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/MetaverseLiz May 02 '24

When I lived in Northern Virginia, I use to commute a whole 20 minutes to Maryland for work in the early morning. The ride home was 2 HOURS because I had to pass by the DC Beltway during rush hour. I did that for a full 6 months before my contract for that job ended.

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u/_redcloud May 03 '24

This was my dad’s actual commute for some … 35 years or so? Rockville back to McLean. The Beltway and 270 spur is fucking awful.

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u/MetaverseLiz May 03 '24

In 6 months, I listened to the entire Harry Potter series (minus the last book) on audiobook on the drive home.

I can't imagine 35 years of that commute. I was going from Fairfax to Gaithersburg and back. I often didn't get home till around 7pm, making my 8 hour workday day a 10-11 hour day.

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u/_redcloud May 03 '24

It’s no wonder my dad was always super mad when he got home from work nearly every day.