What Signafies You Are on a Road Trip?

[jmacswimmer]

I can't say I've ever seen the words "pop" or "soda" pluralized before this thread.  Do you guys refer to glasses of water as "waters" too?

I say waters for multiple bottles of water.

I seem to recall "The Situation" frequently making reference to "Diet Soders".

[1995hoo]

I've heard waiters and waitresses use "waters" –for example, "one iced tea, one DC Brau, two waters."

I sometimes use it that way if we're loading the car for a trip–"Did you put the waters in the back?"  referring to the little cooler with bottles of water. That's about the only time I'd say that.

[hbelkins]

Camera batteries charged and some snacks and drinks packed.

[kphoger]

The fact you are in the car and everyone has their shoes off?

Actually, that's a pretty good one.  That, and an adult taking a nap in the car.

[deathtopumpkins]

I can't say I've ever seen the words "pop" or "soda" pluralized before this thread.  Do you guys refer to glasses of water as "waters" too?

Yes. It's more than one, therefore it's plural. Beverages, waters, sodas, beers, teas, juices, etc.



For me it's generally leaving at 3 am that signifies a roadtrip - it started as a way of avoiding specific traffic problems years ago that has become a tradition for the first day of a trip.

[dlsterner]

Crossing the state line (Exception: for Washington area, going outside of I-495 in Virginia)
  or
Going past Frederick to the west
  or
Crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Also, a cooler buckled into the passenger seat filled with sodas (either Coke Zero or Zevia Cola).  No clue what this "pop" is that people refer to.   

[renegade]

I'm behind the wheel, and I'm not going to places I'd normally go to as part of my day-to-day routine.

[michravera]

For me it's fairly simple: good music on the radio, lots of snacks and pops (or "sodas" for you heathens), and luggage in the back.

Yeah. Starting my "Potty Break" playlist on the player.

[US 89]

So, as far as I'm concerned, "day trip"  and "road trip"  overlap - shorter day trips don't really count as road trips, but longer ones do in my opinion especially if it's to someplace more than a couple hours away.

That said, anything that crosses a state line or leaves my combined statistical area is automatically road trip material in my book.

[Scott5114]

One that everyone might not identify with: When the familiar radio stations from your home city start fuzzing out and you have to scan around the dial trying to find a radio station of your preferred genre. Landing on a station where the weather reports are for towns you've never been to and commercials reference streets you've never heard of.

[kphoger]

One that everyone might not identify with: When the familiar radio stations from your home city start fuzzing out and you have to scan around the dial trying to find a radio station of your preferred genre.

...and sometimes not even your preferred genre.  If the only stations coming in are country music, then sometimes I just listen to country music for a while before searching again.

...or finding your favorite radio station on a different frequency, then having to find it on yet another frequency a couple of hours later.

[Scott5114]

One that everyone might not identify with: When the familiar radio stations from your home city start fuzzing out and you have to scan around the dial trying to find a radio station of your preferred genre.

...and sometimes not even your preferred genre.  If the only stations coming in are country music, then sometimes I just listen to country music for a while before searching again.

...or finding your favorite radio station on a different frequency, then having to find it on yet another frequency a couple of hours later.

...or hearing one song you like the sound of and thinking it's your preferred genre so you leave it, then two or three songs deep they play something bizarre that doesn't seem to fit, and you're deliberating on whether you want to keep looking or just grit and bear the bad song.

[JayhawkCO]

Actually, that's a pretty good one.  That, and an adult taking a nap in the car.

That's anytime my wife is in the car with me for more than an hour.



For my answer, I'd say snacks packed, nalgene filled, podcast or audiobook on the radio, and atlas either in the passenger seat or in the back seat easily accessible.

Chris

[hbelkins]

...or finding your favorite radio station on a different frequency, then having to find it on yet another frequency a couple of hours later.

I'm guessing that's due to the corporatization and automation of chain-owned stations (iHeard, Cumulus, etc.) that pretty much have the same playlists?

[ethanhopkin14]

One that everyone might not identify with: When the familiar radio stations from your home city start fuzzing out and you have to scan around the dial trying to find a radio station of your preferred genre.

...and sometimes not even your preferred genre.  If the only stations coming in are country music, then sometimes I just listen to country music for a while before searching again.

...or finding your favorite radio station on a different frequency, then having to find it on yet another frequency a couple of hours later.

...or hearing one song you like the sound of and thinking it's your preferred genre so you leave it, then two or three songs deep they play something bizarre that doesn't seem to fit, and you're deliberating on whether you want to keep looking or just grit and bear the bad song.

This was always true when listening to the Cowboys on my way back home.  I would start off one station until I started to lose it then switch to another station to continue the game.  The worst part was when you lost the first station but didn't quite pick up the second one.

