As a late-comer to this thread, allow me to expound my wisdom, unhindered by having actually READ any of this thread! (Thus making myself an instant expert on the topic!)

Commuting is, in itself, incapable of being a hobby, since it is, by definition, the act of getting from where you live to where you work. An exception to this rule is if you work where you live, or live where you work.

This leaves the mode of commuting and route planning as the only items eligible for "hobbification." For example, a train buff can have a hobby of commuting by different metro/subway lines, and a Jay Leno type can commute in a variety of barely street-legal vehicles. (It may actually be fun to drive to work every day in a Stanley Steamer!) Another example would be route planning as a hobby, so you can have different experiences to your place of work and back. This could involve commuting by many different modes, such as bicycle, train, bus, and/or taxi-cab/ride-share.

Having laid out my foundation of definitions, I am now prepared to proffer my opinion, unburdened by such trivial matters as actual facts, the feelings of others, or the Thought Process in general. So, here goes...


Since commuting is an unavoidable necessity, people can only be offended by lack of results, i.e. not getting to work on time (or at all), this class of offended people are named "employers." As long as you successfully complete your task of "getting to work on time," indulging in any hobby you have during your commute, is not an activity capable of engendering feelings of "offendedness" in anyone.

An exception to this rule is the class of people who work themselves into tortured logic chains of questionable cause-and-effect, and seem to themselves have a hobby of being offended by things. I call this class of people "Easily Offended Idiots." It is okay to give the opinions of these people short shrift, but tread carefully, since this class of people have their personal attorneys on speed-dial.

This about sums up my pointless blathering carefully thought out essay on the question of offensiveness of commuting as a hobby. I shall now go back, and actually, like, READ or at least skim, all the replies in this thread, so I can bask in all the facets and aspects of how much of an idiot I just made of myself.