This seems to be why senior executives are so out of touch on the issue. "I don't see what the big deal about commuting to the office is. Just buy a $12 million house in the middle of Palo Alto"

There's the rub. The salaries look huge but they don't take into account the mental cost of commuting or the negative externality placed on people whose environments are rearranged to accommodate people from outside that region. Of course, the salaries are the reason it's so expensive (fueled by the few who choose to live that close) but that indicates that the housing surrounding the HQs won't accommodate a workforce with a reasonable commute.

This isn't just some unimportant whining. It's the source of a large chunk of your carbon footprint. And electric or autonomous cars won't make that go away.