Will I Keep Slugging?

In response to a comment on my last post: I was going to write a quick answer then my brain started to think... what are the pros and cons? so here goes...

Pros:

• It is cheaper to commute
• Better for your car ( I put 70,000 miles on my car in two years driving to a non slug location) driving 70 miles round trip. If I had known about slugging when I worked in Gtown previously, I would have saved miles on my old car for those years.
  
• Less stress when being a passenger for the 25 minutes. It's nice being driven around. Sleep, read, relax instead of stressing out why some dummy is letting everyone in front of them in rush hour. This is the Biggest pro for. After cost.
  
• You get exercise from walking to/from metro/commuter lot (not much but better than nothing)
• Some interaction with people. About 10% of the rides, there are conversations
• You go when you want (no set carpool). If you are late no one will get mad. If you are early, there is someone to pick you up.
  
• Faster than VRE, and you're guaranteed a seat. People are grumpy on VRE.
• Not possible to get kidnapped in the morning, there are only two exits, and another person in the car.
  

Cons:

• Weird people on the metro
• Primetime is 7am-7:20am for parking for lots. Most spots are gone by 7:10am. If you oversleep you are done for. There are overflow lots for parking though but few.
  
• Weird people / Slow driver / Crazy drivers
• You could get kidnapped on the way back home, there are multiple exit points.
• You don't really save overall commute time. People don't account the time it takes to get to the lot, then walk, and wait, then metro to their workplace.
• Bad music selection or no music at all on the radio
• Stupid things like baby seats in the middle seat, strapped to the seat belt.
• Stupid people in slug lines making up their own rules (about where they are in line) or can't facilitate rides by calling out the location of a car they are not getting in.
  

There are more but these are the ones I can think of really quick.

So yes, I'll keep slugging. It's interesting and amusing to me. Some of the things that would normally bother me, don't anymore; it also gives me something to write about and share to you all the weird people that do it.

I really think Crystal City people are more normal than Rosslyn and Pentagon slugs/drivers. And it's cheaper /faster to get to. From a slugging standpoint if you can work in Crystal City, it's the optimal destination for a slug. The Pentagon stinks for picking up and dropping of slugs. And the general population doesn't work there. So Crystal City wins on the most ideal destination for a slug.

Once you do it a couple of times, it becomes routine. You don't worry about the initial concerns because it is safe, and less aggravating. It does take a certain personality type; mainly those that aren't high maintenance. 80% of my rides are free of any annoyances. The other 15% are minor annoyances like no music, or placement of objects in the back that you have to share. The 5% are times when I think of ways to jump out of the car.

But given the population of people and the diversity of class and cultures, it's not bad.