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(The Detroit_News)   Dear Abby, my elderly parents dont want to drive 80 miles each way to see their grandchildren. What do?   (detroitnews.com) divider line
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388 clicks; posted to Discussion » and Main » on 08 Feb 2023 at 10:35 AM (6 weeks ago)   |   Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook



48 Comments     (+0 »)
View Voting Results: Smartest and Funniest
 
Sorelian's Ghost [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 8:56:55 AM  
I don't have the luxury of spending an extra $70-plus in gas for a trip

Well sweetie gas prices aside sell the Hummer and get something that gets more than 4 miles to the gallon.
 
no1curr [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 9:08:45 AM  
Tell your parents you can't afford to visit as you're saving up for a more fuel-efficient vehicle
 
Mugato [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 9:28:07 AM  
I have a new appreciation for advice columnists. Addressing other people's petty bullshiat is actually a tough job.
 
Sunidesus [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2023-02-08 9:31:10 AM  

Sorelian's Ghost: I don't have the luxury of spending an extra $70-plus in gas for a trip

Well sweetie gas prices aside sell the Hummer and get something that gets more than 4 miles to the gallon.


I was gonna say.... I live a bit farther from my parents than that (~100 miles, and my car doesn't get the best gas mileage) and I don't spend anywhere close to that per trip.

I wonder if the issue is actually that they don't like making the drive but thought saying it was expensive would get more sympathy?
 
beezeltown [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 9:37:07 AM  
$70 for a 160 mile tound trip? Maybe drive a car and not an Abrams tank to grandma's...I know it doesn't have the same panache, but still...
 
damageddude [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 9:57:40 AM  
News flash: Old people don't like to change their routine or have the energy for a long drive. My MIL hasn't taken the 60 some odd mile drive to our house in over five years. The trip is just too much for her now (and forget her sleeping over at our house).
 
Creepy Lurker Guy [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 10:07:46 AM  
Get bigger grandchildren, so you can see them from farther away.
 
Somaticasual [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 10:16:52 AM  

beezeltown: $70 for a 160 mile tound trip? Maybe drive a car and not an Abrams tank to grandma's...I know it doesn't have the same panache, but still...


<chuckle>
Maybe grandma doesn't have the endurance to shovel the 400lbs of coal required....
 
Martian_Astronomer [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 10:39:07 AM  

Mugato: I have a new appreciation for advice columnists. Addressing other people's petty bullshiat is actually a tough job.


Countering that dynamic, though, is that your advice doesn't actually have to be good or well-researched or even helpful, it just has to be a semi-plausible hot take that appeals to the moral sensibilities of your readers. That makes things much easier.

Easy example:

"Dear Abby,

My wife and I used to enjoy active, happy sex life. However, over the last several years she's stopped taking care of herself, we have sex every couple months at most, when we do it feels like she's not enjoying it so much as humoring me, and if I'm honest I'm just not attracted to her anymore anyway. I'm unhappy and worried about the future of our relationship, and I care about her and don't want to hurt her, but she doesn't want to talk about it and gets mad when I bring it up. Maybe some of it is my fault, but even so I'm miserable, I don't know how to fix this, and I don't know what the right thing is to do here.

- Marriage on the rocks


Dear Rocks,

How dare you! Stop being so shallow and be attracted to your wife, and maybe she'll be attracted to you more.

-Abby"

media.tenor.comView Full Size
 
eKonk
2023-02-08 10:51:50 AM  

Sorelian's Ghost: I don't have the luxury of spending an extra $70-plus in gas for a trip

Well sweetie gas prices aside sell the Hummer and get something that gets more than 4 miles to the gallon.


Oh, they drive a reasonably efficient car that gets 30 mpg when moving, but after spending extended periods of time with their screaming hell spawn in the car they find it best to run the car in the garage for a couple hours once they get home...
 
EL EM
2023-02-08 11:05:00 AM  
Mom Taxi, Mom Taxi, you have no complaint....
 
severedtoe
2023-02-08 11:10:44 AM  
big deal.  they don't to see the kids, they cannot complain about it later.

hell my parents lived less than a mile away, and were retired, yet they would not ever help pick up their grand kids from school or daycare.  now they whine on social media because they never get to see them now that they are in college.
 
psychosis_inducing
2023-02-08 11:19:19 AM  

Sorelian's Ghost: I don't have the luxury of spending an extra $70-plus in gas for a trip

Well sweetie gas prices aside sell the Hummer and get something that gets more than 4 miles to the gallon.


