How can she get there from here?

August 13, 2008 4:07 PM

My sister in CA is looking at a job in Federal Way (WA) and would be staying with us in Olympia. However...the job starts at 6:30 am (so no bus) and she doesn't currently own a car. Suggestions?

It sounds like she really wants this job, which would start in a couple of weeks, but 6 weeks or so of staying with us could be a deal-breaker.

The extra quirk is that it's a split shift job, with an early morning shift and a late afternoon shift. The afternoon shouldn't be a problem for public transit, but the morning is pretty much impossible.

She has a small amount of money saved up, but that's about what she'll need for a deposit on an apartment.

I have suggested that she talk to her bank about getting a (very small) car loan and buy as cheap a car as she can manage. Also that she try calling a car rental place about a long-term rental.

We're going to talk again this evening, and I'd love to have more ideas from the hive mind for her.

Or, if you think this is nuts and she should just keep looking in LA (she has a part-time job & lives at home), I wouldn't mind hearing that POV either.

posted by epersonae to Travel & Transportation (8 answers total)

Also, since I bike-commute, I'd be happy to let her borrow our car, but it's a stick (which she doesn't do) or our truck, but it's a gas-guzzler. (I'm going to talk to mr. epersonae about those options anyway.)
posted by epersonae at 4:09 PM on August 13, 2008

How long before the job starts? Couldn't she learn to drive a stick by then?
posted by grouse at 4:18 PM on August 13, 2008

Teach her how to drive a stick - it'll take a weekend.
posted by tristeza at 4:19 PM on August 13, 2008

Definitely teach her how to drive stick. With patience, it isn't that hard. It also gives her a lot more options when she's looking at getting a car of her own.
posted by spinifex23 at 5:12 PM on August 13, 2008

See if there is a carpool program that links people up.

Otherwise -- learn stick. It's a great thing to know.
posted by amanda at 5:47 PM on August 13, 2008

Yep, get her to learn to drive a stick. Spend some time teaching her, let her practice, then let her drive to work. Nothing teaches someone how to drive a stick faster than having no other options. (I actually bought my GTI without knowing how to drive a stick. I figured it would force me to learn. And I did. It took a couple weeks of some jack-rabbity starts, but I eventually got the hang of it. Without too much damage to my clutch, either.)
posted by cgg at 8:02 PM on August 13, 2008

If you feel like coming up with a driving-stick curriculum would be too much to deal with, here's one on one single page.
posted by mdonley at 8:10 PM on August 13, 2008

Well...last night I talked to my best friend in Seattle, mr. epersonae, mom, and sis. As much as the hive mind is advocating for learning stick & loaning her my car, consensus closer to home is for her to get a car. (Probably an inexpensive 90s era Honda.) Mr. epersonae reminds me that he does need the car sometimes, and my friend notes that Federal Way isn't exactly pedestrian-friendly even once she lives there.

But thank you anyhow. (I gave mdonley a best answer for providing a reference guide. Heck, maybe she & I will have a fun afternoon learning stick just for the hell of it!)
posted by epersonae at 9:23 AM on August 14, 2008