650 foot commute — by car

Jul 5, 2008 By Richard Masoner Posted in The Archives Tagged with Commute by Bike

Lasse Jonsson Malmoe, Sweden won a “most ridiculous commute” contest. He drives his car less than 650 feet from home to work every day, and drives another several feet for lunch. His prize for winning the contest: a bicycle.

0 thoughts on “650 foot commute — by car”

Jared says:

July 6, 2008 at 12:12 am

What a waste.

Reply
Shiny Flu says:

July 6, 2008 at 3:00 am

They shouldn’t have awarded him a bicycle- I would WALK 200m! The bicycle should have gone to someone else.

All “Lasse” really needed is a good kick to the groin for being such an idiot.

Reply
Patrick says:

July 6, 2008 at 11:06 am

I want to see pictures of idiocy. I guess he’s ashamed. There are people I work with that commute 2 miles with a car, and drive home for lunch. I just want to splash cold water on their face one day. WAKE UP PEOPLE! You can walk 2 miles!

Reply
Paul in Minneapolis says:

July 6, 2008 at 11:41 am

When I lived in N.W. Georgia, I saw a woman put on weight like crazy over 2 years. Everyday she would get into a large SUV and drive arcross the street to get a cola. It was less than 100 feet (30m) each way….

When I grow-up, I want to be a dumb American!

Reply
Jen (SLC) says:

July 6, 2008 at 11:59 am

I’m with shiny flu. That commute sounds more deserving of walking shoes than a bike. Hopefully, he’ll ride it on errands.

Reply
Jared says:

July 6, 2008 at 12:02 pm

Thinking back, I had a neighbor that would put her trash on her car, and back it up less than 12m to the end of her driveway. Sheesh.

Reply
cafn8 says:

July 7, 2008 at 6:43 am

It’s true, there are a lot of lazy people out there. My wife has commented on some people she sees in a certain area on her way to work. These people load the kids into their SUVs and drive down to the end of the long, stately driveways and wait for the school bus while idling in climate-controlled comfort. Amazing.

Reply
Ghost Rider says:

July 7, 2008 at 6:59 am

I once worked with a woman who constantly complained about how fat and unappealing she was, and she lived less than 1/2 mile from our office. What did she do to get there in the mornings? Yep, that’s right. She drove her SUV…and drove it back and forth to her house for lunch, too. Ugh.

Reply
Fritz says:

July 7, 2008 at 9:09 am

To give the devil his due, if we all only had a 200 yard commute we’d all have a lot less impact on our environment, even if we drove that distance.

I discovered last night that one of my neighbors at the apartment complex where I live drives from one end of the parking lot to the other end to get to the swimming pool! The distance is probably about 200 yards.

Reply
Jeff says:

July 9, 2008 at 9:14 pm

I’ve met a few people in the DC area who drive to work, even though they live within 1 mile of a metro stop. Insanity! But hey, it’s their $$ going towards gas. I’ll keep biking to work!

Reply
MGPSMITH says:

July 11, 2008 at 3:06 am

Automobile fuel is still WAAAYYY too cheap. I advocate taxing fuels for personal transportation at exceptionally high rates…like make gas $25 / gallon…and put the funds towards dedicated bike lanes (everywhere a road goes, so should a dedicated bike lane) and related public conveniences for cyclists.

Reply
Fritz says:

July 11, 2008 at 8:44 pm

MPGSMITH, if gas is $25/gallon, everybody would be on bikes and there wouldn’t be any other traffic on the road.

Reply
MGPSMITH says:

July 13, 2008 at 4:51 am

Bingo!
(understand that I’m not anti-car…my other mechanical love is a 60-year old sports car; but that’s a weekend luxury and as such why do I have any right to cheap fuel for it?)

Reply
Adam Watts says:

July 14, 2008 at 1:50 pm

I have an even more ridiculous one! The president of a local major university is provided a very nice, large house right next to campus. He is also provided his own parking space outside his office building, essentially next door to his house. You can see his car every day in his reserved spot. His front door, office, and parking spot form, essentially, an equilateral triangle! In other words, he can walk the same distance from his house as his parking spot, yes he chooses to drove out onto a busy, divided road, turn right, make a u-turn (his office it to the left), come back past his office (driveway does not cross) make another u-turn, and pull into the driveway. And the campus has a shortage of available parking, so others have to park a few blocks away and walk.

Reply
Paul says:

July 20, 2008 at 3:35 am

I know 2 FAT people at work, who are both younger than 25 years old that drive a huge suv and truck less than 1/2 mile to work! Sometimes I wonder why americans even bother wearing shoes! I got rid of my oil addiction 2 years ago and ride my bike/walk everywhere in Austin TX, sometimes almost 50 miles a day for errands. I’m ALWAYS surrounded by FAT people in huge vehicles going NOWHERE fast while on my bike…

Reply
MGPSMITH says:

July 20, 2008 at 5:38 am

Paul,
The problem isn’t the presence of cars….I think you’re shooting yourself in the foot by not having a personal way to get to the Hill Country, San Angelo or Big Bend in a country that lacks a meaningful public transportation network….it’s how those cars are used. Right now our country is beset by an epidemic of obesity and profligate energy consumption in part because we haven’t demanded walkways/bikeways/public transport in the same way we’ve demanded cheap gas, big cars and suburbs.

The chicken/egg question is culture/access to safe non-car transportation. Change culture by making gas really expensive and provide alternatives with the funds generated…including dedicated bikeways.

Reply
Paul says:

July 20, 2008 at 2:52 pm

MGBSMITH-I do have access to a car by using http://www.austincarshare.org whenever I feel like going on a road trips say to SA, Fredericksberg, Big Bend for the weekend, etc. Those 2 fat people at work think I’m crazy for not driving everwhere and pay $500 a month car payments, outrageous money for car insurance, car repair. They have to scramble, just like so many people I know here in Austin, to find ever more roommates to share their tiny apartments with just to “afford” that HUGE truck or SUV status symbols. So its just as much (or more) about being SEEN in the BAD ASS vehicle as it is about the excuse about no sidewalks, buses, trains, bike trails, as well as, too hilly, hot, sweaty, unsafe…

Reply
MGPSMITH says:

July 20, 2008 at 3:50 pm

I totally see your point…I did a 5-7 (oneway) daily commute in Montrose/Rice area of Houston for several years on my bicycle so I know exactly the attitude you’re talking about. (Houston: no protected bike lanes, aggressive drivers, and no worse riding weather anywhere except way up north in the winter) I’m sure the attitude is not unique to Houston, Austin, or TX for that matter…

Reply
Bill says:

October 14, 2009 at 2:36 pm

Agreed. What a waste of a bicycle. If this guy was to lazy to walk 650 feet, he’s not going to ride a bicycle. 650 feet isn’t even far enough to ride a bike, WTF??

Reply

650 foot commute — by car

Get Deals & Inspiration!