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I’ve had this debate with friends and coworkers often. These debates have been extremely heated, both in volume and length. The question that sparked these debates? Simple. Can you say you’ve been somewhere if you’ve only driven through?
For example, I went on a road trip to Chicago in college. On said road trip we drove through many shit hole towns – btw Indiana is definitely the Alabama of the north, but with more windmills – including the home of Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. If someone were to ask me “Hey, have you ever been to West Lafayette where Purdue is?” In my humble opinion, which is always correct, my response should be “No, but I’ve driven through.”
Many a psychopath who I’ve had this debate with has stated “Yeah, I’ve been there.” What in god’s name is wrong with these people? Are you just trying to look cool and seem like you travel? Because your attempt at looking cool is going to quickly fall flat on its face.
Part of their rationale makes sense. Have you physically been there? Yes, you have. But that’s not really what the other person is asking. What they’re wondering is if you’ve ever experienced that city and what can you tell them about it. Here’s how the rest of the conversation goes if you’ve only driven through somewhere and answer yes to the “Have you been there” question –
“Hey, have you been to Chicago?”
“Yea, I was there two years ago.”
“Awesome! I’m visiting in a couple weeks do you have any recommendations?”
“Well, I really only drove through so I didn’t stop or get to do anything.”
Want to know what the other person is thinking at this juncture of the conversation? I’ll fucking tell you – they’re livid that you just wasted seconds of their time they could have spent scooping up this fly ass hoodie on Grandex shop that Dillon Chevereerreere tweeted out a few weeks ago. And you’re a selfish piece of garbage for keeping them from being able to accomplish that. You can probably redeem yourself by buying that hoodie for yourself and for them, though.
If you answer saying you’ve been somewhere when you’ve only driven through, or had a layover from a flight, you’re going to wind up looking like an idiot. You haven’t even had a meal there, stayed the night in a hotel, or even just gone for a walk. You’ve done absolutely nothing there, and now look like a dumbass to the everyone in the conversation. Please, don’t do this to yourself.
What qualifies as having been somewhere? To me there has to have been quality time spent in the place you’re discussing. Personally, I think spending the day qualifies as having been somewhere. You’ve had a meal or two, checked out something unique to the city, and probably gone out on the town for a bit. That’s enough quality time in a city to where if someone were to ask you details about what you did, you have some answers and some knowledge on the place.
So unless you have some type of experience in the place you’re discussing, please don’t tell anyone you’ve been there. You look dumb and now you’re making the rest of the conversation awkward for everyone else. That’s my opinion, which as we’ve discussed earlier, is always right..
Respond
You haven’t visited unless you’ve eaten, drank, and swiped. Also, boiler up.
In all honesty I have no room to talk. College towns population was around 15K so we’re in the same boat.
Layovers hundred percent do not count. Everywhere else, I consider having been if I had time to take a nice big ole dump.
total shoobie move
Woogidy woogidy
Unrelated but wtf happened to PGP Shibby, he was an OG who just up and disappeared
I’m with you on this, you have to spend at least a day in a place to say you’ve been there.. But the bigger question is if you’re in a new city for a work conference and you never leave the hotel, we’re you really there?
Think this is another upfront caveat situation with saying you were only there for work.
“Officer, I cannot accept this speeding ticket from you, because I am not actually here. I am just driving through.”
If you’ve set fin in a part of the ocean and gone to somewhere that’s not a gas station or airport it counts.
Would also like to add that rest stops do not count.
Agreed, there’s a reason Saul Goodman hides out in a Cinnabon and it’s almost certainly the non extradition clause for all “there but not there” places (rest stops, truck stops, gas stations, Toledo, etc.)
I always say I’ve never bee to Vegas, but I have won $200 on the airport slots
Agreed. You need to have had at least two meals and experienced one thing to say you’ve visited a place. And stopping to eat at a Cracker Barrel on the outskirts of town doesn’t count.
Went to school in Indiana, can confirm its an odd place.
Indianapolis is the shiny pearl in the sea of corn.
Source: I’m a Hoosier
Indianapolis isn’t so bad 🙁
Indianapolis & Bloomington are the only two places in Indiana worth spending some time in.
The same could be said of Illinois and Chicago… Go outside of Chicago, and Illinois is really no different than Iowa or the rest of the Midwest.
Love the Dallas skyline.
Also, great take.
It’s missing the bumper to bumper traffic and constant roadwork.