Meet The ‘Super Commuters’ Who Spend Up To 6 Hours A Day On The Road | Megyn Kelly TODAY

TODAY

8 Feb 201805:57

Summary

TLDRThe video script explores the growing issue of 'super commuting' in the United States, where individuals like Bernadette Price endure a three-hour commute daily due to the high cost of living near their workplaces. Price, who works at the San Francisco University Medical Center, is a prime example of the 3% of Americans who spend over 90 minutes commuting to and from work. The script highlights the struggle of essential workers, such as cops, firefighters, and teachers, who are forced to live far from their jobs due to housing costs, while tech giants profit immensely. The conversation also touches on the efforts to find affordable housing solutions and the potential impact of innovative transportation ideas like Elon Musk's proposed 'Hyperloop'.

Takeaways

🚇 Commuting long hours is becoming a more common phenomenon known as 'super commuting'.
🏥 Bernadette Price, a healthcare worker in San Francisco, endures a three-hour commute daily due to the high cost of living in the city.
💸 The cost of living in San Francisco is so high that even low-income housing is unaffordable for Bernadette, who earns $64,000 a year.
👨‍👦 Bernadette's 13-year-old son feels sad about not being able to see his mother in the mornings due to her long commute.
🌆 Bernadette wakes up at 3:00 AM and often leaves home before sunrise, returning only after sunset.
📈 The median home value in San Francisco is $1.293 million, which is a significant factor in why people are super commuting.
🏘️ In comparison to San Francisco, the median home value in Stockton is significantly lower at $274,000, prompting people to live further away.
📊 Super commuting is on the rise in 40 out of 50 states, with double-digit increases between 2010 and 2015.
🤔 There is a debate about implementing additional taxes to fund affordable housing, with some people resisting the idea.
🚄 Elon Musk has proposed a 'hyperloop' super rail that could drastically reduce travel times, but it is yet to materialize.
🌟 Essential workers like cops, firefighters, and teachers are among those most affected by the need to super commute.

Q & A

What is the phenomenon of 'super commuting' as mentioned in the script?
-Super commuting refers to the situation where individuals spend over 90 minutes each way commuting to and from work, often due to the high cost of living in proximity to their workplace.
How long is Bernadette Price's commute from her home to the San Francisco University Medical Center?
-Bernadette Price's commute is three hours each way, totaling six hours of travel daily, not including her actual work hours.
Why does Bernadette Price have to commute such a long distance?
-Bernadette Price has to commute a long distance because living near her workplace in San Francisco is too expensive.
What is the cost of living near Bernadette's workplace in San Francisco, according to the script?
-The cost of living near Bernadette's workplace is so high that a studio apartment in a shady area would cost $4,500 per month.
What is the median home value in San Francisco, as stated in the script?
-The median home value in San Francisco is $1.293 million.
How does Bernadette's son feel about not being able to see his mom in the mornings?
-Bernadette's son feels kind of sad because he wants to spend more time with her, but her long commute prevents that.
What percentage of Americans are considered 'super commuters' according to the script?
-3% of all Americans are now considered super commuters.
What is the situation in Stockton where Bernadette lives, in terms of super commuting?
-In Stockton, where Bernadette lives, the percentage of super commuters is higher at 8%.
What is the median home value in Stockton, as compared to San Francisco?
-In Stockton, the median home value is significantly lower at $274,000, compared to almost $1.3 million in San Francisco.
What is the impact of the high cost of housing on essential workers like cops, firefighters, and teachers?
-The high cost of housing is forcing essential workers to either commute long distances or be priced out of living near their workplaces, which can affect their quality of life and potentially the services they provide.
What is the proposed solution mentioned in the script to address the issue of affordable housing?
-One proposed solution mentioned in the script is to implement an extra tax on everyone's purchase to pay for affordable housing, although this idea is met with resistance from those who do not want to pay additional taxes.

Outlines

00:00

🚇 The Struggle of Super Commuting

The first paragraph introduces the concept of 'super commuting,' a phenomenon where individuals endure extremely long commutes to their workplaces. The story of Bernadette Price is highlighted, who commutes three hours each way from her home to her job at the University Medical Center in San Francisco. The high cost of living in San Francisco is cited as the reason for her not living closer to her workplace, with an example given of a $4,500 monthly rent for a studio apartment in a shady area. Bernadette's daily routine is detailed, including rushing to catch buses and her efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle despite the grueling commute. The segment also touches on the impact of her commute on her family life, as she has to leave home before sunrise and return after sunset, missing out on quality time with her 13-year-old son, E.J.

