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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be considering leaving my job because of this?

220 replies

fadedafternoons · 28/11/2019 07:45

I live in a village about 5 miles from work.

There are ongoing roadworks just outside the village meaning road closures and diversions.

It isn’t an exaggeration to say that at peak times it’s like an island, no one can get in or out. It takes me an hour and a half to get to work. Coming home is hit and miss.

I’m utterly sick to death of it.

AIBU?

OP posts:
silky4960 · 28/11/2019 09:03

I would have a word with your boss, explain the problem so if you are late due to the road works at least hey have been made aware, I hear what you say about cycling but is there the possibilty of driving so far getting a fold away bike then cycling the other part of the journey

JaceLancs · 28/11/2019 09:07

I’m not in your area but have lived in a small village near a big city - there have been some kind of roadworks involving my commute for years now and I can’t see an end in site!
We moved offices nearer to where I live and could cycle to my base but then I need a car to actually do my job which includes visiting people across the whole county
The only thing that works for me is to get up much earlier than I need and go through road works when bit quieter I then hang out in a coffee shop for up to 2 hours sometimes working sometimes with a good book or my knitting
I am then heading to work against the traffic flow
Evenings I mix finishing early and late to avoid peak flow so sone nights home at 4 or 8

CurbsideProphet · 28/11/2019 09:12

I wondered if you were Lancashire until I saw the other posts. There are major works between us and the nearest (small) city which are causing 30mins journeys to take 2 hours. It's horrific.

If you don't feel that enamoured with your job anyway, then there is no harm in looking at other options.

MollyButton · 28/11/2019 09:17

I'd start by trying to think about the situation logically.
Is there any reason you have to live where you do now? Eg DC's schools. Do you have a partner? What do they think?
What do you like about where you live? What do you dislike?

Then your job. Do you like your job? Do you like the people? How easy would it be to get another one? Could you get another one with a better commute? Or might it be a case of relocating fo work and living?

How long is it going to be so bad? Do look at the local council websites. See if there are any Facebook groups dedicated to moaning about it, who might be able to give you the heads up as to when things will improve. And do try to make the journey more productive with Audible or podcasts.

Talk to your employer to argue for some flexibility if at all possible, work from home, altering start and finish times - okay not possible if you are a nurse etc. But might be worth it as a temporary measure otherwise.

TheMidasTouch · 28/11/2019 09:21

If you quit your job because of lengthy roadworks, what will you do for money to live on? Presumably you would need to travel to any job.

If you cannot change your hours then you just need to suck it up.The roadworks won't last for ever.

bloodywhitecat · 28/11/2019 09:23

My daughter hears your cries, she lives in Cambridgeshire and it took her well over two hours to get home the other night (not the A14). Cycling at this time of year is not an option for her as she has very severe brittle asthma and despite being fit she cannot cope with cold damp air and she can't work from home and due to the nature of her job her hours are fixed.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 28/11/2019 09:36

Had similar recently (plus flooding, which made it even worse). Sorry, but there's really not much you can do in the short term.

Long-term; email your MP, Highways Agency and local council. Start a petition. Make some noise.

Agree it is immensely frustrating.

CoolcoolcoolcoolcoolNoDoubt · 28/11/2019 09:36

@YippeeKayakOtherBuckets just popping on to say great username, fellow B99 fan!

HugoSpritz · 28/11/2019 09:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RingtheBells · 28/11/2019 09:41

YANBU, we went to Cambridge last night and got trapped in some huge roadworks and road closures coming home, I said to DH, remind me never to come here on an evening out and said how bad it must be for commuters. Probably not your roadworks but there are loads in Cambridgeshire.

NotMeNoNo · 28/11/2019 09:42

I second the suggestion of a moped if you don't fancy cycling or an e bike. Two wheels = time machine.

Leighhalfpennysthigh · 28/11/2019 09:44

I was going to say you're unreasonable, but if it's Cambridgeshire then no you're not as I've been caught up in the carnage there as well. Presumably there are other people who are affected? Could something be put in place at work so you can work from home temporarily?

