Considering driving instead of flying because of TSA

[Sadiebird]

I have a trip to WDW planned for May 2011. I've already purchased my flights, but I'm seriously considering requesting a refund based on all the stories I've been reading about the invasive security procedures being used by the TSA. I don't have a problem going through a metal detector or having my bag searched. I don't even have a problem with a standard pat down. But I do have a problem with being strip searched by a machine. And if I choose to opt out of that, I also have a problem with a pat down that involves touching my private areas. I don't want to subject myself or my 5 year old son to these things so that we can get on a plane and fly to Disney World. I'd rather drive 17 hours in a car. My husband has convinced me to wait until closer to our trip to get a refund on the plane tickets, just in case the TSA decides to back down on their procedures. I'm just wondering if anyone else is feeling this way. I can't believe this is the direction our country is heading.

 

[ddbowdoin]

I'd say that's more of a concern if you drive your car a lot day-to-day, or it's an older car with a lot of miles on it. Lord knows I'm not a mechanic, but I'd suggest, were you to take any sort of long car trip, to get an oil change first and have mechanics give it the once over. If they don't bring anything up, odds are you car will make it there and back And if they find any problems...well, they're probably problems you should have taken care of even if you weren't about to attempt a road trip.

I agree... it took me almost 5 months to put 3600 miles on my car. I am a daily train commuter, I KNOW my car would be absolutely fine with the drive.

 

[Monty]

I agree... it took me almost 5 months to put 3600 miles on my car. I am a daily train commuter, I KNOW my car would be absolutely fine with the drive.

I think you're missing the point of the post relating to the "cost" of driving.

Over the lifetime of your vehicle, between the cost you pay to purchase it and the cost of maintenance and repairs, the average car costs significantly more per mile than just the cost of gas to get to and from WDW. If you don't factor those costs into your equation of the comparison between two modes of transit, you're not getting an accurate comparison. :shrug:

 

[WDW_Emily]

I thought about driving, but according to map quest it’s a 22+ hour drive from our home in the Boston area to the Magic Kingdom. DW and I just could not drive that long straight through which means a 2 day trip each way for us, which is just not worth it.
IMHO a TSA search is a slight inconvenience, as long as we arrive safely I’ll put up with it. Airline inefficiency and ineptitude are of course different matters. There are some carriers I will no longer fly due their inadequacies.

Us too We are just outside of Boston and we do 2 days driving. It's a pain but my mom refuses to fly.

 

[minniemickeyfan]

I have been thinking how to take the guesswork out of the "pat down". Maybe if we all were to wear bikinis and speedos that would help. Arrive with your coat or beach coverup on and when asked to assume the position whip it off and WHA-LAA!!! No need for a pat down or up. It is all there in full view!! :lol::lol:

...only until they question our suits :lookaroun

 

[KC82271]

I have flown 3 round trips in the last couple of weeks. Out of Newark, to Charlotte NC twice and Orlando once (last week). Only once have I gone through the body scan - and it was actually in Charlotte on October 28th. They announced Newark had these scanners - but I have flown out of Terminal A and C and didn't see the machine in either terminal (not that I was really looking though).

Charlotte was an interesting experience though. Walked through, and I was selected to go through it (probably 'cause my ticket was only bought 48 hours earlier for a business trip). Put your feet in the two yellow boxes on the mat, legs spread and hands up over your head and hands together forming a diamond with your fingers (thumbs and pointers). Don't breathe. The scan - you then stare at the TSA guy who in turn gets a pass or fail from the rep in another location through an earpiece! Off and running! Must say it was easier than a pat-down and I really could care less who is looking at the image. I wouldn't want that job!

Not a fan of all the other things the airlines are doing, but this is far from bad!

 

[ms mouse]

I understand your concern and I am not sure I will fly again anytime soon either. But the TSA is in a no win situation. If they dont try to prevent something from happening they will be blamed, if they do something they will be blamed. We have servicemen and women risking their lives to keep us safe. I guess a little embarrassment isnt to much for me to put up with if it makes us a little safer.

 

[Raven66]

My husband flew out of Memphis last weekend and he said the machines weren't working so he got the patdown and it wasn't really that bad.

 

[epcot2004]

Did not read thru all of the posts so this might have been said already. Maybe you could consider taking the Amtrak Auto Train. It is not cheap but it is relaxing and saves miles on the car. We have used it for the last two years since my wife won't fly. It takes about the same time as driving but we are less tired since we don't have to drive the whole trip all the way from Buffalo.

 

[ddbowdoin]

Did not read thru all of the posts so this might have been said already. Maybe you could consider taking the Amtrak Auto Train. It is not cheap but it is relaxing and saves miles on the car. We have used it for the last two years since my wife won't fly. It takes about the same time as driving but we are less tired since we don't have to drive the whole trip all the way from Buffalo.

about how much? and how many stops?

 

[Monty]

about how much? and how many stops?

The Autotrain goes from Lorton, VA to Sanford FL direct. No stops. Cost depends on how many people, what accommodations, etc... A regular car one adult and one child in a superliner bedroom would cost just over $1100US roundtrip.

