Going Downtown

Some companies like Amazon are ordering workers back in to the office. My employer is not (yet), but I did visit our downtown Seattle office last week. The presence of people sleeping on the streets and under the influence of drugs can’t be missed. Both entering the office from my car, and leaving to the car later felt very unsafe. This is not just an anecdotal observation. There has been one stabbing and one shooting in the area in the last few weeks, both random acts of violence.

If you are a knowledge worker why would you choose to go into the office? The opportunity costs of time lost to the commute, the expense of parking or transit, and then lunch all add up. All to use the same internet you can use at home. It feels to me like a $100 stipend per day would be the minimum to make the effort worth it, and not for all five days a week.