Bryan Davis and Lee Baglow are enjoying the move to public transport
This is the first of a series where Unitec staff share how they have found different ways to commute beyond the one person/one car model. First up is Lee Baglow, who has a long commute from the other side of the Bombay Hills, and Bryan Davis, who had never been on a bus.
Back on track
Lee Baglow, Head of School, Trades & Services
Lee Baglow – auto-engineer by trade and self-confessed car lover – bought his first car as 17-year-old apprentice mechanic. “It was a Mark I Vauxhall Cavalier. It cost me £350 and I absolutely loved it,” he says.
More cars followed. “I’ve had heaps of cars and the absolute greatest of all time was my Rover SD1 3500, that was my baby.”
Driving the highways is one thing but being stuck in traffic is another. “It destroys the fun of driving,” says Lee. He recently ditched the long commute from Pōkeno and now drives to Papakura and takes the train the rest of the way. The train trip is longer, but more enjoyable, he says.
“Commuting by car, I’d arrive fuming, but now I arrive feeling calm and on top of things – having been able to start work from 6.30 onwards,” he says. “I’m also more relaxed at the end of the day, not having to leave in a prescribed window to get the jump on the traffic. I catch the train at the time that suits me.”
Plus, the savings: driving from Pōkeno cost $120 per week for fuel, plus all the on-road costs, compared with half the drive to Papakura and a $54 weekly train ticket. Catching the train during the week has opened the car back up as a weekend pleasure, says Lee. “Now if my wife and I feel like a weekend coffee, we can enjoy a trip to Matamata.”
On the bus
Bryan Davis, Academic Programme Manager, School of Trades and Services
Before joining Unitec, Bryan Davis was the National Service Manager at Honda New Zealand. Although he says he’s not a car fanatic, Bryan drove some fabulous cars during his time at Honda – and drove around New Zealand a minimum of 20-30 times.
Like Lee Baglow, Bryan loves the open road and the freedom that driving can deliver. “Trouble is, you don’t get to experience either during the congested morning commute,” he says.
The recent Unitec car park closures, and Auckland Transport’s offer to Unitec staff of a two-week free HOP card prompted Bryan to “give the bus a crack”.
After a lifetime of driving, the first time he was on the bus, Bryan automatically put his hand up for the safety belt.
Bryan says there’s the odd quirky moment; after a lifetime of driving, the first time he was on the bus, he automatically put his hand up for the safety belt, but mostly he zones out and gets stuck into emails. “Working on the bus means I arrive at Unitec prepared and good to go. If a situation occurs first thing, I can deal with it promptly and safely while on the bus.”
Losing the freedom that the personal vehicle allows can be a challenge, he says, but when he needs a car to get to a work meeting, he books one through Unitec. Bryan says he likes the discipline of finishing at a regular time, leaving to catch the bus and be home. “When you have a car, you end up staying on working late because you can.”