Re: I saw the future today.

On Mar 31, 3:49=A0pm, Jette <bossl...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Nate Edel wrote:
> > Jette <bossl...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> >> rkshul...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote:
> >>> Perhaps I should have added "comfortably and safely". A thousand
mile =
trip
> >>> implies quite a bit more time in the vehicle along with quite a bit
mo=
re
> >>> stuff (we don't usually drive a thousand miles then turn around and
co=
me
> >>> back). I've done long trips in subcompacts and have no desire to do
so=

> >>> again.
>
> > I've driven coast to coast in a cheap but fairly spacious compact
(Caval=
ier)
> > and a tiny two-door (Fiero) and the Fiero was actually the more
comforta=
ble
> > of the two.
>
> >> A thousand miles and I'd want to get a train - even a big car
wouldn't
> >> be comfortable enough for that long a journey. =A0Heck, I wouldn't
even=

> >> drive 500 miles to London if I could avoid it.
>
> > 1000 miles is longer than I care to drive as well, unless the goal is
mo=
ving
> > the car more than moving myself. =A0Given the lack of decent
inter-city =
trains
> > in the parts of the US I've had to travel, anything under 4-5 hours is
> > definitely driving distance, anything over 8 hours is definitely
flying
> > distance. =A0 What that translates to in miles can be a bit variable
dep=
ending
> > on local traffic and speed limits.
>
> I will admit that my "one day when I retire dream" is to drive across
> the US with a big RV - but in that case the journey would be the
> *point* - not the arrival (and the RV would negate the necessity for
> hotels, motels, public bathrooms and dodgy diners)

I'll concede you public bathrooms, but...

Hotels, motels, and dodgy diners are part of the point of the Road
Trip.
Would you rather avoid meeting the locals altogether? Read William
Least Heat Moon, or even Bill Bryson (who I dislike).

Back in 1976, my parents rented a 22' yacht of a Ford Crown
Victoria LTD, added a CB radio, and the 5 of us drove from NY to
California and back, taking in the sights, and staying at cheap (but
not rock bottom) motels. Best trip of my life (I was 19).

Peter Trei