<p>Hey. I am going to be attending NYU in the fall and I’m having some issues with my parents regarding transportation and cell phones.</p>
<p>First off, let me explain my parents. They are actually my aunt and uncle by blood (they adopted me because my parents have problems with drugs and alcohol). They’re sixty years old and are very set in their ways.</p>
<p>Moving from Wisconsin to New York, I need a cell phone. I brought this up to them, telling them that I would pay for the bill ($40 a month) through my campus job. I’m seventeen, and therefore cannot sign a contract by myself until October. They want me to call my friends COLLECT, which will be ridiculously expensive. Also, they want me to use a pre-paid phone, which would be ridiculously more expensive than a contract phone in the long run. They say they “don’t like contracts”. I’ve told them they can get off the contract through a transfer of responsibility clause (through Sprint), but they still won’t listen. What should I do?</p>
<p>My second problem regards plane tickets. Searching for flights, the only ones I can find out of Milwaukee are over $200 and require at least one stop, extending my travel time by hours. However, I was able to find a flight out of Chicago (only a 45 minute drive farther than Milwaukee) for $79. This flight is direct and leaves at the perfect time for me to get to NYU at a relatively early time on Move-In day (they won’t be helping me move in due to financial reasons). They are telling me that the $120 we’d save by flying out of Chicago isn’t worth the gas and wear and tear on the vehicle. It doesn’t make sense to me! </p>
<p>You’ve helped me so much before. Please help me now.</p>
<p>If they are “set in their ways”, then perhaps they don’t want to deal with driving near Chicago and being around the airport. I am familiar with that driving and I can understand that perspective. </p>
<p>I’m sorry, but your reasons for insisting on Chicago do not sound compelling to me. </p>
<p>Would there be a problem with getting your own cell phone in October? In that event, you won’t have to negotiate with your parents at all about phone service.</p>
<p>There are buses that run from Milwaukee to the Chicago airports that you could take; you could call and find out the cost. The driving time between the Milwaukee airport and O’Hare is somewhat more than 45 minutes, though.</p>
<p>You seem like a very savvy consumer --good for you! Try to understand that older folks not used to city living and all the new technologies are can be a bit cautious about jumping in to new situations.<br>
It’s only a few months until October. They don’t want the liability or hassel of a cell phone. They don’t see at as a necessity. It really isn’t. Maybe a bit more inconvenient, for a couple of months, but not necessary. Skip the phone until October.</p>
<p>Can you take the bus to the airport?<br>
Driving also might be getting difficult for them, especially if they are not used to big city driving. Also 45 minutes farther than Milwaukee, but- how many total minutes? A lot of older folks have difficulty with long drives.
I agree that you should take the bus to the airport, or take the flight that leaves from your area airport as they wish. You might check out the shuttle services- (super shuttle, etc.), but they may be too expensive from your home to Chicago, but worth checking.</p>
<p>If they are paying for the extra expense to fly from Milwaukee, no problem.
