My friend Amy started wearing contacts earlier this year and she's had a pretty different experience I think. She often turns up in the pub after work having swapped back to glasses just for comfort, and with her eyes looking quite tired and sore. She doesn't work in a particularly harsh environment - she's a stage manager at a local theatre.
I also remember my brother taking on contacts back in around 1989-ish (I don't think I've seen him since then but that's another thread!) and he seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time ****ing with little vials of saline solution and other such sanitary bullshit. I think that's what put me off.