05:00

🏠 The Housing Crisis and Elon Musk's Proposed Solution

The second paragraph delves into the broader issue of the housing crisis in the United States, particularly in San Francisco, where the median home value is over $1.3 million. The discussion points out that essential workers like cops, firefighters, and teachers are forced to commute long distances because they cannot afford to live in the cities where they work. The contrast is made with tech giants who earn substantial incomes. The segment also mentions a proposal in Nantucket to impose an extra tax on purchases to fund affordable housing, which is met with resistance from wealthier individuals. Towards the end, Elon Musk's ambitious plan for a 'super rail' that could potentially reduce travel times significantly is mentioned, although it is noted that there is no concrete evidence of this plan's progress.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Commute

Commuting refers to the act of traveling a long distance to and from work or school on a regular basis. In the video's context, it highlights the struggle of individuals who spend excessive time traveling daily to their jobs, such as Bernadette Price who commutes three hours each way to her job at the San Francisco University Medical Center.

💡Super Commuting

Super commuting is a term used to describe the phenomenon where individuals travel more than 90 minutes one-way to work. It is a growing trend, as mentioned in the video, with 3% of all Americans and 8% of people in Stockton falling into this category. The script illustrates the impact of this trend on people's lives, such as Bernadette's three-hour commute from Stockton to San Francisco.

💡Housing Affordability

Housing affordability refers to the ability of people to afford housing in a particular area. The video discusses how the high cost of living in San Francisco, with a median home value of $1.293 million, forces people like Bernadette to live far away and commute long distances. This keyword is central to understanding the economic pressures that contribute to the rise of super commuting.

💡San Francisco

San Francisco is a city in California known for its high cost of living and booming tech industry. In the video, it is depicted as a place where many people, including essential workers like Bernadette, cannot afford to live due to the high housing costs, leading to long commutes from more affordable areas like Stockton.

💡Stockton

Stockton is a city in California that is more affordable than San Francisco, as highlighted in the video. It is where Bernadette lives and has a median home value of $274,000 compared to San Francisco's nearly $1.3 million. The comparison between these two cities underscores the disparity in housing costs and the resulting long commutes for workers.

💡Income Inequality

Income inequality refers to the uneven distribution of wealth among a population. The video touches on this concept when discussing how tech giants in San Francisco are making 'gazillions of dollars' while essential workers like cops, firefighters, and teachers struggle with the high cost of living and long commutes.

💡Quality of Life

Quality of life encompasses an individual's overall well-being, including their living conditions, work-life balance, and general happiness. The video script shows how super commuting negatively impacts quality of life, as seen in Bernadette's struggle to spend time with her son and the emotional toll it takes on her family.

💡Urban Sprawl

Urban sprawl is the expansion of human populations away from central urban areas into suburban and rural areas. The video mentions that people are not only moving to the suburbs but beyond them to find affordable housing, which is a direct result of urban sprawl and the increasing trend of super commuting.

💡Elon Musk

Elon Musk is an entrepreneur and CEO of companies like Tesla and SpaceX. In the video, he is mentioned as a potential solution to the commuting problem with his proposed 'Hyperloop' transportation system, which aims to reduce travel times drastically. However, the script also expresses skepticism about the practicality and current status of this solution.

💡Public Services

Public services refer to services provided by the government to ensure the welfare of its citizens, such as healthcare, education, and public safety. The video emphasizes the importance of public service workers like Bernadette, who works at a medical center, and the challenges they face due to long commutes and housing affordability issues.

💡Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is the equilibrium between an individual's work responsibilities and personal life. The video script illustrates the difficulty of achieving a healthy work-life balance for super commuters like Bernadette, who has to wake up early, spend hours commuting, and struggle to find time with her family.

Highlights

Commuting for three hours each way is becoming more common, a phenomenon called 'super commuting'.

Bernadette Price's story illustrates the struggle of having a three-hour commute to her job at San Francisco's University Medical Center.

The high cost of living in San Francisco forces many to live far away and endure long commutes.

3% of Americans are now considered 'super commuters', spending over 90 minutes each way to work.

In Stockton, where Bernadette lives, the percentage of super commuters is even higher at 8%.

Bernadette's daily routine includes rushing to catch buses and BART to avoid a long and expensive commute.

The impact of long commutes on family life, as Bernadette's son expresses sadness at not seeing his mom in the mornings.

The irony that essential workers like cops, firefighters, and teachers face long commutes while tech giants profit immensely.

The median home value in San Francisco is $1.293 million, pricing out many workers.

In contrast, the median home value in Stockton is $274,000, showing the stark difference in living costs.

The rise in super commuting is happening in 40 out of the 50 states, with double-digit increases between 2010 and 2015.

The discussion on the lack of affordable housing and the struggle to find solutions in California.

A proposed solution in Nantucket to add an extra tax on purchases to fund affordable housing.

The debate over who should bear the cost of addressing the housing crisis and the reluctance of the wealthy to pay more taxes.

Elon Musk's proposed 'Hyperloop' as a potential solution to reduce commute times drastically.

The importance of addressing the super commuting issue to ensure essential services are not compromised.