Transporting vehicles across the country

[:) Smiley]

Oh yeah, get familiar with this website: Bay Area Traffic Guide (511) http://traffic.511.org/traffic_map.asp

Even late at night the map is never completely green, and commute hours it gets really ugly.

There is a railroad that runs from Stockton, though, the Altamont Commuter Express. To get to Oakland involves a transfer via shuttlebus to the BART system, and based on the timetables here:
ACE train
Connecting shuttlebus
BART rapid transit
to get to downtown Oakland at 9 AM she would have to take the 6:40 out of Stockton. Cost per month would be around $300.

I once went from Berkeley to Stockton by car, by way of 580, and it took close to two hours with moderate traffic. This was in the evening after rush hour, I have heard it gets much worse at those times, and I recall seeing billboards demanding that I-205 be widened.

Hell of a commute either way.

[ajbera]

Thanks for the advice, guys. After seeing the Stockton home, wifey & I drove out there early in the morning, and then drove to her job in Oakland to see what the morning commute would be like. I forget what the navigation system made us take - 205 to something. We left at 7:30 am, arrived at her job at 9:15. Under ideal circumstances, it'll take her an hour to commute, and more likely it will be closer to 2 hours.

However, 1) Her hours are flexible. She need not work 9-5, but can work 10-6 or 11-7. Not only does this help a little in avoiding rush hour traffic, but the later hours work better for her in terms of meeting the teens using the library (she's a YA librarian).
2) She loves to drive, whereas I most certainly do not.
3) She has said she can use the time to catch up on her "reading" via books on tape & CD.
4) I asked her repeatedly if she could tolerate the commute. She said yes, particulaly if there was a nice house waiting for her to come home to.
5) Our lease is for 1 year, so if she absolutely hates it, we can move. Preferably to Farm Bay Island.

So we know it'll be a hell of a commute. BART is an option, but she needs to visit the various branches in Oakland (10, I think) so she needs the mobility afforded by a vehicle. Gonna buy a hybrid when we get there.

Me? Hell, I'm gonna get a job in the nice part of Stockton (if there is one, downtown may be OK) or go to Tracy. Here on Long island I have to commute close to an hour to get to the Hamptons for work, a commute I don't want to replicate on the West Coast. Any close, non-demanding job for ~ $35 - $40k is fine by me.

[Japher]

S. Sacramento wouldn't be out of the question. Nor Modesto for jobs... Oh! Get a job with Gallo and make some wine!

What do you do?

[ajbera]

I have a BS in Biology, graduated '90.
I've worked for 7 years at Brookhaven National Lab, a federal research lab. I worked in the biology dept (as a bio research associate, though I mostly did mechanical work) and the particle accelerator dept (as a senior mechanical technician). I have experience working in radioactive/radiological areas (reactor, accelerator). Spent 6 months in cryogenics, but it didn't really catch on with me.

Spent 4 years working at market research for a small company. Quality assurance of software, proofreading, fact-checking and editing reports for clients (Chase, Sony), wrote a small newsletter (with editorials) on the credit card industry for JP Morgan Chase. Also did competitive intelligence, and some computer work.

2 weeks (and 6 months volunteer work) at the local Bide-A-Wee animal shelter. I love dogs.

2 years fixing computers for rich people and real estate companies in the Hamptons. Some teaching and training of our real estate listings program. Maintenance and troubleshooting of said program, too.

I've also done freelance artwork in my time. Not much, but I've done it (for ads, in a newspaper & on the internet).

I either want a job that doesn't involve too much effort or commuting, or I'd like to work with dogs.

[Japher]

Lawrence Livermore Lab is just over the hill, gotta go through Tracey though

UCDavis might have some stuff, but that's over an hour away

[ajbera]

Lab is a possibility, but I've been working for small businesses for the last several years. I think my skills work best in small companies, as I don't really have any specialties, just a lot of useable skills and talents. Wifey's the career-oriented one, which is why she gets $80k.

Regardless, I'd prefer not to drive more than 20 - 30 minutes to a job, unless it's something mind-blowingly awesome, like body painting supermodels. I'd commute up to an hour for that.

[Japher]

UOP is right there then...

[ajbera]

UOP?

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by ajbera
I loath driving. I'm not a confident navigator when I drive, and I get flustered when I screw up. Besides, I function better as the wife's co-pilot. Once we get out there I'm not going anywhere (except the local store) without a GPS/navigation system.

And you call yourself a man?

[Japher]

University of the Pacific

local private college

[Sava]

sounds like ajbera needs a TRANSPORTER



Las Reglas Se Hicieron Para Romperlas!

[Joseph]

Originally posted by Japher
Lawrence Livermore Lab is just over the hill, gotta go through Tracey though

UCDavis might have some stuff, but that's over an hour away

As soon as I read his statement, I said Lawrence, but look down and you already had it. Great Job.

Lawrence is in Livermore, just over the hill from Tracy. Driving time even in bad time should not be more than 45 min or less.

[Joseph]

Originally posted by Japher
University of the Pacific

local private college

Also Calif State Univ Stanislaus in Turlock (my High School) about 40 min from Stockton. Then their in Modest JC in Modesto. It is one of the top JC in the state. Also there are 3 or 4 Colleges in Sac. As japher said there is UC Davis in the city of Davis, about 25 min west of Sac on I-80.