Another vote for driving over flying. Even if you have gas/food/restroom stops, you’re around other people for much much shorter periods. Plus, a 2.5 hour flight is probably double that time when you include security/waiting rooms/Uber/taxi.
@kjofkw, I’ve thought a little about the topic you raise. A family member lives in NYC with his girlfriend. They’re both in their early 20s. He has been mostly unemployed since the shutdown orders came down in NYC, but his girlfriend has been employed full time, working at a Y that provides care for the children of essential workers. It seems like there is already a big need for this service.
Those portable ladies urinal things? eeewww…
D2’s serious bf (they live together) transferred from San Francisco to Dallas in late February, with the caveat that every other week, he fly back to SF for four days to work his project. He is a mechanical engineer working on a project at SFO airport. When COVID hit, they had him working remotely from Dallas, and for the most part it worked okay, though not ideal.
Now they have got him back on the every other week thing (and he said it really was a struggle to make this work 100% remotely). He has done it once now. On the way out from Dallas, he said social distancing and masks were pretty good. On the way back to Dallas, his flight was completely full. While he’s not thrilled about that, he doesn’t really worry about things he can’t control. D2 on the other hand, has diagnosed anxiety and this troubles her greatly. Complicating things is that the BF has a 2 year old son from a previous relationship (who they have custody of every other weekend), and D2 worries a lot about his exposure to his Dad after flying in a full plane every other week.
They don’t have any choice, though. D2’s lucrative law position offer was deferred from June to September (really crossing my fingers that the September thing actually happens), so BF is sole bread winner at present. Though D2 is paying her half of expenses from substantial savings over the years, this can’t go on indefinitely.
This kind of situation (and worse) is being repeated over and over all throughout our country. I feel so bad for the young people, especially new grads, who are dealing with this. They had job offers and hope for the future, only to be dealt a pretty crappy hand. People who were already struggling are really feeling the pain in ways far worse than my D and her BF.
Sigh…
I would drive. Although the personal risk of a 10 hour car ride vs a flight is probably much greater. But we love to be in control and this eliminates a few things that create that psychological uncertainty.
The audio book is great idea.
Pack a Potette Plus travel potty and road trip it!
We just visited our D, 7 hour car trip. We brought our own food and ate lunch at a rest stop outside at a picnic table, not near any one else. Bathroom breaks, 2, at rest stops also. At the rest area in MI it was really great, no doors to open. Quick stop, washed hands and air dried they were dry by the time I got to the car. Only a few other people there. The rest stops in IN and WI had doors we had to open. Pushed them open with my elbow and I used hand sanitizer when I got back to the car. Very little interaction with other people. Seemed relatively low risk.
At the rest area in IN I only found soap in one of the dispensers, my H said there was plenty of soap in the men’s room which made me wonder if there’s a difference in usage between men and women.
I vote for the 10 hour drive over flying for safety from covid exposure.
I love road trips!
I just faced this decision earlier this month. I drove the 17 hours to collect my elderly parents from Missouri and drive them back to NY. I actually felt safe in the hotel. The 300+ room Marriott had only 30 rooms occupied, and they told me their protocol was to not touch the room for 2 days after the guest left, then on the 3rd day they cleaned it.
For food, I downloaded a bunch of restaurant apps and we ordered when we were an hour a way, then just nipped in and collected the food with no contact with anyone. Mostly ate outside at rest stops.
Bathrooms in rest stops also felt safe. Some had handsfree doors, Pennsylvania had signs saying masks were required to enter the building, and there was 100% compliance.
So, another vote for driving!
Over 4 days I had very few encounters with people, and those I had were very short and everyone was masked. On an airplane and at the airport you are indoors with hundreds of people for an extended period of time. I believe that’s a much greater risk.
Finally, on a recent TWIV each of the participants said they would not fly now themselves.
Are bathroom breaks really a significant source of COVID spread? Not based on anything official, but I’m thinking no . Wear your mask, close the lid when flushing, and wash your hands. It’s contact with actual infected people that is the biggest risk.
Really, there is only so much we can control. We can’t stop living, most of us can’t stay inside our homes 100% for the next few years. This virus is very contagious, no doubt, but it’s not stalking us every moment in every venue. Practice common sense precautions, and most of us do okay. That’s my guess anyway, for what it’s worth, and it probably isn’t worth much, but …
Most public restrooms don’t have lids on the seats , and the tankless toilets flush up, aerosolizing the content a bit (eww). And if the bathrooms have this high power air hand dryers, that supposed to be a concern too. Best is have a bathroom that has touch less knob, soap and paper towel dispensers. ANd get in and out fast!
pStyle for the win, for bathroom issues. There are plenty of trees in the world. And bushes.
I’ve seen multiple people recommend those now, but is it not illegal to pee on the side of the road? Am I missing something? I’m not going to be able to have four people- 3 of them female- discreetly go to the bathroom on the side of the road for two days.
How long does it take to get the hang of that?
Restrooms at gas stations are usually single stall so you are by yourself. Not so at truck stops. After washing hands, I also used hand sanitizer in the car .
oh, well
If you’ve either links or could point me towards your reference, I would appreciate it,
After using a bathroom at a truck stop I would choose to be quickly boiled if there was a way. Lol.
[quote=“milgymfam, post:3774, topic:2096313”]
I’ve seen multiple people recommend those now, but is it not illegal to pee on the side of the road? Am I missing something? I’m not g
Someone mentioned to me a while back that the big truck stops were supposedly going to be quite careful about bathroom sanitation since they have to keep their essential workers (the truckers) and any potential trucker companions healthy.
I was only kidding. FYI. I’m sure they are fine.