# A four thousand dollar trip to Europe for a fourteen year old? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 25, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939 "2015-03-25T14:11:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/21 "2015-03-25T15:29:52Z")
I really want to post a link to the “save my house” thread in reply to her OP, with a “sorry, my money’s going to an actual good cause” but that’d get me a warning apparently ☹ ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/22 "2015-03-25T15:31:51Z")
Which brings up a good question. Is a link to this PIT thread allowed in the begging for money thread? ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/23 "2015-03-25T15:36:15Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Which brings up a good question. Is a link to this PIT thread allowed in the begging for money thread? A subtle link in reply to [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18235143&postcount=27) might be okay? ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/24 "2015-03-25T15:49:17Z")
That must be one of the more insane things I have read on the Dope, and I’ve read some weird shit here. A $4,000 holiday for a 14 year old? Fucking hell. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/25 "2015-03-25T15:50:37Z")
Well, I’LL be chipping in!! Just as soon as my broken shoulder heals. So I can get back to my research and finish my PhD. And then get a job. And pay back my massive student loan debt. And mortgage. And send my girls to college. And save for retirement. After that’s all taken care of, you’re totally in my top ten priorities. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/26 "2015-03-25T15:52:12Z")
> [@Cinnamon\_Imp](#): > > A subtle link in reply to [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18235143&postcount=27) might be okay? I just asked in the ABTMB forum if its allowed. We shall see. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/27 "2015-03-25T15:53:29Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > That must be one of the more insane things I have read on the Dope, and I’ve read some weird shit here. A $4,000 holiday for a 14 year old? Fucking hell. My SO’s cousin went to France for her sixteenth birthday. With her mom. ☹ I’m sure they spent at least $4K. But they paid for it (or at least, dad paid for it.) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/28 "2015-03-25T15:53:30Z")
Because of an auto breakdown, we now have 1 car among 3 drivers PLUS I have to pick up a cheap-ass FWD stick for my son to learn on. I taxi the family around all of NoCo every freaking day so the OP can go ahead and fuck herself in the ass with a cactus - a cactus with AIDS. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/29 "2015-03-25T15:54:46Z")
Dear Dopers. My 15 year-old daughter needs a car. Not a used car, but a new one, a reliable one. She hasn’t worked (babysat) summers because she’s been vacationing in Europe. I know you kind and generous dopers will understand and contribute to her new car. Thank You. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/30 "2015-03-25T16:04:22Z")
Doesn’t look like many Dopers are donating. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/31 "2015-03-25T16:06:00Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Doesn’t look like many Dopers are donating. Mostly just Jaimie Vega so far, I’m guessing that’s the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/32 "2015-03-25T16:26:32Z")
How about Emily continue to study hard, and then apply to an American university that has a semester abroad? My uni has a number of Amex students over here for the 12 week term, and it’s far cheaper to hop over to the Continent for a weekend than to fly from the US. Or she could continue to save up her money and do the student-backpacking thing when she’s four years older – take advantage of all of the cheap student rates on travel and accommodations. I got exhausted just looking at the list of places they plan to go to and have a split second to see. Are they just ticking stuff off on a Bingo card? There’s a billion sites/places on that list. Superficial and rushed – is that really a good experience? I’ve taken students on five week student abroad trips to London; they spent all of their time in Top Shop and Primark (and the pub!) The London sites are quite strange – The Strand? It’s a road with some theatres on it and chain shops – unless the trip is going to one of the theatres there? It leads right into Trafalgar Sq, which is another baffler – I hope if they go to Trafalgar they actually have a bit of time to look around in the National Gallery. PS My permanent residency Visa & all the folderol that went with it cost about $4000 – if I’m paying that much for a 14 year old kid to travel to Europe, she’d better be gaining EU residency or something. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/33 "2015-03-25T16:27:45Z")
Well, my daughter needs another thousand dollars to hit her Indiegogo goal to finance her senior project film, but you won’t see me posting unsolicited links to her page. So somebody solicit a link. Please. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/34 "2015-03-25T16:35:14Z")
No. I have no interest in visiting Europe. I’ve turned down four opportunities in the past ten years. If I’m going on vacation it’s a Caribbean beach, drinking, and smoking locally sourced ganja. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/35 "2015-03-25T16:45:00Z")
When I was 13 our Grade 8 class trip was to Quebec City. My parents were poor (and divorced, and I was living with my best friend at the time.) I desperately wanted to go to Quebec but knew that my parents couldn’t afford it and at the time I didn’t have my own income beyond my allowance. One day the principal called me into the office and explained that through the school’s fundraising I was able to go. It turned out that my mom had spoken to the principal about our situation and asked how it could be made possible for me to go. He arranged for the fundraising to cover it. I was MORTIFIED that my mom had (in my mind) asked for charity, but also extremely grateful for the opportunity to go on the trip. But that was SCHOOL FUNDRAISING MONEY, not begging strangers for money. Big difference, IMO. I agree that the daughter should wait and save up and go when she’s older and can enjoy the trip as an adult (being able to go more places and do more things.) Heck, max out a credit card and make your dreams come true like I did (as a fully-employed grown-up woman with no dependents.) Donations for a charity run, animal shelter, or some other good cause? No problem. Donations for a teenager to take a vacation that the majority of us (young and old) can only dream of? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/36 "2015-03-25T16:46:59Z")
If it was for a specific one off event, I might be a bit more sympathetic, but, speaking for Europe, we are planning to hang around for a while, long enough to, you know, save. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/37 "2015-03-25T16:48:04Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Doesn’t look like many Dopers are donating. I would, but I blew my nest egg on an air conditioner for rabbits. ---
**Author:** ![Kalea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b487fb/32.png) [@Kalea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalea)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/38 "2015-03-25T16:56:34Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Well, my daughter needs another thousand dollars to hit her Indiegogo goal to finance her senior project film, but you won’t see me posting unsolicited links to her page. > > So somebody solicit a link. Please. What’s the topic of her film? Is it outlined in her Indigogo? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/39 "2015-03-25T17:06:19Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Because of an auto breakdown, we now have 1 car among 3 drivers PLUS I have to pick up a cheap-ass FWD stick for my son to learn on. I taxi the family around all of NoCo every freaking day so the OP can go ahead and fuck herself in the ass with a cactus - a cactus with AIDS. Kind of harsh coming from someone who thinks he HAS to buy a car just so his kid can learn to drive stick and somehow owes ten grand on a 9 year old vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939/40 "2015-03-25T17:13:38Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Well, my daughter needs another thousand dollars to hit her Indiegogo goal to finance her senior project film, but you won’t see me posting unsolicited links to her page. > > So somebody solicit a link. Please. > [@Kalea](#): > > What’s the topic of her film? Is it outlined in her Indigogo? 🆒 Now _that’s_ how the “long con” works. Well played **misstee** , **DrFidelius** and **Kalea** 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-four-thousand-dollar-trip-to-europe-for-a-fourteen-year-old/715939.md?page=3)