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Safety First
Dec. 26th, 2008 09:58 amIt looks like ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
beowabbit has some mild and easy weather in which to drive from Boston to Rochester to retrieve me. But if the weather was bad, I would insist he stay safely put and would take the Amtrak back.
I've developed some strong feelings about obligatory December holiday travel in treacherous weather. In short, I don't feel anyone should do it if they don't feel safe about it, and no one should pressure their loved ones to endure airport strandings, fearsome traffic on icy roads or other utter messes in the name of one holiday out of many throughout the year. It is uncountable, the number of travel agonies I've read about here on LJ or seen on the news or experienced myself, all on account of annual wails of "BUT IT WILL RUIN CHRISTMAS IF YOU'RE NOT HERE!"
Barring life-or-death emergency, I never want to set foot in an airport during the two weeks surrounding Christmas again. "Connecting flight" is a swear word to me, having spent enough oh-so-not-merry nights on the floors of various airports of the world at Christmastime to last the rest of my life. If it's winter and I can't get there safely by rail or non-hazardous car travel within roughly 12 hours, I'm probably not going. Also, I will never pressure someone to risk weather-related danger or discomfort in order to come to me at Christmas (or any other time of year, really). If I love them, why would I want to put them at such risk? I will make merry with whomever is available nearby and can see the traveler at another time of the year when its safer to travel.
beowabbit has some mild and easy weather in which to drive from Boston to Rochester to retrieve me. But if the weather was bad, I would insist he stay safely put and would take the Amtrak back. I've developed some strong feelings about obligatory December holiday travel in treacherous weather. In short, I don't feel anyone should do it if they don't feel safe about it, and no one should pressure their loved ones to endure airport strandings, fearsome traffic on icy roads or other utter messes in the name of one holiday out of many throughout the year. It is uncountable, the number of travel agonies I've read about here on LJ or seen on the news or experienced myself, all on account of annual wails of "BUT IT WILL RUIN CHRISTMAS IF YOU'RE NOT HERE!"
Barring life-or-death emergency, I never want to set foot in an airport during the two weeks surrounding Christmas again. "Connecting flight" is a swear word to me, having spent enough oh-so-not-merry nights on the floors of various airports of the world at Christmastime to last the rest of my life. If it's winter and I can't get there safely by rail or non-hazardous car travel within roughly 12 hours, I'm probably not going. Also, I will never pressure someone to risk weather-related danger or discomfort in order to come to me at Christmas (or any other time of year, really). If I love them, why would I want to put them at such risk? I will make merry with whomever is available nearby and can see the traveler at another time of the year when its safer to travel.