Is it a thing for older people to be picked up from the airport?

[Anonymous]

LOL! So, FIL is coming in December, and at the worst time. While we are away for the day for DS's college graduation. For decades he has gone on and on about how weird it is that people want to be picked up and driven to the airport. I mean just ripping people apart about not knowing how to get to the airport!
Yesterday, SIL told us he decided to come and at what time...and that he told her "I will just wait at the airport for hours until someone can come get me!"
By that point, we will have been driving 3 hours to DS's college and back and probably having a meal in his college town on his last day.
And having to get to BWI to get FIL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is the only region I have ever lived in where people seem to really push back against picking guests up. So I think it's regional vs an age thing. Or maybe people in DC are just less kind than elsewhere.

You've clearly never lived in NYC.

Or LA. I’d throw Boston into the mix too.

I lived in Boston you literally can get to the airport in 15 minutes from every part of Boston, so yes you pick up Family.

What? I guess I’m a sucker then. Maybe my Uber always takes a circuitous route to my destination because it always take longer than 15 minutes.

Where are you going?

It probably not really Boston but you call it Boston. Like “Boston College” is not in Boston.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess it depends on how able he is. Remember too that sometimes older folks that are are on medications have different times of day when they are more lucid. My mom can navigate much midday into evening, but struggles in the morning. Traffic isn’t bad right now. It’s still lighter with many working from home. At most you’ll be navigating holiday shoppers.

Umm, if your parent is not lucid enough to be able to find a taxi why are they traveling alone?? They're not driving the car.

She’s not. That’s an example of how another elder has morning difficulties. Why so argumentative?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My parents didnt even pick me up from the airport during college. I had to take taxis or shuttles home.

So if they asked me to do that for them, I'd have a good laugh. Absolutely not! Grow up!

Of course. You reap what you sow. Your parents were inconsiderate and so you are repaying them back similarly. You have my permission to continue to be a jerk to your jerk parents.

[Anonymous]

Well, FIL lives in Denver and was against picking up anyone... until my post above when he now wants to be picked up!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is the only region I have ever lived in where people seem to really push back against picking guests up. So I think it's regional vs an age thing. Or maybe people in DC are just less kind than elsewhere.

It's a city thing. You don't expect relatives in NYC to pick you up at the airport.

Oh please, do you really live a Manhattan car-less lifestyle here? Or are you getting into your car all the time to drive to groceri s and activities and everything else. It doesn't have to do with the "city"

DP. I know of a number of families in this area who have one car. We have two but mine is a compact and with two car seats in I can only pickup one guest if I have both kids and car seats in the car. Not everyone is a dual-mini an-SUV household.

[Anonymous]

If they can figure out how to fly first class across the country, or wherever, they can figure out how to uber/lyft/taxi a short ride home.

The rude part is expecting someone to take time away from their family/work, when they are retired (and have been retired for decades). This is especially true if they weren't the type to help out with the kids once or twice a year. Eff that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My parents didnt even pick me up from the airport during college. I had to take taxis or shuttles home.

So if they asked me to do that for them, I'd have a good laugh. Absolutely not! Grow up!

Of course. You reap what you sow. Your parents were inconsiderate and so you are repaying them back similarly. You have my permission to continue to be a jerk to your jerk parents.

I'm not a jerk, but they are. So yeah. They dont get ANY special treatment from me, whatsoever.

But tbh,a lot of parents are jerks or super selfish, it's crazy common. And most narcissists LOVE to insist people make a fuss over them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is the only region I have ever lived in where people seem to really push back against picking guests up. So I think it's regional vs an age thing. Or maybe people in DC are just less kind than elsewhere.

You've clearly never lived in NYC.

Or LA. I’d throw Boston into the mix too.

I lived in Boston you literally can get to the airport in 15 minutes from every part of Boston, so yes you pick up Family.

What? I guess I’m a sucker then. Maybe my Uber always takes a circuitous route to my destination because it always take longer than 15 minutes.

Where are you going?

It probably not really Boston but you call it Boston. Like “Boston College” is not in Boston.

So we were only talking about DC proper than, not the metro area? If I’m in Aspen Hill I get a pass from driving to DCA just like someone in Brockton would not be expected to schlep to Logan during rush hour?

