How long is a long time ago, and how far is far, far away?

Dannyalcatraz · Mar 26, 2017

Morrus said:
I've never heard anybody actually say that. I've heard people *claim* that people say it about a million times though.

It's a fairly silly saying. Whoever came up with it originally has much to answer for.

(Cue compulsory anecdote from American who had some wide-eyed European visitors who had never seen a map and were SHOCKED at the distances!)

That would be me. Had some friends of friends planning a coast-to-coast (NYC to San Francisco) road trip in the USA who had allocated just over 2 weeks time. They had NOT looked at the distances involved. Fortunately, we managed to clear things up for them.

As for commuting to work, I have some friends driving from Durant, OK to D/FW, TX- @95 miles 1 way. Both work for the police, one as a dispatcher, one as an officer. So they both need to drive when they're on the clock, since they may not get off duty while the trains are running.

And there was a radio DJ- Tom Joyner?- who worked at a Dallas station and an Atlanta station simultaneously...but he was taking flights, not driving.

Morrus · Mar 26, 2017

As for commuting to work, I have some friends driving from Durant, OK to D/FW, TX- @95 miles 1 way.

That's my point. Two people just in my Thursday night game commute to London and back, nearly a hundred miles away, every day. It's perfectly normal. Tons of people do that without thinking twice. I don't think that's far at all. I've gone twice that for lunch with somebody. Excepting a few corner cases, nobody travels so far on a daily basis that they would run out of space in even the smallest countries in the world. The extra space doesn't count if you're not using it! Most people in the world travel about the same distances. Except those homebodies who never leave their own town, but they exist everywhere too.

Tonguez · Mar 26, 2017

I suppose you do have a point that nobody is doing it on a daily basis, but it does come up occasionally - mostly during holidays

I do know a guy delivering specialty vegetables though who does 540 miles from Melbourne to Sydney twice a week.

(My brother also did Sydney to Perth (2500 miles) once - and vowed never to do it again)

Dannyalcatraz · Mar 26, 2017

The nasty thing for my friends is that:

1) they are always driving at least one leg during rush hour, and

2) they have 2 kids under 14.

Somehow, they've conned grandma into being live-in child care. Don't know how long THAT will last- she misses the big city.

Dannyalcatraz · Mar 26, 2017

Tonguez said:
I suppose you do have a point that nobody is doing it on a daily basis, but it does come up occasionally - mostly during holidays I do know a guy delivering specialty vegetables though who does 540 miles from Melbourne to Sydney twice a week.

(My brother also did Sydney to Perth (2500 miles) once - and vowed never to do it again)

To be fair, I would exclude those for whom driving IS their job. I have cousins who are truckers, for instance, who rack up hundreds of miles daily.

Jhaelen · Mar 27, 2017

Morrus said:
Nobody drives 2 days to work in either country.

And what does that have to do with anything?
I've been impressed by the distances you can be away from one of the major cities in Australia and South Africa far more than in the US.

Anyway, [MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION]: So what exactly was the point of this thread?

Morrus · Mar 27, 2017

Jhaelen said:
And what does that have to do with anything?

That the oft quoted saying is a bit silly.

Jhaelen said:
Anyway, [MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION]: So what exactly was the point of this thread?

It is about Star Wars and where/when the movies are set. It seems it got derailed!

Dannyalcatraz · Mar 27, 2017

Jhaelen said:
And what does that have to do with anything?
I've been impressed by the distances you can be away from one of the major cities in Australia and South Africa far more than in the US.

That really depends on what you count as a major city...

Tonguez · Mar 27, 2017

Jhaelen said:
And what does that have to do with anything?
I've been impressed by the distances you can be away from one of the major cities in Australia and South Africa far more than in the US.

yeah its mind blowing to think that with regard to the hunt for gas and water in the Outback,Mad Max is virtually a documentary - dry, flat and empty desert, tiny, desperate fuel depots scattered at 200 mile intervals and the occasional Barter town were you least expect it

Anyway, [MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION]: So what exactly was the point of this thread?

When did Star Wars happen?

Is the thing about Chewbacca being the Sasquatch canon?

Ryujin · Mar 27, 2017

Morrus said:
I've never heard anybody actually say that. I've heard people *claim* that people say it about a million times though.

It's a fairly silly saying. Whoever came up with it originally has much to answer for.

(Cue compulsory anecdote from American who had some wide-eyed European visitors who had never seen a map and were SHOCKED at the distances!)

How about a Canadian stating that he had Cuban government workers visit who were confused as to why they couldn't spend the morning in Niagara Falls and the afternoon in Montreal?

How long is a long time ago, and how far is far, far away?

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator

Morrus

Well, that was fun

Tonguez

A suffusion of yellow

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator

Jhaelen

First Post

Morrus

Well, that was fun

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator

Tonguez

A suffusion of yellow

Ryujin

Legend

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