A vast subset of our economy depends on parasitically feeding off of people commuting to work.
If you think they and the government institutions and their politicians who rely on their tax revenues are going to politely shut up, you're mistaken.
If you think they and the government institutions and their politicians who rely on their tax revenues are going to politely shut up, you're mistaken.
Obviously the last few years have thrown everything out of whack but a bustling urban core is a beautiful thing.
For some, I really don't like urban life and the more bustling and hive-like the more I don't like it. I'm determined never to set foot in an office again, particularly an urban one because I simply don't like the urban environment. I hope that there's enough people like me to make sure a full return to the office never happens.
Will you subsidize my aesthetic preference or does it only work one way?
If you cut out a load of unnecessary restaurants, subways, theatres, etc that are no longer required due to a mass exodus from the cities then I'm not convinced the economy is going to be in such great shape.
1. Building rents
2. Transportation
3. Parking
4. Eating out/beverages
Companies that realize they can get 1/10 or less the area, and still have co-working areas and a few offices can save enormous amounts of money and be more *agile* than the in-person companies can be. But having companies reduce their rentals down 90% scare the landlords.
Transportation exerts a LARGE cost on workers. We're not paid for this lost time. And even at 30m drive, represents 5h a week lost to nothing. Well, not nothing. Gas prices are expensive, as is vehicle maintenance. So we're *paying* for the right to get paid at our jobs. And if your work is easily-remotable, then this shows a cost (at 30m/oneway) 5h + $.56/mi that you're wasting.
Parking is usually a perk. But regardless who its coming out of, still represents a significant cost for dozens or hundreds of vehicles to be stored somewhere. In big cities, that's upwards of $50/day. In my smaller city, the company was paying $300/yr in a terrible condition 4 story parking garage. Didn't even have guaranteed spots either. That was just "permit" to get in. Again, someone's paying it, and it's not cheap. But it is needless.
Food/beverage costs are also much higher, due to not being within vicinity of your kitchen. If I wanted coffee prior, it was going down to the coffee shop and getting one. However, I had the equipment and matewrials to make them at home, but being in an office prevents me from that. Same with food... although I could take my own lunch.
Now, instead of costing $15/lunch, it's costing me like $3/lunch. I brew my own coffee. I eat leftovers or make food I want to eat during lunch. I can also do things like make (chicken, beef, duck, turkey) stock on the stove while working. I can also now do more complex recipes that take time (like Pho) with only being present in the kitchen... There's no way I could leave the stove on going to a workplace. For those of you that says I'm stealing time doing long cooking - I'm not. Being present is just to make sure that a fire or other bad doesn't happen.
And I'm only looking at monetary costs. We also have a magnitude of environmental costs I never discussed. And that also percolates down to health benefits of less pollution and less injuries on the road. There's dozens of 1st and 2nd derivative effects.
But in the end, it's a bunch of technophobes that believe workers MUST be 'supervised' in an active panopticon manner so they work. (And as a corollary, that's also why open offices and hot desks are a thing. Same reason)
You mean people who work in the coffee shop down the block so you can get your $7 latte on the way to the office?
Quite the interesting definition of ‘parasitically’ if you do.