Think Your Commute Is Bad? These Will Change Your Mind
Unless you’re one of the members of the workforce who has moved to remote work in the last few years, the commute to and from work is a daily task that nobody enjoys. I mean have you ever heard someone say, “I just love commuting to work!”
No, you probably haven’t.
Whether your commute involves bumper-to-bumper traffic or is just longer than you’d like, it's kind of nice to know (in a sort of selfish way) that you don’t have it as bad as these folks:
The 800 Meter Climb
While not commuting to a job per se, school children in Sichuan, China have to use giant steel ladders to climb an 800m mountain, which are a huge improvement from the 17 vine ladders that the steel versions replaced last year, if you can believe it...
In the past, the location was ideal, as it made the village practically impervious to Mongols and other invaders. In the modern day, there’s one issue.
The only school in the area is at the top of the cliff—and there’s no road. But climbing on these ladders is perilous, and at least seven people are known to have died while climbing, locals say.
The Daily Private Jet
Curt von Badinski is a mechanical engineer and street artist (what a wild combo) from California. In 2017, he made headlines because of his crazy commute. At the time, he was taking a private jet to work every day.
Von Badinski lived in Los Angeles, but the company he worked for was in San Francisco. So, he paid $2,300 a month to take a shared private jet with a few other people to get to the office.
In total, the roundtrip took six hours. Which begs the question: wouldn’t it have been easier to just move to San Fran?
Wicker Toboggan Rides
The town of Monte is located on the Portuguese island of Madeira. A part of the town is situated on a large hill, while the rest of it sits in the valley.
In the 19th century, the locals came up with an innovative way to make at least the downhill trek faster and a lot more exciting. They began sledding down the streets in what are essentially wicker toboggans.
This commute even gave rise to a unique profession. Carreiros are men who push and steer the toboggans, dressed in a traditional white uniform and straw hat.
These days, cars have replaced the toboggans for daily travel, but you can still get an old-fashioned ride down the hill by booking a slide with one of the many tourism companies that still hire carreiros.
Zipline Over a Gorge
Guayabetal is a small village in the mountains of Columbia. It has a neighboring larger town that’s not very far away. The problem is that they’re separated by a 1,200-foot-deep gorge. For decades, locals have solved their commuting problem in a creative and daring way. They’ve been building zip wires across the gorge, sliding across the yawning chasm at 60 miles per hour.
Originally, the wires were made of hemp rope, but they’ve since been replaced with steel wires. Still, more than 20 people have reportedly perished by plunging into the depth due a snapped rope.
Due to the inherent danger, the local government has officially banned the zip wires, taking them down whenever they find them. Yet, the people of Guayabetal keep putting up new ones — because they’re just faster than taking the long, snaking mountain roads.
The 12-Day Traffic Jam
Sometimes I complain about the traffic in LA, but then I remember the 50-lane motorway in China. The country as a whole has always been a titan in the automotive industry, and while this is great for their economy, it’s pretty awful for commuters. According to official sales, the number of passenger vehicles sold in China in 2024 reached 2.375 million units,, an increase of no less than 7.2 percent from the previous year. That doesn’t even account for commercial vehicle sales.
It’s so congested that Beijing drivers were, at one point, required to leave their cars at home one day per week, based on a scheme that involved the last digit of the number plate. And despite this aggressive push, local reports claim that the daily Chinese driver spends two or three hours per day in the car, as a direct consequence of the insane bumper-to-bumper traffic.
The worst day was when supply trucks going to Beijing jammed up lanes in traffic that lasted 12 days and stretched for 62 miles. It got so bad that folks on the road improvised a makeshift market just to be able to eat and drink while they were stranded.
Not As Bad As It Could Be
I have to admit that I'd prefer LA traffic over any of the commutes listed above. An hour and half isn’t as bad as a 12-day traffic jam or a vine ladder up a steep cliff. Count your blessings while you head to work today—it could be worse!