I have to wonder what the next kid-hauler after SUVs will be.
One of the big appeals of SUVs at first was that you could pretend you were camping, offroading, hauling plywood, and basically doing anything but taking the kids to school and the dog to the vet.
But these days, SUVs are pretty openly minivans. So you can't lie to yourself (or to others) that you're about to go Ford Exploring or Toyota 4Running. Everyone knows you're on your way to Little League practice like everyone else.
So yeah... What's next? Trucks with even bigger cabs so you can pretend you're doing lots of truck things instead of child-hauling? A return to sedans that seat six so you can try to look like you never sold the pre-kid car?
 
Markus5
2023-02-08 11:22:54 AM  
Do Jitterbugs have Facetime?
 
Another Government Employee
2023-02-08 11:27:28 AM  
Letters like this need Emily Yoffee.

LW doesn't mention whether it would a danger if the grandparents did drive.
 
goodluckwiththat [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2023-02-08 11:40:12 AM  
OMG!!   no one has done the obvious BUTTSECKS   joke????
/ to the point, maybe they just are not into you.
 
tsjonesosu
2023-02-08 11:48:34 AM  
Elderly parents huh? That's one take I guess. Sounds to me like the daughter is putting in the effort. Having young kids is hard work and spending whatever free time you have toting them to see the grandparents eats away at whatever spare time they have left. She's 33 so her parents are most likely in their 50s. That's hardly elderly. Grandad probably golfs 5 days a week and Grandma is probably getting ready for the weekend swingers party and that simply doesn't leave time for grandkids.

/Dear Penthouse
 
drewogatory
2023-02-08 11:55:03 AM  

tsjonesosu: Elderly parents huh? That's one take I guess. Sounds to me like the daughter is putting in the effort. Having young kids is hard work and spending whatever free time you have toting them to see the grandparents eats away at whatever spare time they have left. She's 33 so her parents are most likely in their 50s. That's hardly elderly. Grandad probably golfs 5 days a week and Grandma is probably getting ready for the weekend swingers party and that simply doesn't leave time for grandkids.

/Dear Penthouse


I mean, they're her kids, not the grandparents. Grandparent doesn't equal free childcare.
 
MusicMakeMyHeadPound [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2023-02-08 11:57:42 AM  
I live in New York. My parents just moved to Alabama last year.

"We're tired of traveling to see our grandchildren, you should move down here."

Not happening for a very long list of good reasons. Be sad about it.
 
holdmybones
2023-02-08 11:59:33 AM  

Markus5: Do Jitterbugs have Facetime?


I think they may now if you download it. I saw an ad for one recently an, I won't lie, it looked sort of appealing.

theseniorlist.comView Full Size


/old but not old enough that I should want this, probably
 
psychosis_inducing
2023-02-08 11:59:57 AM  

goodluckwiththat: OMG!!   no one has done the obvious BUTTSECKS   joke????
/ to the point, maybe they just are not into you.


No one's doing the buttsex because no one wants to drive.
 
holdmybones
2023-02-08 12:00:12 PM  

drewogatory: tsjonesosu: Elderly parents huh? That's one take I guess. Sounds to me like the daughter is putting in the effort. Having young kids is hard work and spending whatever free time you have toting them to see the grandparents eats away at whatever spare time they have left. She's 33 so her parents are most likely in their 50s. That's hardly elderly. Grandad probably golfs 5 days a week and Grandma is probably getting ready for the weekend swingers party and that simply doesn't leave time for grandkids.

/Dear Penthouse

I mean, they're her kids, not the grandparents. Grandparent doesn't equal free childcare.


For like 90% of human history, it certainly did.
 
drewogatory
2023-02-08 12:03:03 PM  

holdmybones: drewogatory: tsjonesosu: Elderly parents huh? That's one take I guess. Sounds to me like the daughter is putting in the effort. Having young kids is hard work and spending whatever free time you have toting them to see the grandparents eats away at whatever spare time they have left. She's 33 so her parents are most likely in their 50s. That's hardly elderly. Grandad probably golfs 5 days a week and Grandma is probably getting ready for the weekend swingers party and that simply doesn't leave time for grandkids.

