It’s true that stairs take some effort. However, on this trip there weren’t any stairs other than possibly a single flight at the airport changing levels. Airports typically have escalators next to the stairs.
So @JustOneDad, what was the outcome? Did the kid take the shuttle or public transportation?
I’d think of the safety aspect. Nothing says ‘rob me’ more than a person overloaded with luggage, both hands busy with suitcases, and a backpack that probably has a computer or tablet in it and maybe a wallet and cell phone. Someone could cut the straps of the backpack pretty quickly and be off with it.
I’m about as cheap as can be, and I’d pay for the shuttle, or even an Uber ride.
I traveled with DH and DS in Japan this summer. We each had 2 bags (DH and I each had a carry on and rolling suitcase, DS had a backpack and carryon. We had prepaid Japan rail passes and the hotel in our final city (Tokyo) had a free shuttle to the train station. I was all for taking the shuttle to the train and the train out to Narita (airport). Now we took the train all around Japan and had to change trains from one of the ridiculously crowded Tokyo stations to get to the shinjuku station, and with all that luggage it was not easy, especially in the morning. We walked up to the shuttle to the hotel, but when it came time to leave for Narita, DS convinced DH to pay for the bus from the airport. I felt it was a collossal waste of $$ (about $80, in fact) especially since we had the rail passes and could get reserved seats to the airport. I was outvoted. DH is usually as frugal as I, but he opted for convenience.
I answered a number of very specific questions that were asked. You didn’t really ask any other than the exact nature of the van shuttle which I already described as ‘cushy’ because it’s a door-to-door timed call.
In addition to "Super Shuttles’ or whatever passes for them, there are “Van Shuttles” at various airports. They vary anywhere from a guy with a van and a cell phone to limousine or “Executive Car” services. It’s all rather squishy because you may call one and be expecting a black limo, but get a van or even a sedan, instead. These services may or may not wear cute little outfits and caps and may or may not show up near the baggage claim with a little sign bearing the name of your party. It all depends on what you specifically ask for, and not always then, either.
When you call them, they typically want to know how many passengers there will be, so they know how far down the chain they can go, i.e., multi passenger van, stretch limo, executive car or sedan. The price is always negotiable, depending on time of day, length of run and number of bags, but if you have just a single person (or, maybe two) they will often default to the “Super Shuttle” rate in order to capture the business. In this case, the full meal deal was quoted at $99. Because I didn’t book, the guy called back and asked what my other price was. My reply was “You know what it is”, so he immediately dropped to $80, which, in fact was about what the Super Shuttle rate was. Because I thought it was reasonably possible for the student to run into at least one other person making the same trip, I asked if he’d do two people for that price, and he stated that the price for two was $79, which was exactly the Super Shuttle rate .
In which case, it’s a long walk unless you can dig in the sofa and come up with some coins to make $6 for the shuttle-train-shuttle combination.
I can’t stop thinking about PG and all those heavy bags. No wonder she has strong Deltoids and biceps.
I’m so frugal, I use to use the supershuttle, even if I was picked up an hour early. When it was 2 hours early, and other riders pains in the butt (insisting others move their seats, or not quite being ready), I gave up. Late night travel, no way. Lots of luggage, no way. Orientation to college, no way.
JOD,
Many many people asked very specific questions that were not answered. Wasn’t just speaking for myself. But thanks for answering the question(s) I asked… a few days and many pages ago. Wasn’t all that hard, was it. Could have avoided all that vagueness and doublespeak that is contributing to the tone of many of the response posts here. JMO.
Why would one need to bother with a private driver when the super shuttle is available (that is if it goes to the desired location)? Answer, please. No answering a question with a question. Reminds me of my grandmother.
Well, as someone theorized, I was, in fact, out of town for a few days.
Think of it as the didactic method in which questions are asked to further the experience.
I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but in my humble opinion Dstark is the master of the Socratic Method on this board.
LOL-- Dstark - 1; JOD - 0
Nope. Its just plain annoying.
You could have answered the questions when they were asked. You were in town then and posing your “didactic” responses. >:P
And the answer to my question asked in post 147… Why bother with a private driver (“cushy”) if supershuttle is available (and presumably will get the student to/near the campus). Geez louise, just answer the question directly .
Still can’t figure why one would need others to weigh in on this. Why not ask the kid which of the two is preferred?
And this thread is still opened because?
Because JOD already had his mind made up.
Of course I did. Student was already gone and arrived before OP.
He announced his travel plans and could immediately see from JOD’s and JOM’s face that it was one of those rare instances in which he made a questionable decision and rethought it. Because traffic was heavy that day he actually got to campus before at least one other student who went “cushy”.
And…still no answer. Quelle surprise.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=57I4MTuxh54
'Nuf said.
ooh, it was a race! Silly me, I thought it was about how to get a freshman to college with the least amount of stress.
Please tell me you did not pose this choice to your child that really only has one “right” choice. If he is paying for the ride (because you’re paying for the big items), why even bother? Let him choose. Let him make his own mistakes.
Lucky kid, he is now off at school and doesn’t have to deal with this type of stuff on a daily basis any more.
Scrolled back and read a few pages after taking time to compose a thoughtful reply to the original question. Good God, I’m annoyed.