[Anonymous]

This 100% depends on the parent, but yes, if the parent wants to be picked up, it's typically the nice thing to do to accommodate that.

My mom is 72 and an experienced traveler. She understands that the airport in my city (O'Hare) is far away from where I live and a PITA to get to, so she tries to get flights that land at convenient times, not in the heart of rush hour, which would mean a 3 hour round trip drive for whomever is picking her up. If her flight lands at 5pm on a Thursday, yes, she volunteers to Uber or she'll take the train and we get her from the train stop. If she ever asked for us to do that round trip 3 hour drive, for whatever reason, we would do it. But it's a give and take.

If she lands at Midway, we almost always volunteer to get her because it's much closer to our house.

When I lived in DC, it's sort of the same with Dulles/DCA/BWI. I'd always volunteer to get people at DCA or BWI (I lived in SS) but Dulles always prompted more of a discussion.

But like I said, it's about the parent. My MIL is a different story. She's much less comfortable traveling, and although she has never needed to fly to us because she lives within driving distance, we would always volunteer to make it as easy as possible for her (although, i'm sure if I ever needed to make a 3 hour round trip pickup, I'd gripe about it to my GFs later).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Normally I'd say that refusing to take a 10AM flight due to personal inconvenience and choosing a flight that gets in at 5:30 instead, during rush hour traffic and conflicting with your work schedules, is incredibly rude. But since it's the day after Thanksgiving and traffic should be light, yeah, you should pick him up. I do think it's fine for him to wait an hour or so if you need to handle daycare etc. first. But I assume your DH can do that?

we didn't know that it was going to be the day after Thanksgiving - now my brother is going to pick him up (but will have to drive 1+hour each way)
My DH does not handle the dinner time / bedtime on his own.

It sounds like your Dad is not the person you should be frustrated with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is the only region I have ever lived in where people seem to really push back against picking guests up. So I think it's regional vs an age thing. Or maybe people in DC are just less kind than elsewhere.

It's a city thing. You don't expect relatives in NYC to pick you up at the airport.

Well, I've mostly lived in cities, so, no. Unless you think the only cities in America are NYC and DC.

Well, many American cities are not all that city-like. I'm sure it's NBD to drive to the airport to get someone in Phoenix or whatever, but in dense cities with crazy traffic where a lot of people don't own cars and cabs/ubers are cheap and plentiful, the expectations are different.

OP hasn't given any indication that she doesn't own a car, or that she lives in NYC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is the only region I have ever lived in where people seem to really push back against picking guests up. So I think it's regional vs an age thing. Or maybe people in DC are just less kind than elsewhere.

You've clearly never lived in NYC.

Or LA. I’d throw Boston into the mix too.

I lived in Boston you literally can get to the airport in 15 minutes from every part of Boston, so yes you pick up Family.

What? I guess I’m a sucker then. Maybe my Uber always takes a circuitous route to my destination because it always take longer than 15 minutes.

Where are you going?

It probably not really Boston but you call it Boston. Like “Boston College” is not in Boston.

So we were only talking about DC proper than, not the metro area? If I’m in Aspen Hill I get a pass from driving to DCA just like someone in Brockton would not be expected to schlep to Logan during rush hour?

If you're in Aspen Hill you pick them up at BWI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, FIL lives in Denver and was against picking up anyone... until my post above when he now wants to be picked up!

Denver is a pain in the ass distance wise. I always rent a car when I fly in rather than expecting a ride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is the only region I have ever lived in where people seem to really push back against picking guests up. So I think it's regional vs an age thing. Or maybe people in DC are just less kind than elsewhere.

You've clearly never lived in NYC.

Or LA. I’d throw Boston into the mix too.

I lived in Boston you literally can get to the airport in 15 minutes from every part of Boston, so yes you pick up Family.

What? I guess I’m a sucker then. Maybe my Uber always takes a circuitous route to my destination because it always take longer than 15 minutes.

Where are you going?

It probably not really Boston but you call it Boston. Like “Boston College” is not in Boston.

So we were only talking about DC proper than, not the metro area? If I’m in Aspen Hill I get a pass from driving to DCA just like someone in Brockton would not be expected to schlep to Logan during rush hour?

Aspen Hill is not that far from DCA or BWI. Just have them avoid IAD.