Public transporation to work, etc

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How many of you have to take the bus or subway train to your place of employment? How do you deal with a lot of crowds, loud laughter, people chewing their gum so loudly, talking loudly on cell phone, or (for ladies only) men staring at you big time? Do you drive to work?

About work, do you work close to your home? Do you work full time? Part time? Work at home? Have to file disability and quit working because you couldn't handle ignorant co workers?

I don't mind airplanes at all. People tend to keep to themselves on airplanes. But on the subway train it can get quite loud. Often times I see people that make me feel uncomfortable. The Washington DC area though has this service called MetroAccess.
http://www.wmata.com/accessibility/metroaccess_service/

It's great for temporary reasons as well such as myself. I'm using it since I'm recovering from foot surgery. The podiatrist gave me a year for use it. I think its great for autistics too. I have seen at times autistics, mentally ret*d, or severe learning disabled adults use MetroAccess to get to school or work. Sometimes I get the van where you share the ride with 3-4 other people. Or I get taxi which means I'm alone. A subway car though can carry up to 100 or more people! So that means more sounds that can get annoying. Now if only I can get MetroAccess permanently that would be great, but I don't know. My autism is mild. There is nothing worse than people on the subway having their IPOD on so loud! It's quite annoying! At times there have been homeless people that get on the subways asking for money. That is scary, sad and annoying at the same time.

I have flexible hours. I go to work after the morning rush, i go home after the evening rush. Sometimes i go before instead.

Since i live in a large city, i can wait 2-3 minutes for the next bus/subway train that isnt filled to the max with people like a can of tunafish. Sometimes i walk a distance to a calmer place and board from there with much less people around. Normal people are comfortable and like to board trains at the ends and that clogs up the front/back with people - if you select the middle instead, things will be calmer.

I have a 45-60 minute commute now. I hate it. Aggressive and distracted high speed drivers worry me perpetually... Not to mention the massive waste of time.

I agree, planes aren't usually too bad, people generally keep to themselves. I have to remember to dress less work-like and more punk-like, otherwise people think I look too approachable and get all chatty.

I did the commuter train for awhile back in college. It wasn't so bad, headphones and a book usually saved me. And I went during the rush, so panhandlers and catcallers usually went for women who made eye contact, instead of me.

I travel to San Francisco a couple times a year and use the commuter train there, too... It's usually a bit louder and smellier than the one in St. Louis, but, I can cope for a bit. I tried to walk as much as possible. I DO like the ferries there. The lines are crowded, but, the deck of the boat usually isn't, because of the chill and wind on the bay.

And, I agree, I usually walk a bit or wait for a less crowded car. Unfortunately, I'm still getting razzed by a colleague I ran into at the airport, who hadn't been there before so he was following me, and cars were so crowded I kept 'accidentally' missing them so we walked the whole way.

untill i get myself a car, i commute about 80 minutes.
most issues can be fixed by wearing headphones; the international symbol for "don't talk to me"; also, actually putting sound on that (doesn't have to be music, grey noise works wonders) tunes out environmental sounds.

i will also often wear sunglasses, even in winter and if it's still dark outside. this emits a small 'creep' factor that makes people keep their distance, which suits me just find.

I'm self employed, and these days I have clients who are local and thus within walking or cycling distance.

In a different location I used to live, I had a drivers licence and a car and I got around that way. That was bliss to me, because a car gives you a feeling of a lot of privacy and personal space, especially if you keep the windows rolled up (I did because it was a hot climate and I ran air conditioning). I loved the feeling of being in my own bubble. Even though I was surrounded by other drivers there is still an illusion of being alone, and I loved that.

And before that, when I was in my twenties, I had to make a 1hr 30m commute every day into central London, via bus, train or subway train. It was hell.

Back then I was young enough to challenge my rigidity and just "go with the flow" that this is what I have to do. Now that I'm older and had my other modes of transportation -- car, bike -- whenever I take the trains and buses and subways even just for a non-work related trip (shopping, visiting somewhere) I HATE it and can no longer tolerate being on a crowded subway train or a slow, jerky bus.

