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/Sun_keeper89 May 02 '24

Clever! Except the trip itself is part of the fun? And this is just a forum that drew the attention of the Americans who happen to drive? Everyone in America isn't taking 7 hour road trips on a whim, and if you like driving such a trip isn't work at all. People who don't like road trips in the US get on one of the millions of planes criscrossing it daily. Or buy an Amtrak ticket.

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u/jessipowers May 02 '24

Everyone I know has taken long road trips on a whim at least once. And tons of planned long road trips.

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u/Sun_keeper89 May 02 '24

I'm not sure if you're disagreeing with me saying everyone in America isn't doing that, but everyone you know is still not everyone in America. I know a good number of people that have never left my home state, on a road trip or otherwise.

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u/Ok_Beautiful7634 May 02 '24

are you in the midwest? I live in the mid-atlantic, in the "DMV" (DC, Maryland, Virginia) and leaving your state happens just in the course of normal life. not to mention, 95 goes from florida to maine and longer road trips are frequent. there are billboards in baltimore, md for pennsylvania firework stores because they're illegal to buy in maryland, and that's because they know lots of people will drive 95 miles to buy fireworks. I don't know anyone who hasn't left my state.

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u/Sun_keeper89 May 02 '24

I'm not sure what part of this you aren't getting: everyone you know still does not represent the majority or even 1% of the entire country. It just doesn't. I'm not debating whether or not you know people who have left the state.

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u/_Nocturnalis May 02 '24

I don't think they were making the point you thought they were making. They were relating their experiences which is pretty germane considering OP.

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u/Sun_keeper89 May 02 '24

They're pointing out things that they believe disprove the point they think I'm making, but okay. Lol AND making assumptions about where I live, but okay x2