 

[ddbowdoin]

1100! jesus.... you have to HATE flying to drop 1100 bananas for a slower mode of transporation

 

[Monty]

1100! jesus.... you have to HATE flying to drop 1100 bananas for a slower mode of transporation

You can shave $450-ish off by travelling in coach seats... :shrug:

 

[epcot2004]

She hates to fly. If you break it down it's not so bad (other than this time factor) A rental car will easily cost $300 for the week and depending on when you travel airline tickets could easily be $200 each plus getting to the airport three hours early plus potential weather delays. We just got back and payed slightly less than $1000 for the two of us with bedroom accommodations. It's not for everyone; that's what makes the world go 'round.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

1100! jesus.... you have to HATE flying to drop 1100 bananas for a slower mode of transporation

My dad doesn't fly, so I have taken the train and driven to Florida before when I was younger and didn't have to worry about vacation time like I do now. I am a bit closer to VA than you (central NJ...it's about a 4 hour trip to Lorton for me), so that is a factor. The 1100 price includes the cost of the car and a bedroom accomodation. While the bedrooms are nice, I personally don't find them to be worth their high cost. Coach seats aren't very comfortable, but they are manageable for the 16 hour trip. The train ride itself is non-stop (except for a quick water and fuel stop in South Carolina). You leave VA around 4pm and are in Sanford at about 830 the next morning. The price of the trip includes a full dinner and continental breakfast. Their is a lounge with tables so you can play games, and they also show a movie in there during the evening. This is also the spot to purchase snacks and drinks. Overall, the trip isn't too bad, especially when you compare it to the normal amtrak ride. The thing to remember is that a portion of that cost is to transport your car...so you need to factor the lower cost of wear and tear, fuel, or the price a rental would cost.

 

[Phonedave]

I'd say that's more of a concern if you drive your car a lot day-to-day, or it's an older car with a lot of miles on it. Lord knows I'm not a mechanic, but I'd suggest, were you to take any sort of long car trip, to get an oil change first and have mechanics give it the once over. If they don't bring anything up, odds are you car will make it there and back And if they find any problems...well, they're probably problems you should have taken care of even if you weren't about to attempt a road trip.

Thats the point.

You just said, "I'd suggest, were you to take any sort of long car trip, to get an oil change first and have mechanics give it the once over."

So right there, you need to add +/- $100 on top of the cost of gas. Unless you know a mechanic that will do an oil change and a once over for free. And really, you should do an oil change when you get back too.

And it does not matter if you car has 100 or 10,000 miles on it. Adding on 2,000 miles is adding on 2,000 mile.

And, if anyone is LEASING a vehicle, well you can forget driving to WDW long distance unless you want to pay overmilage fees.

-dave

 

[ddbowdoin]

Thats the point.

You just said, "I'd suggest, were you to take any sort of long car trip, to get an oil change first and have mechanics give it the once over."

So right there, you need to add +/- $100 on top of the cost of gas. Unless you know a mechanic that will do an oil change and a once over for free. And really, you should do an oil change when you get back too.

And it does not matter if you car has 100 or 10,000 miles on it. Adding on 2,000 miles is adding on 2,000 mile.

And, if anyone is LEASING a vehicle, well you can forget driving to WDW long distance unless you want to pay overmilage fees.

-dave

I can get 5 qts of fully sythetic oil and a filter for 21.99. Where is that 100 dollar mark coming from? The local Valvolines here only charge 28.99 for a standard oil change. Not to be picky here but that's a little crazy on your end.

yes, leasing and long distance is a nightmare.

 

[SAV]

Hah...I challenge any of you to drive over 20 hours with my 2 kids in the vehicle. The constat bickering, questions, "He hit me"...."I want to watch that movie"..."Can I use your DS"...Him making random noises...just because. DD telling DS to "STOOOOOP" when he is annoying her.

Now way in the world would we ever drive. I did it when my DD was 2, she did ok, but my DW didn't do as well.

I'll take the Scan/search & a few hours of "commute" time against 20 hours of misery and 2 days of driving any day. It's not like it is a photograph of me nekkid. And I'm not anything that anyone would want to look at anyways. We only fly once a year, so the "radiation" threat is minimal with us.

We'll fly down each and every time.

 

[epcot2004]

As fans of all things Disney how can we complain about the price of anything? We gladly pay $200.00 for a $100.00 room, $3.50 for an ice cream barand so on. Transportation costs are probably the least of our problems.:lookaroun

 

[mousefan1972]

Hah...I challenge any of you to drive over 20 hours with my 2 kids in the vehicle. The constat bickering, questions, "He hit me"...."I want to watch that movie"..."Can I use your DS"...Him making random noises...just because. DD telling DS to "STOOOOOP" when he is annoying her.

Now way in the world would we ever drive. I did it when my DD was 2, she did ok, but my DW didn't do as well.

I'll take the Scan/search & a few hours of "commute" time against 20 hours of misery and 2 days of driving any day. It's not like it is a photograph of me nekkid. And I'm not anything that anyone would want to look at anyways. We only fly once a year, so the "radiation" threat is minimal with us.

We'll fly down each and every time.

You forgot: "He's LOOKING at me!" and of course, everyone's favorite: "Are we THERE yet??" Repeated every 10 minutes...

I am with you: We will fly to WDW, everytime. 2.5 hours in a plane vs. 24 in a car... no brainer. The full body scanner doesn't worry me in the least. It isn't like it has my name and address attached to it... it is a scan of a 30 something year old woman, who happens to be me. Or it could be anyone. I find the uproar over the scanners to be a real head scratcher. The pat-down/grope, on the other hand, I'll pass on.

 

[awilliams4]

For all those that don't consider the TSA Security Screenings a big deal, would you object to empowering Police Officers with the right to search your car, your purse, your trunk each time they setup a DUI roadblock or a Driver's License check? There was a car bomb scare in NYC recently (the dummy that didn't do it right), Oklahoma City, maybe some others that I am not aware of. It is all about security right? Why go through these measures only in the airports? We know terrorists are trying to hit us with car bombs too.

If you are OK with that, what about raiding the neighborhood homes to ensure no one is going to blow you up with a meth lab they have cooking in the kitchecn.

It is all about security right?

What happens when Mumbai happens here? Have weapons checks at all the hotels, mall outlets, etc? It is all about security right?