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Moot Commute By Jim Rendon Outside of the obvious--move closer to your job, get a job closer to where you live, or get rich and retire--there are a few things that may help cut down on the portion of your life spent in gridlock. Telecommuting, a fancy high-tech phrase for working at home, will certainly go a long way to quelling road rage. A lot of companies already have telecommuting policies in place. Others are lagging behind. If you need to convince a reluctant manager of the benefits of working from home, there are some pretty good statistics out there to back up even the lamest argument. Studies have shown that working at home improves productivity by 15 percent to 30 percent, not to mention making the homebound employee happier and the environment healthier. And the company will save on the three cups of company coffee it takes you to get through the day, all the electricity you use and those personal overseas calls that you thought no one noticed you were making from your cubicle. In the event that your job requires a bodily presence, Rides for the Bay Area (www.rides.org), can help get you there faster, cheaper and with better conversation. Rides helps weary solo commuters start a carpool by finding others with similar commutes and schedules. Carpooling buys commuters access to the sorely underused diamond lane, which provides the added benefit of the adrenaline rush carpoolers get soaring past gridlocked traffic at 70 miles per hour. The organization also has information on van pooling, public transit and biking to work. Streamlined Living: Pare down and live simply. Put Up Yer Dukes: Don't get mad, get even. Cruising: Transit made simple.     The Rail World     Plug In Your Car     Get Out Of Jail Free Soul Relief: Free your inner self. Get in on the Gold Rush: Grab a fistful of cash and join the party. Domestic Bliss: Make your house into a home. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]