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Congratulations to Nathan Stanford Sr., winner of WTOP's 2013 Commuter Idle contest! See his story below.
People at my work were asking be about my win and when I was going to use my limo ride. My wife and kids were listening to the radio and screaming. My other son and his wife were listening and yelling too. It was fun to hear all of the stories and I am just so excited to win. I know there were plenty of people who could have won even some who did not enter the contest. There are 28 commuter buses in the morning coming into Washington D.C. from Kent Island and if you take an average of 30 people on each bus that is 840 people coming into D.C. in the morning commute.
WASHINGTON - Nathan Stanford Sr.'s computer programming job in the Rosslyn area of Arlington, Va., is nearly 100 miles from his Delaware home. Commuting in the morning takes more than three hours.
In the afternoon, trips can take even longer -- beach traffic destined for Ocean City, Md., and Delaware can clog roads. Casinos and NASCAR events also draw crowds.
Plus, Stanford's not a morning person. But if that's the case, why take a job that requires a 3 a.m. alarm and a horrendous commute?
"So I could have my family live near family members and be near the church I wanted to go to," says Stanford, who lives in Harrington, Del.
Stanford's five-day-a-week journey involves driving from Delaware to a commuter bus lot on Kent Island, Md. The bus takes him to Foggy Bottom in D.C., where he catches a Metro train to Rosslyn. Adding up all his expenses, Stanford says the commute costs about $600 a month.
Stanford and his wife Stacey have three sons.
"My dad's commute stinks because I don't get to see him often," says 9-year-old Christopher, the youngest.
Family sacrifices also include Stacey Stanford losing sleep.
"When Nathan's alarm goes off in the mornings at 3 o'clock I have to make sure that he hears it," she says. "When he finally does go to sleep [at night] he is a very deep sleeper and doesn't always hear his alarm."
Stanford admits it's not easy.
"I'm always looking for options so I can find a telecommute job or a closer-to-home job. Even one or two days a week to telecommute" would be an improvement, he says.
Stanford's current job doesn't allow him to telecommute, and he says computer programming jobs closer to home pay tens of thousands of dollars less. Delaware's lower taxes and cost of living also make it easier for Stacey to be a stay-at-home mom.
If the family lived closer to his job, Stanford says living expenses would force Stacey to work and the children would have to spend time in other people's care.
"I'd rather my wife be able to be the one taking care of the kids, raising them and giving them their family values," he says.
Hear Stanford explain his commute below:
Follow @WTOP on Twitter.
© 2013 WTOP. All Rights Reserved.


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Ask the Doctor
Questions about kidney disease? Risk factors? Signs and symptoms? Are you concerned about yourself, a friend or family member? Ask Dr. Spry.
The National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP®), reached over 185,000 individuals at increased risk for developing kidney disease between August 2000 and June 2013.
KEEP screenings were offered across the United States to individuals 18 years and older with high blood pressure, diabetes or a family history of kidney failure. KEEP helped to raise awareness about kidney disease among high risk individuals and provide free testing and educational information, so that kidney disease and its complications could be prevented or delayed.
KEEP participants received the following services at the screening:
After the screening, the National Kidney Foundation:
A number of papers on KEEP have been published in numerous peer reviewed journals. To learn more about KEEP and its data findings, visit the links below:
KEEP Healthy is a community-based initiative to educate about the kidneys, risk factors for kidney disease, and steps to take to keep kidneys healthy and reduce risk.

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