/Dear Penthouse

I mean, they're her kids, not the grandparents. Grandparent doesn't equal free childcare.

For like 90% of human history, it certainly did.


If I'd wanted to raise kids when I was old, I just would have waited to have kids.
 
Glockenspiel Hero [OhFark]
2023-02-08 12:08:58 PM  
JFC.  My parents live ~140 miles away and I have a standing offer to come and get them to drive them to my house for events

They can still do that drive but not the additional 200 past my place to make it to my sister's house.  So last time they wanted to visit her they drove to my place, then I drove them to my sister's

And the 280 mile round trip to my parents costs me $21 in gas.  But I guess you needed that 3-row SUV, right?
 
holdmybones
2023-02-08 12:11:24 PM  

drewogatory: holdmybones: drewogatory: tsjonesosu: Elderly parents huh? That's one take I guess. Sounds to me like the daughter is putting in the effort. Having young kids is hard work and spending whatever free time you have toting them to see the grandparents eats away at whatever spare time they have left. She's 33 so her parents are most likely in their 50s. That's hardly elderly. Grandad probably golfs 5 days a week and Grandma is probably getting ready for the weekend swingers party and that simply doesn't leave time for grandkids.

/Dear Penthouse

I mean, they're her kids, not the grandparents. Grandparent doesn't equal free childcare.

For like 90% of human history, it certainly did.

If I'd wanted to raise kids when I was old, I just would have waited to have kids.


Cool

You're still wrong.
 
drewogatory
2023-02-08 12:13:18 PM  

holdmybones: drewogatory: holdmybones: drewogatory: tsjonesosu: Elderly parents huh? That's one take I guess. Sounds to me like the daughter is putting in the effort. Having young kids is hard work and spending whatever free time you have toting them to see the grandparents eats away at whatever spare time they have left. She's 33 so her parents are most likely in their 50s. That's hardly elderly. Grandad probably golfs 5 days a week and Grandma is probably getting ready for the weekend swingers party and that simply doesn't leave time for grandkids.

/Dear Penthouse

I mean, they're her kids, not the grandparents. Grandparent doesn't equal free childcare.

For like 90% of human history, it certainly did.

If I'd wanted to raise kids when I was old, I just would have waited to have kids.

Cool

You're still wrong.


Wrong? Maybe. Got a lot of free time though.
 
holdmybones
2023-02-08 12:18:42 PM  

drewogatory: holdmybones: drewogatory: holdmybones: drewogatory: tsjonesosu: Elderly parents huh? That's one take I guess. Sounds to me like the daughter is putting in the effort. Having young kids is hard work and spending whatever free time you have toting them to see the grandparents eats away at whatever spare time they have left. She's 33 so her parents are most likely in their 50s. That's hardly elderly. Grandad probably golfs 5 days a week and Grandma is probably getting ready for the weekend swingers party and that simply doesn't leave time for grandkids.

/Dear Penthouse

I mean, they're her kids, not the grandparents. Grandparent doesn't equal free childcare.

For like 90% of human history, it certainly did.

If I'd wanted to raise kids when I was old, I just would have waited to have kids.

Cool

You're still wrong.

Wrong? Maybe. Got a lot of free time though.


Well, shiat. In this case it seems wrong is actually better than technically correct.

Touché, fellow internet user.
 
Smelly Pirate Hooker
2023-02-08 12:23:41 PM  
She doesn't say her parents are elderly. If she's 33, they're probably in their 50s. They can drive to her house once in awhile. They're probably just lazy as fark and expect her to do all the visiting.

I've never understood this thing where grandparents think it's always on the parents to bring the kids to THEM instead of getting in their car (or a bus or plane or whatever) to see the grandkids they supposedly miss so much. The grandparents (at least in this case) probably have more disposable income as well as more free time than the mother does, what is their excuse? If 80 miles (about an hour and a half of drive time in most places) is a burden on them, they don't think it's a burden on her?

