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To drive car from NJ to UT would take 3 to 4 days ( 33 hours of pure driving + 16 hours to sleep couple nights + stops). Then to fly back another day. So, it's 4 days minimum. We both work and do not have too many days for vacations, soj to spend 4 to 5 days each year just to drive car across the country does not sound appealing. Once it could be vacation on it's own, but not often. And we think it's not safe enough for 20 year old to drive across country alone. Well, thank you for suggesting this option and other options, I guess we will have to consider other options.
you would only have to do it once. then the kid can drive back and forth.
whatever - at 20 it's time to cut the mommy strings. if you're concerned about driving alone, i'm sure there are other students who would join in, whether to go home or get a cheap way to NYC. IMHO.
you would only have to do it once. then the kid can drive back and forth.
whatever - at 20 it's time to cut the mommy strings. if you're concerned about driving alone, i'm sure there are other students who would join in, whether to go home or get a cheap way to NYC. IMHO.
Exactly. You think he is responsible enough to be living on his own doing God knows what 2,000 miles away from home but he's not capable of driving to and from college? That makes NO sense. He is 20 years old - this is the time in his life when he should be exploring, having fun and having experiences that he will not be able to have once he is working in the "real" world. Driving across the country is one of them. This really should have been discussed before he accepted admittance to a college more than half way across the country. When I was at Iowa State it was 1200 miles away and took 2 days of driving. As I stated before - I hated the long drive but I would make plans to meet friends at an amusement park on the way so I had something to look forward to and break up the monotony of the ride. There are so many sights to see along his route that he could make it a worthwhile adventure.
you would only have to do it once. then the kid can drive back and forth.
whatever - at 20 it's time to cut the mommy strings. if you're concerned about driving alone, i'm sure there are other students who would join in, whether to go home or get a cheap way to NYC. IMHO.
And I'm just guessing here... but Utah was probably still 2000 miles away when choosing this college.
I did the 16 hour drive 3 or 4 times a year in grad school. I am sure there will be someone else that would want the adventure with him, even if it is only as far as the Mississippi
And we think it's not safe enough for 20 year old to drive across country alone
Outside of fatigue from driving too many hours, that's rather absurd. There aren't exactly armed gangs with checkpoints in Kansas, and NJ's roads are far more dangerous than any you'd encounter driving out there.
If your kid is capable of living on their own 2000 miles away, they are more than capable of driving a car across the country, assuming this isn't their first month driving or something.
That's about 100 gallons of gas, maybe more maybe less depending on the car, $350.
Then add the extra cost of food/lodging on the way.
Then add the impact of depreciation on the car.
Then add the risk, not insubstantial, that a college student crossing the country is getting a speeding ticket.
I totally get going from the east cost to the Midwest, but at over two thousand miles each way the costs really spiral unless he is a cautious driver (in terms of laws, not just safety), with an older but fuel efficient car. It probably does not make sense to drive the car back and forth. He's better off driving it once and making due in the summer without, driving it once and buying a cheap car for the summer, buying a cheap car for Utah and leaving his current one at home, whatever, pretty much anything except driving back and forth every year for over two thousand miles (unless of course he is a cautious driver with a cheap, fuel-efficient car in which case it could work, but, not something we should assume).
I agree the kid should simply drive himself to/from college.
But you can find people willing to do the drive for a nominal fee on the internet (part of the value to them is transportation to x point). But if you are not comfortable letting your kid drive home from college, I doubt you would be cool with this scenario either
As I said, I'd buy a second car (of the "beater" variety). But I've done too many 12+ hour drives, and one 20+ hour drive (stop only for food and meals and tickets, two drivers); it has nothing to do with safety, just that driving that long is an "experience" once and a "grind" after that. 33 hours of driving is probably a grind after the first day.
Offer to pay to ship the car to him once. Then make him get a job while at school so he can pay to ship it home, and back to school. If he really wants the car out there, he'll find a way to afford it. If he doesn't, that's his choice and his problem. It's a nice little introduction into adult responsibilities, with the only consequence being that he would be inconvenienced, with no one to blame but himself.
Either that or he needs to drive it to school himself - I'm sure there are other students within a couple of hours of NJ who would want to ride along, rather than fly.
He could take Amtrak , which about 2 and half days from Utah....
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