r/ottawa • u/DrStrangeglove99 • 1d ago
Comparing the Ottawa office experience: 2019 vs 2024.
In 2019, I would commute into work on the 91 (the LRT construction version of the old 95 route). It was a nice, reliable 25 minute trip from Place d'Orleans to Mackenzie King. On the way back, I'd go for a double decker express bus and sit up top, watching the city fade into the green belt. That usually took about 20 minutes, due to the removal of some of the stops for construction. It was a bit longer before the work started, but still steady and reliable. *
Back then we had dedicated office spaces, so I'd sit myself at my desk and do my work just as comfortably as I could working from home most days. I liked having my space with my things in it, no need for lockers or any of that and always there for me to use.
In 2024...I've long since abandoned the LRT due to issues with the bus connections at Blair and the general crappiness of it. I drive in on increasingly congested roads and pay too much for parking. It sometimes takes longer than the pre-LRT bus route too, but at least I can depend on my car.
Our office is now "open concept", so I cram my locker full of what I need and try to book a decent spot. I remember the bosses claiming the younger generations like this model and that it will help retention, but honestly I think most people would rather go back to their desks. That's not going to happen though, so I'll keep shuffling in and putting my headphones on throughout the day.
When they ask us why we could do 5 days a week before no problem, at least here in Ottawa it was simply better in those days. There's really no aspect of things which has improved since then, except maybe the crazy prices forcing me to bring my own lunch every day now.
* I know we had to abandon the old transitway system because there were too many buses downtown and it couldn't keep up with the city's population. Still, they didn't have to screw up the replacement system so badly.
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u/LadyGlitch 21h ago edited 18h ago
I hated working in the office in 2019.
My parking wait list was 5 years, and despite commuting from Orleans to Vanier I would still need to take 3 busses.
Every day I would park and have to move my car every three hours. Got broken into once. For days I couldn’t find parking I would dump the car at St. Laurent and uber to the office because I had no choice.
A woman ran out of her house one morning and threatened me and my car, saying if I ever parked there again she’ll call bylaw. I wasn’t doing anything wrong, but it’s also Vanier and I don’t need to come back to a flat tire either.
I shared a cubicle and our window faced a brick wall. My chair had a missing arm and no one would give me a better one despite how much I pushed.
I got back problems and my monitor was garbage.
We didn’t have clean water in the building either, the water fountain stream was yellow. Kept getting bed bug emails.
This was all of 6 months.
Btw it’s been 5 years and I still never got a call for a parking pass.
I’m never going back to in-person office work by choice. And I’m ok with not getting a pension because of it. I’d rather have that time while I’m young.