If they want you to pay, but refuse to drive to the airport in Chicago–how much is a bus ticket to Chicago? Can you find another ride to the Chicago airport? You probably wouldn’t save much time or money in the long run. Just take something to read for your layover–or do some people watching-- and be patient. (Your travel time will be extended by many hours against your will in the future–might as well get used to this now. . .) </p>
<p>Regarding the cell phone, my D has a prepaid one with plenty of minutes (IMO) which costs less than $10/mo. They’re fine, as long as you don’t overuse them. My S spent his freshman year out-of-state without a cell phone. He just used a pre-paid phone card to make necessary calls. It worked for him. Are you planning on spending time chatting with friends back home? (You probably won’t have much time for that).</p>
<p>If you could persuade them to switch to a cell phone family plan that would cost something like $40 per month for all of you! That’s what we did when S1 was halfway through college. We stopped using the landline except for local calls (but we could have ditched it altogether). Although S was away in college, his calls home and ours to him were considered local calls.</p>
<p>As for travel, I share others sympathy for your parents. It can be a bit scary driving in a high traffic area that you are not familiar with. If they are willing to pay for your airfare, let them decide, or find an alternative way to get to Chicago.</p>
<p>Get a pre-paid phone until October. Check with the company and see if they’ll let you keep your number and start a contract after a few months. </p>
<p>Could you use Facebook or other resources to find other students from your area who might be flying out of Chicago? That, or taking a bus. Or bribing a friend with a car to drive you. This is probably an issue where you’ll need to work around, not with, your parents if you don’t like what they suggest.</p>
<p>Each college is different but quite a few have free domestic long distance from dorm rooms. You might be able to skip the cell phone altogether for a bit – It may be aggravating right now, but bless their hearts for being cautious about contracts. Making one another a bit nuts is supposedly part of the letting go process (so I’ve been told and we’re doing a good job of it at my house!) – thank goodness it’s over which airport/phone and not over whether or not you should be college bound. You are six to eight weeks away from life in the big apple. Cool. Don’t worry about being there the “perfect time” on move in day – it’ll work out.</p>
<p>Do whatever they require. They are your “meal-ticket” (and they love you, even if sometimes, during this period of withdrawal, you’re at each others’ throats. ;))</p>
<p>You can also walk into any TARGET (or Kohl’s or whatever) and get a cheap cell-phone without a plan, and then purchase through one of those open plans enough minutes to tide you over. You don’t actually need to lock yourself (or anyone else) into a contract, and by October, you might find a better one.</p>
<p>I avoid O’Hare like the plague. However if you want to fly from there and if you are near Madison you can take a bus from Memorial Union to O’Hare very cheaply. You can also catch a Van Galder bus from Janesville or South Beloit if they are closer.</p>
<p>Plus, you’ll want to get to NYU to see what company has the best service for those on campus. Ask current students which cell provider gives you the most bars within the buildings.</p>
<p>Yep. Wait until you get to NYC and find a good deal for a prepaid phone until OCT, or just wait until OCT for a phone. You will have a roommate or friends with unlimited minutes, or unlimited nights and weekends who will NOT mind letting you make a few calls. Really. They will feel a bit sorry for your situation, and will say, “you can use mine if you want.” My D was at summer programs where I insisted she take a phone for my peace of mind, and as a parent I never minded her letting a friend use it during unlimited minutes time. </p>
<p>If they don’t want to drive to Chicago, thenb they just don’t want to drive. Take a flight that has a connection or take a bus. Find a ride. They clearly love you, but they can only do so much. And at 60, give then a little slack. You’ll be in NYC soon.</p>
<p>Congratulations on heading off to NYC! I don’t know if you can tell but I bet every parent who has posted here is (not so) secretly envious of you and the adventure you’re about to start.</p>
<p>Advice: Pick your fights. The advice given above about the phones is good: wait until you get to NYC in any event to make sure what will work best, then either wait until you’re 18 or get a prepaid that’s convertible to contract. That’s actually not a bad idea in any event. As to which airport: it’s not even worth arguing over. If you’re paying, find a bus and spare them the drive. If they’re paying, let them put you on any plane they want that gets you there.</p>
<p>He never said that Milwaukee and Chicago are 45 minutes from one another, though - only that Chicago is only 45 minutes farther from HIM than Milwaukee. He could be located somewhere between the two, but closer to Milwaukee than to Chicago, by 45 minutes. Why did people assume he would be passing through Milwaukee to get to Chicago?</p>
<p>We’ve used prepaid cells for the past 6 years, and even with 2 of us they’ve been far cheaper than a contract–which I’ve also used. Depends on your usage. Make sure that you check that the company you choose has good reception at the college you are going to (the college can usually tell you).</p>
<p>If you go to the O’Hare website and look around, you will find information on the ground transportation options from Milwaukee to O’hare. Also check if your parents are willing to drive you as far as Antioch or one of the northern IL suburbs near the Wis. border, and check what a limo would cost you to go the rest of the way. It may or may not be cheaper.</p>