I don't know about the cost of gas or whatever, that seems like a lame excuse, but the other things aren't small concerns. Packing up two kids is not particularly easy.
 
optikeye [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 12:32:17 PM  
Maybe they just don't like the little bastirds.
 
fnordfocus [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 12:37:02 PM  

psychosis_inducing: Sorelian's Ghost: I don't have the luxury of spending an extra $70-plus in gas for a trip

Well sweetie gas prices aside sell the Hummer and get something that gets more than 4 miles to the gallon.

I have to wonder what the next kid-hauler after SUVs will be.
One of the big appeals of SUVs at first was that you could pretend you were camping, offroading, hauling plywood, and basically doing anything but taking the kids to school and the dog to the vet.
But these days, SUVs are pretty openly minivans. So you can't lie to yourself (or to others) that you're about to go Ford Exploring or Toyota 4Running. Everyone knows you're on your way to Little League practice like everyone else.
So yeah... What's next? Trucks with even bigger cabs so you can pretend you're doing lots of truck things instead of child-hauling? A return to sedans that seat six so you can try to look like you never sold the pre-kid car?


Does anyone else remember the Freightliner SUV was a thing? Might even still be. Never saw one in the road though.

Fark user imageView Full Size
 
drewogatory
2023-02-08 12:38:23 PM  

fnordfocus: psychosis_inducing: Sorelian's Ghost: I don't have the luxury of spending an extra $70-plus in gas for a trip

Well sweetie gas prices aside sell the Hummer and get something that gets more than 4 miles to the gallon.

I have to wonder what the next kid-hauler after SUVs will be.
One of the big appeals of SUVs at first was that you could pretend you were camping, offroading, hauling plywood, and basically doing anything but taking the kids to school and the dog to the vet.
But these days, SUVs are pretty openly minivans. So you can't lie to yourself (or to others) that you're about to go Ford Exploring or Toyota 4Running. Everyone knows you're on your way to Little League practice like everyone else.
So yeah... What's next? Trucks with even bigger cabs so you can pretend you're doing lots of truck things instead of child-hauling? A return to sedans that seat six so you can try to look like you never sold the pre-kid car?

Does anyone else remember the Freightliner SUV was a thing? Might even still be. Never saw one in the road though.

[Fark user image 832x468]


I see the pick ups all the time here in SoCal. Well, weekly probably.
 
sinko swimo
2023-02-08 12:41:53 PM  

psychosis_inducing: Sorelian's Ghost: I don't have the luxury of spending an extra $70-plus in gas for a trip

Well sweetie gas prices aside sell the Hummer and get something that gets more than 4 miles to the gallon.

I have to wonder what the next kid-hauler after SUVs will be.
One of the big appeals of SUVs at first was that you could pretend you were camping, offroading, hauling plywood, and basically doing anything but taking the kids to school and the dog to the vet.
But these days, SUVs are pretty openly minivans. So you can't lie to yourself (or to others) that you're about to go Ford Exploring or Toyota 4Running. Everyone knows you're on your way to Little League practice like everyone else.
So yeah... What's next? Trucks with even bigger cabs so you can pretend you're doing lots of truck things instead of child-hauling? A return to sedans that seat six so you can try to look like you never sold the pre-kid car?


hopefully the next generation of kiddie haulers will be more safe than Caravans (et cetera). the Plymouth Caravan and all the wanna-be's that followed were classified as cargo vans. they dd not need to meet the safety standards of a vehicle intended to haul family. because your government doesn't necessarily love you.
 
eKonk
2023-02-08 12:50:29 PM  

sinko swimo: psychosis_inducing: Sorelian's Ghost: I don't have the luxury of spending an extra $70-plus in gas for a trip

Well sweetie gas prices aside sell the Hummer and get something that gets more than 4 miles to the gallon.

I have to wonder what the next kid-hauler after SUVs will be.
One of the big appeals of SUVs at first was that you could pretend you were camping, offroading, hauling plywood, and basically doing anything but taking the kids to school and the dog to the vet.
But these days, SUVs are pretty openly minivans. So you can't lie to yourself (or to others) that you're about to go Ford Exploring or Toyota 4Running. Everyone knows you're on your way to Little League practice like everyone else.
So yeah... What's next? Trucks with even bigger cabs so you can pretend you're doing lots of truck things instead of child-hauling? A return to sedans that seat six so you can try to look like you never sold the pre-kid car?

hopefully the next generation of kiddie haulers will be more safe than Caravans (et cetera). the Plymouth Caravan and all the wanna-be's that followed were classified as cargo vans. they dd not need to meet the safety standards of a vehicle intended to haul family. because your government doesn't necessarily love you.


