am Sligo to Connolly service and the 09:40am Connolly to Rosslare service are both cancelled. 

The 12.00pm Dublin/Cork service has also been cancelled. 

Feature image: Irish Rail/Twitter

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The Luas was out of action this evening between Beechwood and Stephen's Green on the greeen line – causing rush-hour chaos for thousands of commuters. 

Tram officials said that an earlier incident at Harcourt was to blame. 

The line has thankfully just reopened in the last few minutes, but there are delays are to be expected as services gradually return to normal.

"Green Line service has been restored with delays following earlier disruption," read a statement on Twitter. "We apologise for the inconvenience."

Pictures on social media this evening showed passengers making their journey home along the Luas tracks – many of whom were using their phones as torches to light up the ground ahead. 

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Last week's Luas strikes caused havoc for thousands of Dublin commuters, as people struggled to get to work and home with one of the city's major transport links cut off.

Now, Luas drivers have threatened two more strike days in March – and that's on top of the additional strikes planned for this Thursday February 18 and Friday February 19.

Yep, you might want to make alternative arrangements for travel on Tuesday March 8 and St Patrick's Day, Thursday March 17.

While March 17 is a bank holiday, it is one of Dublin's busiest days of the year for public transport, as tourists flood the city and residents leave their cars behind to avoid traffic during the annual Patrick's Day parade.

The ongoing dispute is the result of calls by Luas staff for improved working conditions, with some staff members calling for pay rises of up to 53 per cent.

An estimated 90,000 commuters were disrupted by last week's strikes, with this Hailo video showing just how many people had to turn to taxis and other budget-busting methods of transport to get to work:

Other people chose to walk along the tracks:

And some resorted to battling their way onto overcrowded buses during peak hours:

Here's hoping this dispute gets resolved sooner rather than later.

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Pepsi-max decided to take over a bus stop in London recently and do something incredible to it.

Somehow making it appear as if there were surreal and fantastic things happening in front of commuter’s eyes – how would you have reacted?

Take a look for yourself, it really is amazing!

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