Fake commutes one way to keep bit of sanity

Many taking drives to keep a sense of normalcy, Sylvain Charlebois says.

Apparently, fake commutes are a thing.

According to some human resources professionals, some people will simply take their cars, the bus or the metro to start the day or else for a break to establish some sort of daily routine.

Not much data to prove anything at this point, but still, it is a fascinating phenomenon.

Some indicators may suggest that some people do fake commute. For example, morning coffee sales at several outlets have not dropped to the extent many had predicted early on during the pandemic.

With telecommuting, many really expected breakfast sales to decline by at least 30 per cent due to a disrupted morning routine. But that did not really happen. Tim Hortons's financial results tell us that many consumers are still driving around.

Sales before noon fell by only about 11 per cent, while dining rooms are almost always empty. It is the same across the country. On the other hand, drive-throughs are busier than ever. Tim Hortons reported that sales have doubled since last year. Drive-thru sales have even tripled at some locations.

Same story at A&W, another iconic Canadian chain.

Susan Senecal, president and CEO of the chain, mentioned recently that most of her restaurants receive regular visits from individuals or families who drive around and will stop by for a bite without visiting the dining room. Many will eat in the car.

People are simply looking for something to do as they attempt to normalize their lives. Sales at A&W have declined indeed, as at Tim Hortons, but it is no disaster and the fake commutes, fake outings are likely helping many restaurants weather the COVID-19 storm.

Office spaces everywhere remain empty, despite the traffic. In some cities, more than 60 per cent of people who can work from home still do so. And since not everyone has a new coffee maker at home and uses it regularly, discreet daily or weekly visits could be happening.

Hard to prove, as all we have are anecdotes. But still.

In spite of the headaches that commuting can cause, from sitting in traffic to being crammed into a bus or a crowded subway car, it now seems that there may be some psychological and mental advantages to our once hated daily travel routines.

Our thirst for normality and perhaps the freedom we had before COVID, seems apparent. A fake commute for a coffee or a meal at our favourite restaurant — why not?

Mental health is clearly an important topic these days. Pretending to go to our old workplace is a tiny, yet innocent solution that can possibly help.

But as more and more Canadians continue to work from home, experts say it is increasingly important to find ways to make the transition from work to home in some physical way.

A recent survey by the Center for American Economic Policy Research found that 35 per cent of employees who do telecommute used the time saved by not commuting doing more work at home.

But according to the same survey, an increasing number of employees will go for a car ride or use public transit daily or weekly just to get out of the house. People need to get replenished, energized and to physically separate themselves from the workplace.

Restaurants were the daily psychological anchor for many before COVID-19 and people don't want to give that up. Who can blame them?

It can seem strange to see people driving around, buying a coffee, a muffin, a sandwich only to go home afterwards.

A routine is a precious thing and a disrupted routine can profoundly impact people's ability to function.

So, if you are tempted to fake commute so you can get that well-deserved coffee prepared by someone else, go for it.

You need the break. After all, it's 2020. A restaurant, out there, will be waiting.