I'd say modern minivans are plenty safe - The Toyota Sienna has top marks across the board for everything except vehicle-to-pedestrian crash protection (and let's face it, those pedestrians shouldn't be at that farmers' market if they don't want to get hit...)
https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/toyota/sienna-minivan/2022
 
milizard
2023-02-08 12:52:29 PM  

eKonk: sinko swimo: psychosis_inducing: Sorelian's Ghost: I don't have the luxury of spending an extra $70-plus in gas for a trip

Well sweetie gas prices aside sell the Hummer and get something that gets more than 4 miles to the gallon.

I have to wonder what the next kid-hauler after SUVs will be.
One of the big appeals of SUVs at first was that you could pretend you were camping, offroading, hauling plywood, and basically doing anything but taking the kids to school and the dog to the vet.
But these days, SUVs are pretty openly minivans. So you can't lie to yourself (or to others) that you're about to go Ford Exploring or Toyota 4Running. Everyone knows you're on your way to Little League practice like everyone else.
So yeah... What's next? Trucks with even bigger cabs so you can pretend you're doing lots of truck things instead of child-hauling? A return to sedans that seat six so you can try to look like you never sold the pre-kid car?

hopefully the next generation of kiddie haulers will be more safe than Caravans (et cetera). the Plymouth Caravan and all the wanna-be's that followed were classified as cargo vans. they dd not need to meet the safety standards of a vehicle intended to haul family. because your government doesn't necessarily love you.

I'd say modern minivans are plenty safe - The Toyota Sienna has top marks across the board for everything except vehicle-to-pedestrian crash protection (and let's face it, those pedestrians shouldn't be at that farmers' market if they don't want to get hit...)
https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/toyota/sienna-minivan/2022


Safe, and have better gas mileage than the big SUV's and trucks.
 
bingethinker [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2023-02-08 12:59:21 PM  
Let me guess, the grandparents won't drive to their house because two hours on the interstate at 40 m.p.h. is exhausting.
 
psychosis_inducing
2023-02-08 1:16:27 PM  

bingethinker: Let me guess, the grandparents won't drive to their house because two hours on the interstate at 40 m.p.h. is exhausting.


CSB: I was visiting family in Houston. My cousin and I were on the highway because every drive in Houston involves getting on the damn highway. Everyone was passing us. I don't mean gradually sliding past our car. They were going Fwoosh! Fwoosh! all around us. I said "Myrtle,* we should speed up. We're gonna get rear ended!"
Without a word, she glanced at me for a second and pointed to the speedometer. We were already doing 91.

*not her real name
 
milizard
2023-02-08 1:28:30 PM  
I feel for this letter writer. Kind of in the same boat with their only living grandfather. He's been retired, and moved down south. He will travel all over the farking place except to see his grandkids. I guess he considers seeing step grandkids good enough. The steps have their blood grandfather's in their lives, too, but mine only have this one that doesn't seem to care enough to make an effort to see them.  We've used our vacation time to travel to see him, but it's limited and seems somewhat unfair with the lack of reciprocity.
 
optikeye [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 2:13:25 PM  

milizard: I feel for this letter writer. Kind of in the same boat with their only living grandfather. He's been retired, and moved down south. He will travel all over the farking place except to see his grandkids. I guess he considers seeing step grandkids good enough. The steps have their blood grandfather's in their lives, too, but mine only have this one that doesn't seem to care enough to make an effort to see them.  We've used our vacation time to travel to see him, but it's limited and seems somewhat unfair with the lack of reciprocity.


Suggest for him to get cheap retirement home in Kissimmee/Orlando area. He'll practically be the 'vacation hub' of family activity. Bonus points if has one of those mosquito net pool tent and a hot tub.
 
crzybtch [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 2:29:32 PM  
I drive 50 miles to my parents every weekend.  And 50 miles home.  They are both in their 80s.  Mom always slips me $40 for gas money which I sincerely appreciate!!  I feel that I am so lucky to have them and that they are both healthy.  I dread the thought of them being gone one day.  I won't know what to do with myself on the weekends!

