From San Diego to Singapore, we all want to get to work as quickly and conveniently as possible. For many of us, our commute consists of spending an hour underground with next to no personal space or stuck in traffic for what can seem like an eternity. That’s why the top 10 crazy methods below are worth a look – they prove that ingenuity (and a dash of daring) can turn a boring slog into a story worth telling.
top 10 crazy Commutes That Defy Convention
10 Paramotor
Most workdays, Paul Cox strolls into his office with a four‑stroke motor tucked into a suitcase. He isn’t a mechanic or a budding engineer – he simply straps on a paramotor when the weather permits. His ten‑mile trek across Anglesey, Wales, lets him literally soar over the traffic, landing at Holyhead Boatyard where he serves the Royal Navy.
The £8,000 motor does demand a morning ritual of assembly and checks, but Paul swears the panoramic coastal views make it all worthwhile. The thrill comes with a price, though. In 2019, Tom Prince, who learned to paramotor solely to commute, tragically crashed into an electrical power line, reminding us that high‑altitude commuting isn’t without danger.
9 Rail Cart
A quick online image search for the Philippines will show hundreds of beautiful tropical islands and lush forests. Yet beyond the tourism brochures, the nation grapples with over 4.5 million homeless residents, 21.6 % of the population living below the national poverty line.
In Manila, a group of homeless individuals known as “trolley boys” push makeshift rail carts – essentially wooden benches fitted with train wheels – along the sprawling network of active train tracks. For many, these carts double as sleeping berths after a grueling 16‑hour workday.
At just two cents per kilometre, the carts are dramatically cheaper than conventional buses or trains and cut straight through traffic. The trade‑off is a constant risk: the tracks remain live, and accidents are not uncommon. The trolley boys rely on intimate knowledge of train schedules to keep themselves and their passengers safe, and most commuters can recount a narrow‑escape tale.
8 Climbing
As kids, many of us got to school via a short walk, a bus ride, or in the back of a parent’s car. For the children of Zhang Jiawan, a village in southern China, the school commute resembles an extreme sport. An intricate network of precarious wooden ladders helps students – some as young as five – scale the Badagong mountains to reach their school perched on the summit.
The ladders are unsecured, simply resting against the rock face, and there are no safety harnesses. Children are warned not to look down as they ascend. While the government has pledged a $10 million project to build a safer route, the 100‑person village will have to wait longer for relief.
If the ladders don’t appeal, families can opt for a four‑hour cross‑country detour that skirts the mountain entirely, turning the daily trek into a marathon rather than a climb.
7 Wicker Sledges
In the 19th century, wicker sledges resembling toboggans were the go‑to method for locals sliding down the hills of Monte to the city centre of Madeira. Two “carreiros” – still dressed in traditional white cotton and straw hats – would push the sledges, once the preferred transport for businessmen in the region.
Today the toboggan‑style sledges are largely a tourist attraction, with thousands of visitors sliding their way down each year. The popular 2 km route to Livramento takes roughly ten minutes, reaching speeds of up to 48 km/h. A ride costs about €30, and occasional locals still use the traditional mode to commute.
6 Swimming
If you were asked to swim through a river teeming with water snakes to get to work, you’d probably decline. Yet for Abdul Malik, a teacher in Kerala, India, a 1.5 km swim across the river is far faster than the 24 km road journey to the Muslim Lower Primary School where he teaches.
Since 1994, Malik has equipped himself with an inflatable tube around his waist and a waterproof bag for his daily supplies. After emerging from the water, he changes into dry clothes and completes a short walk to the school. Even during monsoon season, he prefers the swim because it shaves off the time lost in traffic and bus transfers.
Malik also turns the commute into a lesson, taking his students swimming and collecting floating plastic waste along the way. However, in the past two years he’s been forced to adopt the longer route after taking on additional responsibilities following the headmaster’s retirement.
5 Kayaking
Anyone who has braved the London Underground at rush hour knows the definition of cramped and uncomfortable. Opened in January 1863, the Tube now ferries roughly two million passengers daily, and its capacity is limited by the original tunnel dimensions.
