Taking the High Road

Whether it's because they prefer driving to flying or because an automobile is the only workable option, car travel is a popular choice among federal travelers. Let's look at some of the pluses (and a few of the minuses) where the rubber meets the road.

Mission Accomplished

Don Riding, officer in charge of the Immigration and Naturalization Service's Fresno, Calif., office, is one of many who find driving faster. For his frequent trips to San Francisco, a three-and-a-half-hour drive, "I can beat the airplane," says Riding.

He also appreciates not being bound by a flight reservation: If a meeting or conference ends late, or early, he can just get in his car and go. "If the purpose of travel is government business," says Riding, "do you really accomplish the mission if you have to leave a meeting early to catch a flight?"

For travelers who work in small towns or remote areas without a major airport nearby, car travel really is the only way to go. Other feds like the comfort and freedom of having a car at the work site. Also, they can bring along a friend or family member at no extra cost or have a car to use during leisure time.

The bottom line is that the bottom line is usually less expensive. Airfares, especially those on less-traveled routes, are often much more expensive than the cost of driving. Add in paid transportation to and from the airport, and the tab is even higher.

Avoiding Pain

Skipping the flight has other benefits: taking a pass on the delays, the cramped seats, the lost luggage.

"I prefer to avoid the hassles of flying in a cramped, overstuffed airplane, putting up with delayed flights, and crowded airports with their low-quality, high-priced food," says John E. Peters, a Navy public affairs officer in Norfolk, Va. "I'd much rather spend relaxing time on the road with the top down, zipping along a scenic road.

"I'll take a three- or four-hour drive to Washington, D.C., to avoid the 45-minute flight and its associated hassles."

Perils and Pitfalls

Car travel isn't nirvana. There's the boredom, the traffic and, for some, the reimbursement rates that are too low to cover costs-especially with today's high gas prices. And then there is the anxiety.

Laura Biggs, a relocation specialist at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, had a scare during a three-hour drive from Kansas City to one of Treasury's outlying offices when she heard tornado warnings on the radio. Based in Washington, Biggs says, "I had no clue what I should do. The sky looked like nighttime in the middle of the afternoon, and I was on the interstate alone in the middle of Kansas. I was terrified and kept waiting for the wicked witch to fly by! "Luckily, I got to my destination without incident," says Biggs.

Lesson learned: Now Biggs checks the weather and emergency procedures whenever she travels somewhere new.

And human error can compound natural perils. Labor Department Finance Director Robert Flannery recommends checking the gas and oil in any government-owned vehicle before leaving the garage, in case maintenance procedures aren't up to par. Flannery once picked up a car in Chicago during a blizzard and had traveled just three blocks when the car ran out of gas. "I was in the middle of a busy intersection and you could barely see the hand in front of your face," says Flannery. "Needless to say, I was not very happy."