Of course I am single with no kids (well a college aged niece who comes with me sometimes) so it is easier for me, but I know so many people who lost their parents too soon and feel like I am so lucky to have them both.

If you want your kids to visit, slip them a little gas money if you can.  If they want you to come visit and you are not comfortable there, stay at a cheap motel.  Being connected with family is WORK.  Everyone needs to give and take.  And if you have kids, make sure that your kids spend time with grandparents as they won't be there forever.
 
eKonk
2023-02-08 2:32:51 PM  

crzybtch: I drive 50 miles to my parents every weekend.  And 50 miles home.  They are both in their 80s.  Mom always slips me $40 for gas money which I sincerely appreciate!!  I feel that I am so lucky to have them and that they are both healthy.  I dread the thought of them being gone one day.  I won't know what to do with myself on the weekends!

Of course I am single with no kids (well a college aged niece who comes with me sometimes) so it is easier for me, but I know so many people who lost their parents too soon and feel like I am so lucky to have them both.

If you want your kids to visit, slip them a little gas money if you can.  If they want you to come visit and you are not comfortable there, stay at a cheap motel.  Being connected with family is WORK.  Everyone needs to give and take.  And if you have kids, make sure that your kids spend time with grandparents as they won't be there forever.


Dang, you convinced your mom that gas costs $10/gallon?  Nice!
 
milizard
2023-02-08 2:38:39 PM  

optikeye: milizard: I feel for this letter writer. Kind of in the same boat with their only living grandfather. He's been retired, and moved down south. He will travel all over the farking place except to see his grandkids. I guess he considers seeing step grandkids good enough. The steps have their blood grandfather's in their lives, too, but mine only have this one that doesn't seem to care enough to make an effort to see them.  We've used our vacation time to travel to see him, but it's limited and seems somewhat unfair with the lack of reciprocity.

Suggest for him to get cheap retirement home in Kissimmee/Orlando area. He'll practically be the 'vacation hub' of family activity. Bonus points if has one of those mosquito net pool tent and a hot tub.


He did have a home in Florida close to the Atlantic for about a year and a half. He's now in South Carolina, close to his new wife's family, but the rent a place for a month or 2 in Florida.  We've visited them in both places, but we aren't retired and would like to see other parts of the country during our limited vacation time, too. They have unlimited time off to travel anywhere.
 
optikeye [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 2:53:24 PM  

milizard: optikeye: milizard: I feel for this letter writer. Kind of in the same boat with their only living grandfather. He's been retired, and moved down south. He will travel all over the farking place except to see his grandkids. I guess he considers seeing step grandkids good enough. The steps have their blood grandfather's in their lives, too, but mine only have this one that doesn't seem to care enough to make an effort to see them.  We've used our vacation time to travel to see him, but it's limited and seems somewhat unfair with the lack of reciprocity.

Suggest for him to get cheap retirement home in Kissimmee/Orlando area. He'll practically be the 'vacation hub' of family activity. Bonus points if has one of those mosquito net pool tent and a hot tub.

He did have a home in Florida close to the Atlantic for about a year and a half. He's now in South Carolina, close to his new wife's family, but the rent a place for a month or 2 in Florida.  We've visited them in both places, but we aren't retired and would like to see other parts of the country during our limited vacation time, too. They have unlimited time off to travel anywhere.


Rent a place in near Dollywood, for spring time, (or fall, but that's the 'high season"). If your in the SE USA it's a pretty short drive from most places.
Plenty of stuff in Dollywood Gatlinburg for all ages. There's Dolly's Round up, (it's like medieval times with less sword fighting, but with more signing, but still has the horses and trick riders)
And there's other kid and older folks friendly stuff in Pidgon Forge/Gatlinburg area to do for vacation.
 
optikeye [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 2:56:25 PM  

eKonk: crzybtch: I drive 50 miles to my parents every weekend.  And 50 miles home.  They are both in their 80s.  Mom always slips me $40 for gas money which I sincerely appreciate!!  I feel that I am so lucky to have them and that they are both healthy.  I dread the thought of them being gone one day.  I won't know what to do with myself on the weekends!

Of course I am single with no kids (well a college aged niece who comes with me sometimes) so it is easier for me, but I know so many people who lost their parents too soon and feel like I am so lucky to have them both.

