LA Post: $100 a day to get to work? L.A. woman's viral video causes online debate

A young woman's video about her daily commute costs went viral in Los Angeles. Tiana Arriaga, 24, shared a TikTok clip detailing her $100 daily expense for Uber trips to her workplace situated 14 miles from home, sparking widespread online discussion. The video, racking up an impressive 1.4 million views, shed light on Arriaga's pricey commute and ignited a lively internet debate on the matter. Arriaga does not own a car, making the 14-mile journey to work infeasible on foot. While some questioned why she doesn't use public transportation, Arriaga told Newsweek that option would add an hour to her commute each way due to her schedule working two jobs back-to-back. "I don't have a car currently, and I have another job that I do before going to the one that's 14 miles away, with only an hour gap in between," said Arriaga. "I wouldn't have time to take public transportation as it would take about an hour longer on the bus or train." The $100 daily cost for Uber trips has been a significant financial burden for Arriaga, who started taking the rideshares in June 2024 after moving apartments. For the full five-day workweek, she spends $500 on transportation. "It was incredibly annoying to see $100 leave her account each day," Arriaga admitted. Fortunately, Arriaga's employer understood her predicament and stepped in to alleviate some of the financial burden by agreeing to cover $50 of her daily transportation costs until her office relocated closer to home. While most workers face commute times under an hour, statistics reveal that Arriaga's journey duration exceeding 60 minutes each way is relatively uncommon, experienced by a mere 5% of the workforce. The most common commute length is 15-29 minutes. The pandemic-driven rise of remote work means 23% of workers no longer face a daily commute at all. Still, for those like Arriaga relying on rideshares, the costs can be exorbitant. Her videos on the $100 daily Uber expenditure drew various reactions online. Some criticized her choice, suggesting cheaper public transit. Others empathized, having faced similar costly commutes. "Half of the comments relate to it since some people have no other way to get to work, and it does cut into their paycheck," said Arriaga. "The other half don't fully understand why I do it, so they just assume I'm dumb." Arriaga is thankful her office will relocate closer to her home by the end of the month, eliminating the need for such expensive rides. Her viral video highlights the tricky transportation realities many workers face when jobs are distant and affordable options limited.

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