I've lost a lot of tolerance for crowded, slow, expensive and nasty public transportation as I've gotten older and older, and even my coping mechanisms like music or reading don't help me when on a crowded train anymore.

I take Klonopin when before I may be riding a crowded bus because I feel claustrophobic when it's crowded & Klonopin helps. I'm not working thou & am on disability.

I take the train to work and no one stares at me honestly. I work part time and it takes me about 20 minutes to get to work. Sometimes men shout on the train or pound on the window and I hate that. Same as when there are crazy people but that is rare and it's not a daily or weekly basis.

Admittedly, I've been commuting on public transportation since high school, so I really have no qualms with it. Just...be engrossed in your own thoughts/activities and nothing else will matter.

Personally, though, I've always loved to look at people (and other animals) milling about and doing stuff. This tends to amuse me for the duration of the trip. Alternately, music and/or book.

As for crazies/loud folk, don't pay them any attention and they won't bother you. If they bother you, the best thing to do would be to pretend they don't exist (don't show that you're scared <_____<). Unless you're adventurous like me. In that case, being a pleasant person works wonders.

Oh, also, looking a tad crazy helps keep (non-crazy) people away. I occasionally sing to myself if I want a little room...or if I want to sing. Just be careful not to act too crazy, as that tends to attract the other (real) crazies.

I have had to use public transportation since September. I have personal space issues, which, of course, can create a predicament. To remedy the dilemma, I transited earlier in the morning, and subsequent to evening rush hour. Similar to others that have responded, I also read and listen to music- to filter out stimuli, and indicate that I am occupied.

Maybe it's location or hours?

Nobody's ever been unkind to me on public transportation around here, though it pretty much always smells like weed. I even dropped my phone once and the people in back alerted me and gave it back to me, although I never could find the back casing...

I love it when public transportation actually works but America is not designed with public transportation in mind. Car is mandatory and honestly I think one person per car is far too wasteful. But most cities have serious problem with congestion yet no plans to develop any effective public transportation options except for buses that runs once every 30 minutes.

It's a shame because public transportation is a very cheap and efficient way of getting to places. Cars can cost more than 300 a month to fuel, insure, maintain, and this is not including payments on the car. But in many American cities this is a necessary expense unless people can work out some kind of a carpooling deal.

I agree that most cities don't have good mass transportation. It would take 3.5 hours out of my day to commute to school (by public transit). If I drove (much more expensive with gas, bridge toll, and parking) it would take maybe 1.5 hours or so out of my day - I didn't do this often, far too expensive on my income.

I take the bus , it is about a 20 min ride in though sense it is a small city it is not too bad at all. The route is nice, and if the weather is good enough, I can just walk to work, or home.

I do not work (or attend school), so I don't need to take public transportation on a regular basis. When I do use buses, I make a great effort to remember my foam earplugs and ear defenders. They often aren't enough, but they help.

I don't normally deal with personal-space violation issues because I don't travel during peak times and most people in this area don't use public transportation. I only use subways when I travel to the SF area, and they are only crowded during rush hour and special events like baseball games.

Still, the noise is driving me insane and I'm pressing my primary care provider to refer me to an audiologist so that I can use an auditory processing disorder diagnosis to qualify for disabled transit.

My husband has been annoyed a lot recently by rude neighbors, and is pushing to move further out away from the city.

He works from home. I have to commute.

I'm SO strained by the thought I'd wasting even more than the 2hours a day I have to spend in my car. He just acts like I'm being selfish when I suggest we actually move closer.

Yes, he spends the time I'm at work, listening to the brainless chatter and guffaws of all of the unemployed men on our street hanging outside and being loud. That would be really annoying, I'm sure, just like the nattering I have to listen to all day in a cube farm. But, hello, it's part of life, being around other people.

We've never been allowed headphones in my office, but, I begged my boss to let me. I stick in headphones with white noise now, just to try and cope. It blocks out most of it, but, I hate the way earbuds feel...

And my stupid cube neighbor with her revolting perfume... my husband certainly doesn't have to tolerate that.