If you want your kids to visit, slip them a little gas money if you can.  If they want you to come visit and you are not comfortable there, stay at a cheap motel.  Being connected with family is WORK.  Everyone needs to give and take.  And if you have kids, make sure that your kids spend time with grandparents as they won't be there forever.

Dang, you convinced your mom that gas costs $10/gallon?  Nice!


I imagine it not just 'gas' but the fact a LOT of people take a hotel break 1/2 way...and a sitdown dinner at the Red Lobster off the interstate.
 
fnordfocus [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 3:25:20 PM  

drewogatory: fnordfocus: Does anyone else remember the Freightliner SUV was a thing?

I see the pick ups all the time here in SoCal. Well, weekly probably.


For my next truck, I'm thinking I get a semi tractor and strap a small above ground pool on the back.

Definitely not compensating for anything.

Also, good thing there's no HOA.
 
optikeye [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 3:27:18 PM  
John Prine - Dear Abby
Youtube LJVFY_LX9Ik
 
lizyrd
2023-02-08 8:06:30 PM  

fnordfocus: psychosis_inducing: Sorelian's Ghost: I don't have the luxury of spending an extra $70-plus in gas for a trip

Well sweetie gas prices aside sell the Hummer and get something that gets more than 4 miles to the gallon.

I have to wonder what the next kid-hauler after SUVs will be.
One of the big appeals of SUVs at first was that you could pretend you were camping, offroading, hauling plywood, and basically doing anything but taking the kids to school and the dog to the vet.
But these days, SUVs are pretty openly minivans. So you can't lie to yourself (or to others) that you're about to go Ford Exploring or Toyota 4Running. Everyone knows you're on your way to Little League practice like everyone else.
So yeah... What's next? Trucks with even bigger cabs so you can pretend you're doing lots of truck things instead of child-hauling? A return to sedans that seat six so you can try to look like you never sold the pre-kid car?

Does anyone else remember the Freightliner SUV was a thing? Might even still be. Never saw one in the road though.

[Fark user image image 832x468]


I could be wrong, but that doesn't look like a production model. More like a custom home job on what Freightliner sells as a hauler - big horse trailers, oversized RVs and such.

Incidentally, I've driven something similar for work. That thing has to have the most uncomfortable ride ever. Super-stiff suspension, geared super-low, just an absolute mess to drive when not pulling something heavy.

CSB: in the post-9/11 hysteria, the State of Connecticut bought 34 "mass decontamination unit" trailers. In case the turrists deployed a chemical weapon in a crowd. Basically a trailer with showers in it. The manufacturer (probably someone's brother in law) went all out - hard points for a Skycrane to lift it, boilers for warm water, segregated men and women sides, laundry chutes for contaminated clothing. They got fire departments to agree to take them on. Then on pickup day, a bunch of departments showed up with their utility vehicles that they normally tow shiat with -F350s and Suburbans and the like- and suddenly, everyone was "uh oh! These are like, really heavy!  We can't tow that!"  So the state went back and bought 34 of these things to give to the departments hosting the trailers:
Fark user imageView Full Size


The trailers are mostly dead now. A maintenance nightmare, and the state stopped funding repairs after it became apparent that Bin Laden wasn't going to launch a chemical attack on The Meadows or a minor league baseball game. But a lot of departments have repurposed their free trucks and are still running running them.
 
fnordfocus [TotalFark]
2023-02-08 8:26:43 PM  

lizyrd: I could be wrong, but that doesn't look like a production model. More like a custom home job on what Freightliner sells as a hauler - big horse trailers, oversized RVs and such.


Well, sort of.

They aren't home jobs. There's a company that makes these in cooperation with Freightliner, sort of like like how Shelby works with Ford. I sort of thought the whole thing had died out, but apparently not. Way out of my price range anyway.
 
Bruscar
2023-02-08 8:34:02 PM  
We had to do most of the traveling so the grandparents could see the grandchildren also. My mother was genuinely poor and only lived two and half hours away. Our in-laws lived 12 hours away for most of our children's lives and retired "closer" - which was a six hour drive. They have beaucoup money. They travel domestically and internationally every year. Once we drove the kids to the airport to see them because they had a layover in our town. I look back on it now and wonder why we thought that was normal?
 
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