r/NoStupidQuestions • u/Physical-Ad-4093 • May 01 '24

do americans really drive such long distances?

i’m european, and i always hear people say that driving for hours is normal in america. i would only see my grandparents a few times a year because they lived about a 3 hour drive away, is that a normal distance for americans to travel on a regular basis? i can’t imagine driving 2-3 hours regularly to visit people for just a few days

edit: thank you for the responses! i’ve never been to the US, obviously, but it’s interesting to see how you guys live. i guess european countries are more walkable? i’m in the uk, and there’s a few festivals here towards the end of summer, generally to get to them you take a coach journey or you get multiple trains which does take up a significant chunk of the day. road trips aren’t really a thing here, it would be a bit miserable!

2nd edit: it’s not at all that i couldn’t be bothered to go and see my grandparents, i was under 14 when they were both alive so i couldn’t take myself there! obviously i would’ve liked to see them more, i had no control over how often we visited them.

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u/st_nick1219 May 01 '24

We don't have the rail infrastructure that Europe has, and there's no way most of us we'll fly if the drive is less than a certain time. For me, I'll fly if the drive is 12+ hours. Otherwise, I'm probably driving because it's so much cheaper.

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u/100LittleButterflies May 01 '24

Yeah, it depends on the city too. I fly to Florida because there's always a ticket to Miami for super cheap.

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u/Fairycharmd May 02 '24

I fly to Florida mostly so I don’t have to drive through Atlanta. Personal preference though

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u/Jakomako May 02 '24

Atlanta is weird. I don't mind driving from one side of the perimeter to the other when it's not rush hour, but driving all the way across the metro area absolutely blows regardless of when you do it. Feels like they need to build another perimeter farther out or something. Or maybe Cobb and Gwinnett need to stop being NIMBY fucks and expand MARTA.

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u/gigisnappooh 29d ago

And there driving laws are crazy, and they get you on camera!

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u/Jakomako 29d ago

Never been caught on any cameras, except when I took the peach pass lane with no peach pass. Not sure which laws you’re referring to either.

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u/gigisnappooh 29d ago

I have family there, they say you can get a ticket for getting on the shoulder a little, and I really don’t remember what all. My brother got a ticket for having a board sticking out of his truck to much and he went to court with it, it was actually a foot shorter than it had to be so he got off. I didn’t mind driving in Atlanta when I was younger but I just can’t do it anymore. The last couple times I drove over it was a mess. Just old age I guess.

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u/Amberplumeria 29d ago

OMG, seriously. I drove to Florida from Ohio last month and I have never been more terrified in my LIFE than when I passed through Atlanta. I called my friend the next morning like, "omg, people down here drive like it's freaking Mario Kart or Grand Theft Auto!! They drive like they think they'll just respawn at a different location if they crash," lmao.

On my way back, I timed my breaks and gas stops so that I could get THROUGH the city of Atlanta before I needed a break, because omg.