The daily commute

It is undoubtedly true that a large part of the population of a polis were "city-farmers" and that was possible because the great majority of city-states were so small. If the territory of a city-state as a circle with the city in the middle, a territory of 200 square kilometers would have had a radius of 8 km. People could well walk 5–10 km every day (or ride a donkey) to go to and from work. That is something many modern historians find diffcult to conceive but to which they need to acclimatise themselves: in ancient times people’s daily mobility was much greater than is normally allowed, and it seemed entirely natural for farmers to go out of the city daily to their plots and back again.

(Mogens Herman Hansen: Polis, an Introduction to the Ancient Greek City-State)

Someone should write a history of the daily commute. What? Too trivial a theme, you say? Bah. If there's a history of the toothpick, I don't see why there can't be a history of the daily commute.

Bonus points if the author makes it the central, all-explaining factor in his vision of History. Like the idea of class struggle within marxism, the daily commute would lay at the heart of every acceptable historical narrative. For example: the fall of empires could be explained because the commutes got too long, leaving no time for actual work and causing rebellions by exasperated, disheveled workers. Or: great efflorescences in art begin when commutes get long enough for bored people to start pondering some artsy project to pass the time.

By the way, IBM says commuting will be less tiresome in the future:

IBM's contention that driving will become safer and less aggravating may be particularly tantalizing for many. The company said that during the next five years, a "wave of connectivity" between vehicles and roadways will help keep traffic flowing smoothly, drive down pollution and get you to your destination easier, "without the stress."

(from this article in Computerworld)

Yeah, sure.