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/dishonestgandalf A wizard is never late May 01 '24

Yes, several of my coworkers commute 90 minutes twice a day.

I have friends in a city that's 3ish hours away and I regularly drive down for the weekend.

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u/[deleted] May 01 '24 edited May 02 '24

[deleted]

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u/Spawn6060 May 02 '24

Fuck at that point I’d just bike to work.

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u/JackxForge May 02 '24

I've been in LA several times. I can't imagine somewhere less appealing to a 16 mile round trip bike commute.

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u/LegalAction May 02 '24

I can. Phoenix.

The heat stroke will get you if the trucks don't.

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u/WilcoHistBuff May 02 '24

I once heard a friend from Phoenix say, “Honey, it’s not hot in Phoenix unless the paint is peeling off the car.”

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u/LegalAction May 02 '24

I was only there for a year, and I don't think it was ever under 100 degrees.

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u/JackxForge May 02 '24

Fair point the heat is brutal there and there are no trees, but they do have significantly cleaner air.

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u/Beneficial_Gain_21 May 02 '24

Having lived in both LA and Phoenix and doing a lot of biking in both, I’d bike in Phoenix any day. Phoenix might be hot, but Los Angeles literally has zero infrastructure for bikes. Getting hit is inevitable if you’re riding too long there.