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Claudia Mendoza

Dr. Rita Lawrence

English 101

April 21, 2019

Traveling by Car Can Be a Better Alternative Than Air Transportation

My family and I enjoy traveling by car to nearby towns on the weekends. Our trips are from

two to four hours in average. We travel to areas such as Tucson, Sedona, Flagstaff, the Grand

Canyon in Arizona or places in California. Last month, my daughters and I traveled out of town

by airplane to Mexico City; we stayed there for a week. Our total flight time was going to be

approximately six hours; however, due to the Transportation Security Aviation requirements, it

turned out to be chaotic, frustrating and lengthy. Traveling by airplane is a faster mode of

transportation in this modern society; however, the requirements in order to get in a plane,

although very important and due to safety, put transportation by car as an easier alternative when

traveling short distances.

Because I failed to plan the trip, we had to do a layover in Guadalajara, Mexico. We were

limited about the items we could bring with yet, we manage to put all our clothing and items in

two large suitcases and three small carry-ons inside the plane. Being around the airport with our

luggage was a struggle. The airports were too crowded, and we were constantly bumping into

people. Fortunately, although we had to pay one hundred dollars extra, our two large suitcases

were taken by our airline to be placed in the undercarriage (checked in bags).

Passing security was not the easiest experience for any of us. During the whole trip, we had

to pass security six times. I was required to open my luggage a couple of times for inspection,
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then pulled aside to be pat-down by an officer. My cell phone was also inspected to make sure I

did not have any explosive devices hidden.

According to “The effect of Traveling Time on the Demand for Passenger Transportation,”

“The marginal utility of a trip is inversely related to the amount of traveling time involved”

(Gronau 377). Even though traveling by plane was not a fun experience, it turned out to be more

convenient than if I had chosen to take my own car. Because of the distance, traveling to Mexico

City would have taken us more than twenty-four hours.

As Gronau states “the discomfort of traveling increases with traveling time, and differences

in the elapsed time of different modes serving the same route are reflected in differences in the

utilities these modes yield.” Traveling by car for a few hours can turn out to be a pleasure for the

driver and the passengers; however, as the time and the distance increase, the pleasure turns out

into discomfort, which can be displeasing, especially when traveling with small children. This is

why people much rather travel by plane, despite the requirements and the security hassle, it turns

out to be a time saving transportation method. As Gronau explained “the benefit to society of

these new modes of transportation and the demand for their services will depend in large part on

the value the community assigns to these savings.”

Because time is the most important factor when deciding the method of transportation, I will

continue to travel by car to places that are nearby or those where I can get to in a reasonable

amount of time. Traveling by car is not a reasonable option when traveling to remote distances.

Although having to go through security is not a pleasing experience, I must agree that “Air travel

can be regarded as superior” most of the time.

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Work Cited

"The Effect Of Traveling Time On The Demand For Passenger Transportation | Journal Of
Political Economy: Vol 78, No 2". Journals.Uchicago.Edu, 2019,
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/259635?journalCode=jpe. Accessed 24 Apr
2019.

Word Count 609