Porifolio Paper #2 Comparing and Contrasting

Comparing And Contrasting
Flying vs. Driving
By: Brittany Plate
Whenever people go on a family trip, the first question that comes up is usually “our we driving or flying?” Its usually split up half and half among the family members when it comes to deciding. Before making this decision you have a lot of things that you need to look at. There are pros and cons with both driving and flying. Sometimes it can be pretty obvious which one you should do, other times it wouldn’t hurt to hear the statistics. If you are only going to be traveling a few hours away, then driving would be the better way to go. If you were going on trip a couple states away, here is where the question comes into play. Would you rather fly or drive? Which way is cheaper and safer?
Starting with driving there can be lot of pros. If you are only traveling a couple hours away it would be cheaper to drive than fly. Even though gas prices do get high in the summer, when you look at plane tickets it’s around a hundred dollars if not more per ticket. Another good thing is when you drive and you have a big family its not like you have to buy every member a ticket to get in the car. Instead you buy a tank of gas and its for all of you.
Another good thing about driving is you can take stops and see new areas. Most of the time when you go on trips, there is no time limit that you have to arrive within. This allows you to relax, get out and stretch. Some people like driving better because they feel like they are in control. It’s a way of making them feel better and safer. They like to know that they can make the decisions. When you are driving you are also on the ground and everyone else around you is the similar in the same height. This can make you feel more comfortable and relaxed. The reason I think a lot of people like to drive is because, you get to see your surroundings which makes you more comfortable and you know everyone that’s in your car so makes you more relaxed. A lot of people I know that don’t like is because they just like to know their feet our on the ground.
If you plan on traveling a long distance and don’t plan on staying long then flying is probably the best way to go. If it’s just you traveling, flying is going to get you there a lot quicker. Its also not as boring, you can sit and talk to people that are seated next to you. In most cases flying can be cheaper when you are talking about a long trip. Usually depending on where you are going you get a round trip ticket for under 200 dollars. And if you drive a bigger vehicle its going to cost you around 80 dollars jus to fill up your tank. Well if you are traveling at least a couple states away you are going to need to fill up your tanks at least three times, which in just one way is already over the price of a plane ticket. When you fly you don’t have to worry about stopping and getting gas, or about much cash you have on you. There is no need for a map, because you cant get lost. If you are traveling at night, flying could be safer. You don’t need to worry about drunk drivers, not being able to see, making sure that you are going the right way.
Along with having pros, everything has some cons. Driving at night you have to worry about people leaving the bar, either being tired or having had a little to much to drink. “In 2000 an average of 100 gallons of gas were being wasted each peak period road user” (Opposing Viewpoints Internet) This was happening by people driving to much and not carpooling, letting their cars idol to long in the winter. That’s a lot gas and oil that is being wasted. Also driving pollutes the air when you sit there and let your car idol, you are putting gas chemicals in the air, which some researchers say are causing global warming. (internet, Yahoo Answers) About 100,000 teens die each year from a car crash. So that would make it around 100 people a day who die from being in a car crash. Another con with driving is the weather. Not all weather is suitable to drive in and you could get stranded, unlike flying. Most of the time when you fly you always get where you need to go! If your car dies or breaks down, and you don’t know how to fix it then you have to try and find someone that is going to stop on the side of the road to help you. That could turn into more problems then just your car.
When it comes to flying not many things could go wrong. There has been seven airplane crashes in 2006 that has killed more than twenty in each. There has been other crashes, that has happened in private flying. The worst thing about flying is that you have no control over what’s going on, a lot of people don’t like that. If something was going wrong with the plane, you have a lot of time to think about your family and start to panic. One of the most important things to remember when you are flying is that you if you are staying for a long period of time, once you get there you don’t have a vehicle. Plane tickets are usually cheap but then once you arrive you have to then pay to rent a vehicle. Also when you fly the only thing you get to see out your window are some clouds, there are no pit stops to take a look at the new surroundings.
All in all, if I was to go on a long trip I would rather fly. It’s better in the sense of its a lot quicker and you don’t have to worry about getting lost. If you are traveling with a big family driving with them could get really annoying and make your trip start off on a bad note. When flying, kids are usually pretty good because they think its interesting, and don’t fly very often so it’s something new. I look at It this way, its less likely to crash on a plane, then in a car so to me that gives me more comport. Driving is always a good idea for some short couple hours but just remember it can take you two days to get to California and only three hours by plane. Which would you rather pick?