Span1elsRock · 28/11/2019 09:48

The main access roads to our village are flooded at the moment, and will likely be under water for at least another month. Means we have an 8 mile detour twice a day and everyone else locally is doing same, getting stuck down lanes not meant to carry that amount of traffic. It's a case of forward, reverse, forward, reverse and trying to avoid getting stuck in mud Hmm. It's truly testing all of our patience. This is the situation for at least 2 months of the year every year, because the farmers no longer clear the ditches, and the river is never dredged.

It's also the reason why our house is on the market, and we are looking for a house nowhere near the river...........

Can you stay with friends? Book a hotel for alternate nights?

pasmayalabeille · 28/11/2019 10:05

Is there any way you could find a car share with someone going in the same direction - it won't save time - but at least you won't be driving as much. Maybe even every other day? You have my sympathy - unreliable commutes are shit and soul crunching?

losingthepl0t · 28/11/2019 10:08

can you afford not to work? if you are really not financially dependent them go for it. If not, it would be foolish.

adlermoltz · 28/11/2019 10:09

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

CaptainNelson · 28/11/2019 10:17

If it is Cambridgeshire, any chance you could get to a guided busway stop more easily? Maybe cycle there, if it's nearer? You say station is even worse.
I totally sympathise - my DS came home last night and found the main road from station to our village was closed, he had to go back to the station, get the next train to another village and then cycle from there. It took him 2 hours in total.
I cycle as much as I can and use other public transport, which messed up as it is, is less stressful than being stuck in horrible traffic

BuzzShitbagBobbly · 28/11/2019 10:21

In any case different roads are closed every day

So make it a point to find out each day/week which roads are next scheduled, because there has to be permits and applications made for closures. It isn't just a free for all.

Can you at least leave earlier and sit and have breakfast or read a book before you start, if your work is really so inflexible it can't accommodate a temporary change from standard office hours. You'd be amazed what 10-15 mins difference makes in terms of traffic flows.

Notodontidae · 28/11/2019 10:25

@fadedafternoons, I hope you got to work ok, I am totally on yourside with this this, and if we cant come up with a plan your going to have some sort of breakdown. Car sharing may help, but if the roadworks are going to go on well into 2020, your going to have to make a decision. Your health is what is important, tell your personnel office that you cannot maintain this level with the current demand on travel. They may come up with a plan. If you cannot move from your current location join a charity group, or gardening club. Talk to everyone in the village about your problem. Dont forget a problem shared is a problem halved. Leave if you need to. Good Luck

ScatteredMama82 · 28/11/2019 10:25

I get how frustrating it must be. I used to do a motorway drive to work every day and changed to work 8-4. It meant I had to leave home early but it meant driving to work took 1 hour, not 2. If you do leave your job, won't you have the same problem driving to a different job? I have no idea what your job is, but you can't be the only employee struggling with the traffic. Is there any potential to work from home at all?

VanGoghsDog · 28/11/2019 10:29

It can't be the A14 roadworks, OP says her route is motorway and there is no motorway there. Unless she's south of it and means the M11.

Uncompromisingwoman · 28/11/2019 10:29

Huge sympathies OP. Those roadworks have been going on for years! We travel through them at least once a month and unless we get to them before 6.00am they're a nightmare - and if we're well before 6 the roads are often closed. I can't imagine how you're all coping.

RingtheBells · 28/11/2019 10:37

The bit we got badly stuck on last night was near Girton and that does seem to have to M11 quite close, it was horrendous, all new roads and closures and satnav said we were in a field. We live about 40 miles from Cambridge

DarlingNikita · 28/11/2019 10:40

Try asking about car sharing to at least spread the stress and responsibility.

Have you talked to work about it? Do you know for sure they can't be flexible? (sorry, I don't want to sound patronising but we don't know the background here). Are you the only one at the workplace affected, or are others feeling the same?

ConnorRipley · 28/11/2019 10:41

I really sympathise. Two years ago there were roadworks local to me on a massive stretch of road. They lasted a year and turned what used to be a 20 minute school run in the car into upwards of an hour journey each way. There were some days when just dropping off and picking up DSD meant I’d spent 3+ hours in the car in one day.

It was a grim and horrendous 12 months and I can completely understand why you’d be considering quitting your job. Especially if there’s no end in near sight.