[kphoger]

...or finding your favorite radio station on a different frequency, then having to find it on yet another frequency a couple of hours later.

I'm guessing that's due to the corporatization and automation of chain-owned stations (iHeard, Cumulus, etc.) that pretty much have the same playlists?

I also used to have about four NPR stations memorized for long trips across Kansas.

[webny99]

Going through at least two or three states, depending on the length of the road in one of those states.

Doesn't work up here, I've been on day trips to southern Maine through 3 states and that's barely a road trip.

If it's longer than 2-3 hours, I would call it a road trip, even if it's a single day.

[Roadgeekteen]

Going through at least two or three states, depending on the length of the road in one of those states.

Doesn't work up here, I've been on day trips to southern Maine through 3 states and that's barely a road trip.

If it's longer than 2-3 hours, I would call it a road trip, even if it's a single day.

Round trip or one way?

[webny99]

Going through at least two or three states, depending on the length of the road in one of those states.

Doesn't work up here, I've been on day trips to southern Maine through 3 states and that's barely a road trip.

If it's longer than 2-3 hours, I would call it a road trip, even if it's a single day.

Round trip or one way?

One way (or at least if it gets at least that far away even if some stops are closer).

[CtrlAltDel]

One that everyone might not identify with: When the familiar radio stations from your home city start fuzzing out and you have to scan around the dial trying to find a radio station of your preferred genre.

...and sometimes not even your preferred genre.  If the only stations coming in are country music, then sometimes I just listen to country music for a while before searching again.

...or finding your favorite radio station on a different frequency, then having to find it on yet another frequency a couple of hours later.

...or hearing one song you like the sound of and thinking it's your preferred genre so you leave it, then two or three songs deep they play something bizarre that doesn't seem to fit, and you're deliberating on whether you want to keep looking or just grit and bear the bad song.

I have to object to this one. I have never turned on the radio in my car. Well, that's not true. I did during the text drive. But that was the last time.

[ethanhopkin14]

One that everyone might not identify with: When the familiar radio stations from your home city start fuzzing out and you have to scan around the dial trying to find a radio station of your preferred genre.

...and sometimes not even your preferred genre.  If the only stations coming in are country music, then sometimes I just listen to country music for a while before searching again.

...or finding your favorite radio station on a different frequency, then having to find it on yet another frequency a couple of hours later.

...or hearing one song you like the sound of and thinking it's your preferred genre so you leave it, then two or three songs deep they play something bizarre that doesn't seem to fit, and you're deliberating on whether you want to keep looking or just grit and bear the bad song.

I have to object to this one. I have never turned on the radio in my car. Well, that's not true. I did during the text drive. But that was the last time.

I love this typo.  I imagine you driving the vehicle via text commands with a phone. 

[CtrlAltDel]

I have to object to this one. I have never turned on the radio in my car. Well, that's not true. I did during the text drive. But that was the last time.

I love this typo.  I imagine you driving the vehicle via text commands with a phone.

[sparker]

If it's past the current maximum Bay area commute zone -- or in a separate metro area -- it's a road trip.  Stockton, no; Sacramento, yes.  Modesto or Merced, no; Madera or Fresno, yes.  Salinas, no; King City, yes.  Vacaville, no; Winters, yes.  Healdsburg, no; Ukiah, yes.  You get the drift! 

[GaryV]

I just filled out a survey from a motel.  They wanted to know about the trip.  Was it
-- weekend/short trip (4 days or less)
-- longer trip (5 days or longer)
-- stop on a road trip

Um, wouldn't that last one be a subset of either of the first 2?

[vdeane]

I just filled out a survey from a motel.  They wanted to know about the trip.  Was it
-- weekend/short trip (4 days or less)
-- longer trip (5 days or longer)
-- stop on a road trip

Um, wouldn't that last one be a subset of either of the first 2?

I'm guessing they meant the latter as something like an overnight stop on a longer drive where the destination (if there is one) is somewhere else.

One that everyone might not identify with: When the familiar radio stations from your home city start fuzzing out and you have to scan around the dial trying to find a radio station of your preferred genre.

...and sometimes not even your preferred genre.  If the only stations coming in are country music, then sometimes I just listen to country music for a while before searching again.

...or finding your favorite radio station on a different frequency, then having to find it on yet another frequency a couple of hours later.

...or hearing one song you like the sound of and thinking it's your preferred genre so you leave it, then two or three songs deep they play something bizarre that doesn't seem to fit, and you're deliberating on whether you want to keep looking or just grit and bear the bad song.

I have to object to this one. I have never turned on the radio in my car. Well, that's not true. I did during the text drive. But that was the last time.

Meanwhile, my FM presets cover the entire Thruway ticket system (which gives me the entire Rochester-Albany drive, plus one station on either side), so I understand it quite well.