# Holidays are Coming - Are You Flying or Driving? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 23, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697 "2010-11-23T20:34:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697/41 "2010-12-18T16:40:34Z")
I’m not flying or driving. I’m taking the train. And yes, I’m doing it entirely because of the recent increase in TSA security theater at the airports. I DO have something to hide, namely a money belt that I always wear when I travel, and I’m damned if I’m going to submit to either a (cyber) strip search or an intrusive groping merely because I wish to travel on public transport. The new TSA policies are a clear violation of our 4th Amendment rights, they don’t increase our safety one bit, and it will be a cold day in Hell before i willingly go along with them. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I need to travel to medical meetings, though. Taking the train won’t be an option then, and driving may not be either. These new TSA policies SUCK. Edited to add: I’m traveling just a bit over 500 miles one-way this holiday season (Omaha to Chicago). Alas, most of my trips during the year are well beyond that distance, and I no longer have the iron butt I used to have when I was younger, so driving to my end destination is usually something I’d prefer not to do. This TSA nonsense is going to cause me real headaches in the future. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697/42 "2010-12-18T17:09:08Z")
Like last year, I’m flying from Ohio to Vegas for Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697/43 "2010-12-18T18:35:38Z")
For Thanksgiving, I flew to Seattle from Montreal. But I will take the train to NY, even though it is sloooooooooow (average speed: about 32 mph). But cheap too (costs just over $100 RT with a senior discount). The first year I lived in Montreal, I drove south (to Philly) over the holidays but on the return trip, the last 100 miles on the Northway was on ice. Never drove that in winter again. When I went to Seattle, I got to the airport 2 hours early and nearly missed the flight. But security wasn’t the main reason; immigration pre-clearance took nearly an hour. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697/44 "2010-12-18T18:51:47Z")
You forgot: Some friends are coming to visit, so we’re staying home. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697/45 "2010-12-20T01:04:53Z")
Well, we drove from central WV to the Baltimore area for Thanksgiving. It takes about five hours, counting a couple of brief stops. For Christmas, we are staying home, and our older kids are coming to visit us, from about 2.5 hours (drive time) away. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697/46 "2010-12-20T01:29:08Z")
> [@KinkiNipponTourist](#): > > Until they finish that expressway from Tokyo to Honolulu, I’ma hafta fly. If you really wanted to protest TSA stuff like everyone else, you could take a ship! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697/47 "2010-12-20T02:10:54Z")
I’ll be riding in the car on Christmas Day… mostly because the trip to my sister’s place is really too short to consider flying. (It’s about an hour’s drive.) Edited to add… it’s about that amount of driving time just to get to the airport! ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697/48 "2010-12-20T02:26:08Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > I always thought Cash was singing about Jackson Tennesee. > Wave at me & \*\*Ann Ominous \*\*as you drive through okay? Yup: it’s Tennessee. But we’re in (or just outside of) the RIGHT Jackson. He may not have sung about us, but we’re still the right one. 😃 As for the waving: what **NinetyWt** said. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697/49 "2010-12-20T02:37:52Z")
I voted “you forgot…” because we are staying home and everyone else is driving to see us. ---
**Author:** ![Terra1041](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Terra1041](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terra1041)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697/50 "2010-12-20T04:04:05Z")
Neither, as I’m not meeting family for the holidays this year. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697/51 "2010-12-20T07:31:12Z")
Will do. I always look forward to reaching Jackson Miss. It’s interstate driving the rest of the way to New Orleans. The first part of the trip (in my state) are some very old 2 lane state highways. We have Interstates, but not going in that direction. Since Jackson Miss is so big, I figured the song was about it. But, Jackson Tenn works too. I Learn something every day on the dope. 😉 > [@NinetyWt](#): > > I always thought Cash was singing about Jackson Tennesee. > Wave at me & \*\*Ann Ominous \*\*as you drive through okay? ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697/52 "2010-12-20T11:52:59Z")
I’m driving, since I’m staying in town. ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697/53 "2010-12-20T11:57:19Z")
I’m driving to my mum’s on xmas day as she’s only an hour away. If we go up to Scotland as planned, it’ll be by train because that’s just so much less of a hassle. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697/54 "2010-12-20T15:16:46Z")
We’re driving - 3.5 hours. I actually mostly like flying, but it is a) fairly expensive and b) has turned into a mega PITA. But seriously, $200-$400 for a ticket from one major city to another major city, per person, is too much for our budget. We’re not poor by any means, we are comfortable and save, but that’s a lot to take out for a few days, and I really resent it. I think there should be cheaper airfare between major cities. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697/55 "2010-12-20T15:38:10Z")
Had a pretty easy flight yesterday from SeaTac to Orlando. However, the security line was long, and if we hadn’t used the “premium line” we would have been in trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697/56 "2010-12-20T23:40:14Z")
You forgot: all our older relatives are dead dead deadskie, and the younger ones come here. You have to poll them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holidays-are-coming-are-you-flying-or-driving/561697.md?page=2)