<p>Turns out there’s no shuttle service from Grinnell to Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Airport (even though we were told TWICE by people from the college that there was). So our son now has no way to get to and from–it’s at least an hours drive and switching the tickets to Des Moines would cost an additional $500). I’m hoping there will be a taxi at least–expensive, but not $500, but does anyone have ideas. I suppose a ride board sign??</p>
<p>Well, this might not be an idea that you’d like to hear, but this is what was done at my son’s school. My son is 2 hours from the nearest airport. This is a major downside to this school. There is an inconvenient way to get to the airport, but I won’t bother you with the details. In order for that way to work, all the stars need to line up just perfectly. There was a student several years ago who had no way to get home for the holidays. He decided to sell tickets for a chartered bus ride. He then went ahead and chartered a bus. This has since turned into a business for him. He has graduated, and has expanded his business by doing the same at other universities with this need. The problem is that Grinnell is not large, but if your son knows several others that he can share a ride with, or even a limo van, that might solve your problem. I know that it might mean some will need to wait longer than needed at the airport, and not everyone’s class schedules are the same. It does still work at our son’s school, and it has saved me a small fortune!</p>
<p>bethievt, Definately have your student post a sign on the bulletin board at his dorm. Many kids use the CR airport & he should have no problem getting or sharing a ride.</p>
<p>Thank you both–I was so upset about this, my husband said I needed to go to a funeral to regain perspective! He’s in a freshman dorm, mostly–should he post in other places too?</p>
<p>bethievt, this had me so upset too. I can relate, and logically I knew things would work out (perhaps not the way I’d like, but it would work out), but it had me feeling very uncomfortable. When I first looked into where my son currently attends school there was Greyhound bus terminal one mile from the school, and at the airport. Both of those closed the year before he started, and when I found out I was so upset. My son does not have trouble getting home bc of the charter bus on main holidays, but if he had to come home for an off weekend, it would be a major issue. My son won’t come home for his fall break bc it only is 3 days and this bus does not run for that weekend. He does have alternative fun plans though, and we just saw him on “family weekend”.</p>
<p>Hi bethievt,</p>
<p>We’re Iowa transplants living in California. I’m about to take my parents to the airport as they are heading back to Iowa for their college reunion this week. They’re flying into Cedar Rapids (my birthplace), and they say taxis and shuttle reservations to all the nearby colleges should be easy to arrange as Iowa loves its college students. I found this page on Grinnell’s site: <a href=“http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/facilities/shuttleoptions/[/url]”>http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/facilities/shuttleoptions/</a>. Is this outdated?</p>
<p>My mother grew up in Grinnell, and she says flying into Cedar Rapids makes perfect sense. You’ll appreciate this, my Dad says your son should just hitchhike like the college boys did in his day. My Mom is thinking of who she can call to give your son a ride. They’re folksy in Iowa!</p>
<p>Don’t know if it helps, but the Hawkeye spirit is on overdrive in our house tonight, and I couldn’t keep from posting. Goodluck!</p>
<p>3Ks</p>
<p>I think it must be outdated, but the people who answered our question were probably thinking of a past service. Did you find this on their current website?</p>
<p>The Grinnell people are all so nice–I LOVE the school. A college person I called is looking into options. I used to hitchhike too and ran into a few VERY dicey situations.</p>
<p>Your parents sound like they are lovely!</p>
<p>How odd,</p>
<p>I found the same page you sent me the link for on their current website. Granted that $80 is steep for a shuttle ride, it is still better than $500 additional on a plane fare. I’ll call the college about this tomorrow–thanks so much–and I want to meet your parents someday!</p>
<p>My Mom looked it up. She found it through the Grinnell College search function. Something will work out for you. Certainly a cab will be cheaper than re-booking.</p>
<p>They’re both having a good time thinking of the various people in Grinnell or Iowa City that they can mobilize. Now my Dad is going on about how he mailed his laundry home. Helicoptering is not new apparently.</p>
<p>I read a very interesting book, “When I Was Cool”, by a student at the Naropa Institute in the '70’s who said Alan Ginsberg would give him his laundry to do and he (the author) didn’t know how to do laundry, so he’d mail it to his mother on Long Island and she’d wash it and mail it back.</p>
<p>bethievt;
Does your son have access to Grinnellplans? It is a private board like facebook but for Grinnell students/faculty and alums only. He can easily get a “plan” by emailing the administrator. My daughter told me there is a ride board on Grinnellplans. She said many students post for a ride on this board around break times. I am not sure of the website, but he can google “grinnellplans” and it is there. Hope this helps!</p>
<pre><code>Good to meet you last weekend, I hope you had a great time!
</code></pre>
<p>Bethievts, faithmom’s suggestion sounds GREAT! I grew up in Cedar Rapids and my D is at Drake. There is always someone in my family going from DM to CR to help take care of my 90 y/o Dad, so let me know if you don’t find something!</p>
<p>Plans does sound like the way to go. My son usually flies out of DM, & the shuttles are pretty good, but he’s always been able to get a ride if necessary. Students with transport are always very good about sharing rides/helping out. If that doesn’t work, maybe he could share a taxi w. others to lessen the cost? I used to worry a lot more about airport hassles, but now I’m pretty confident he will figure something out … It’s quite a relief to start distancing oneself from these “management” issues!!</p>
<p>Transport in or out of DM or CR is a breeze compared to Logan/Boston! It’s one of the things I miss about living in Iowa. When I fly into DM it’s always a PLEASURE. My sister just picks me up out front, no huge crowds and the airport is spotless and lovely.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone–what great suggestions! It’s a little early to call Iowa, but I’ll definitely have my son try grinnellplans. Sounds like a more expensive shuttle or a taxi can be back-up options.</p>
<p>I just talked to the shuttle guy so at least we know he has a ride. I’m asking my son to post on the grinnellplans rideboard to see if he can share a shuttle with anyone. Or ride with someone going that way. Thanks again!!</p>
<p>Bethie,
Glad you got the ride solved, and just for reassurance, my daughter was able to negotiate rides starting freshman year from IL to PA with minimal help. Grinnell is similar to her college, Principia, in that it has an national student body. College ridesharing is just like the carpooling they had to negotiate pre-driving. My daughter did ride-sharing with a friend from CT the last two years. They both thought that they were “close” to each others because they were on the East Coast. The worst part as a parent was that she wouldn’t nail down the ride until a few weeks prior to departure so I was biting my nails (and my tongue) until she would let me know the final plans.</p>
<p>Another idea just occured to me. Is there a hotel nearby? If a hotel is large enough, there might be an airport shuttle where he could purchase an inexpensive ticket. My brother used to live very close to a hotel, and he would purchase an airport shuttle ticket there, rather than using a limo, or leaving his car at an airport. He used to just take a quick cab ride, or walk to the hotel to get his ride.</p>
<p>Great idea northeastmom!</p>
<p>kathiep–Thanks–and it IS time for him to start figuring these things out for himself. He might even enjoy it! I never thought that he might be able to ride-share home in the spring, but if anyone else is doing the 20 hour drive, they’d probably like to have riders to share driving and expenses.</p>