Makes sense if I was closer to 2 hrs away instead of 4.5, sometimes almost 5 or more due to heavy traffic or the occasional wreck along the route. I tried to clarify that I've more or less made my peace with the possibility of just buying tickets outright as a commuter, even if technically within driving distance. It doesn't solve all of the hassles of commuting, but removes some of the uncertainty and my wife and I decided that $10k a year is worth the added peace of mind and saving the almost 400 extra hours and 22,000 extra miles I would spend in the car.

I tried to think of it this way: if I were offered two jobs, one paying $150,000 per year but I had to find my own way to work, and one paying $140,000 per year but they would buy my tickets to and from my base… Which would I choose?