Originally Posted by
Qotsaautopilot
You’re not understanding him. Commuting is a choice. You are choosing to do because you chose to marry who you did AND chose to be an airline pilot at the same time. You knew that would mean commuting and you chose it anyway. Not saying it was a bad choice just saying you chose to commute.
Pilots that say they have roots and family and kids in school etc so they don’t have a choice but to commute is nonsense. That is the definition of choice. If they worked in nearly any other line of work and were offered a job away from their hometown they would have to move for that job. And if they were transferred (read: base closure) or promoted (read: upgrade) they’d have to move again if they wanted to stay employed or make more money etc. there is no commuting option.
The difference is pilots have the option to commute. Option means choice. That’s also why most contracts provide moving benefits in a displacement scenario. Your job was essentially transferred elsewhere so the company is going to pay to relocate you. You choose to or not to take advantage of that. If you don’t you become a commuter and that was a choice. Just like living in BFE (btw I like BFE much more than hub cities) hours away from your place of employment is a choice. You don’t HAVE to commute.
I commuted for 7 years and have lived in base for about 5. there are places I’d rather live than in base but the choice to commute and the cons associated far outweighs those pros. Different people have a different cost benefit analysis. It’s always a choice though.
A few things are for certain though. As a commuter you sacrifice a some level of earning potential, varying amounts of time (usually more than you think), and add some level of stress.
I totally get what you’re saying. I really do. Commuting is a choice by it’s actual definition. But since there’s a crazy thing called life, practically speaking, commuting is not a choice. Just like uprooting for a job across the country wouldn’t happen because you don’t want to put yourself in that situation.
You’re saying everything is a choice. You choose not to commute. You to commute. You choose to marry someone. You choose a specific job/field. Etc.. etc.. etc.. but that’s not practical since you can marry a person and not know expect to have that person be relocated. To have that that person decide to want to live in a different state or to want to stay in that same state. You eat the point. Everything is TECHNICALLY a choice, but practically speaking, communities is not a choice (MOST of the time).