George Bullard, a seasoned kayaker who once crossed the North Atlantic, grew tired of the subterranean bottleneck. He swapped his hour‑long Tube ride for a more tranquil 90‑minute paddle along the River Thames. The journey, while peaceful, isn’t without challenges: tidal shifts, unpredictable weather, and a constant stream of larger vessels mean there’s no chance to catch up on missed sleep before work.
George jokes that the Thames weather is “all part of the parcel,” embracing each splash and gust as part of his daily routine.
4 Zip Wire
When most people think of zip wires, they picture James Bond‑style action scenes. For families in Acacías, a small town 40 miles southeast of Bogotá, Colombia, a 1,300‑foot steel zip line is the quickest way to cross the valley and reach the nearest town.
Children zip across at speeds up to 64 km/h, soaring 365 m (1,200 ft) above the Rio Negro river. They control their descent by pressing a wooden fork against the cable, while younger siblings are carried in jute bags. The system dates back to 1804, when German explorer Alexander von Humboldt first observed locals using hemp ropes for transport.
Although a newer hiking trail offers a two‑hour trek, locals still favor the zip line for its speed and ease. It isn’t just for people – goods are also shuttled across the valley via the same cables.
3 Rowing
From 1997 to 2016, 74‑year‑old Gabriel Horchler rowed to work each morning as the Head of the Law Cataloguing Section at the Library of Congress. The idea struck him while stuck on a motorbike in heavy traffic, glancing at the Anacostia River and wondering if the water could be his shortcut.
His routine combined a short bike ride to the river, a 90‑minute rowing session, and another quick bike leg to the office, totaling about 90 minutes door‑to‑door. He chose this method for the serenity, the health benefits, and the chance to observe wildlife along the banks.
Rowing isn’t without risk: sudden rainstorms and shifting winds capsized him three times. Gabriel retired from his library role in 2016 but still rows the Anacostia on occasion for pleasure.
2 Swimming
Another aquatic commuter is 42‑year‑old Benjamin David, who grew weary of Munich’s congested streets. He packs his laptop, suit, and shoes into a waterproof bag, dons a wetsuit, and plunges into the Isar River, swimming directly to his riverside bar where he works.
David credits the river’s current for the ease of his commute. The roughly 2 km swim takes just twelve minutes, and he spends most of the time floating, aided by an inflatable waterproof bag he carries. He finds the experience more relaxed and faster than the traditional, drier route.
To protect his feet from hidden riverbed hazards, he wears rubber sandals throughout the journey.
1 Private Jet
A private plane is a dream many of us never get to live. For Curt von Badinski, however, a single‑engine turboprop is his daily ticket between Los Angeles and San Francisco – a 568 km hop each way that consumes six hours of his day.
After passing a background check, Curt bypasses the usual security hoops that ordinary travelers face. He pays $2,300 a month to Surf Air, granting him unlimited flights on the aircraft. To offset the sizable carbon footprint, he drives a hybrid vehicle from Oakland Airport to his San Francisco office.
Every morning, Curt checks the Bay‑Area weather, aware that San Francisco’s climate can differ wildly from Los Angeles. He sometimes wonders if moving closer would make sense, but the convenience of his airborne commute keeps him aloft.
0 Paddleboard
Our bonus entry goes to Scott Holt, a comedian who once turned a delayed train and pricey ferry into a viral moment by paddle‑boarding across the Hudson River in a full suit. When the train stalled, Holt grabbed his board, hopped on, and paddled his way straight to a crucial meeting.
The daring crossing captured worldwide attention, showcasing how a single‑person watercraft can replace an entire public‑transport network for a brief, high‑stakes dash. Though this stunt was a one‑off, it earned Holt a spot in the annals of unconventional commutes.
While Holt didn’t make the official top‑ten, his impromptu paddleboard sprint remains a testament to creativity when the usual options fall short.