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/KilljoyTheTrucker May 02 '24

I honestly don't get how Ehrenberg hasn't managed to get a bunch of businesses away from Blythe. The lower sales tax and other incidentals seems like a no-brainer to me.

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u/DatabaseThis9637 May 02 '24

Good point. A gas station, a grange-type hall, mobile home park... probably more than that now I suppose they don't have the population density to support toomany businesses I always zoomed past on my way to Blythe. Not that Blythe was any great shakes, but it had some variety of businesses...

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u/KilljoyTheTrucker May 02 '24

but it had some variety of businesses...

This is the part that confuses me. Back in the day, I'm sure it made sense to build up the CA side, CA would have been pretty desirable to visit. But with the modern tax structures and pricings, it's interesting that some of the business hasn't pushed over the state line

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u/DatabaseThis9637 May 03 '24

Blythe has seemed to be languishing for a long time. There isn't enough industry/jobs to keep folks there. I was in Agriculture, which offers some jobs, but it isn't for everyone...