Phoenix airport question

[.429&H110]

I lived in Scottsdale for four years,
and picked up my wife at SkyHarbor exactly once.
At SkyHarbor there is a fleet of independent vans, airport service,
they pick you up at home, drop you off at home,
maybe the origins of Uber.
They worked out well for me, 20 miles to Scottsdale,
Goodyear is not as far as that.
But the west side of Goodyear could be 60 miles out into the desert.

The address in Goodyear might be both hard to find and gated.
It's a maze outside the grid, some people don't want to be found.

Phoenix at dawn you are surrounded by a million (1,000,000)
10^6 suvs driving flat out, solid traffic 80 mph, and now stop crunch.
Get up on the Stack, you can see them all, suvs to the mountains.
A hundred square miles of headlight-taillights.
(Then one day the gasoline pipeline broke! No gas!)
It is up to you to avoid the accident, they aren't playing chicken.

I have been to the three busiest intersections in America:
George Washington bridge (now and forever #1)
Top of NJ turnpike
Proudly at number 3 is the Mini-Stack in Phoenix
(It's on the way to Goodyear)
The rest of the list is Lost Angeles.

There are enough cars in America to fill I-10 both lanes coast to coast.
Semis in the breakdown lane bumper to bumper for 3000 miles.
And everybody would have to try to pass.

[Electrod47]

I drive up in The Phoenix Valley area a lot - it's no more confusing than any other unfamiliar big city. Google Maps is pretty darn good and easy to follow, and there are plenty of freeways to get where you are going. Sky Harbor is MUCH easier, for me, than, say, O'Hare or Oakland, but I grew up here. I do confess I know absolutely nothing about the rental car situation there, sorry.
One thing to note - Arizona drivers do NOT know how to drive when it's raining, amazing how people get stupid. However, if they want to pick you up, let them, just offer to pay for dinner someplace nice.

"The Roaring Fork" Scottsdale

[elmacgyver0]

If I had someone willing to pick me up, I would sure as hell take them up on it.
If they didn't want to do it, they wouldn't have offered, and could be a bit offended if you decline.
You can always hire a cab to get back if you have to.

[Battis]

There's more to it than accepting an offer.
The question was, how bad is that airport...

[.429&H110]

Bad is subjective, it's just a big sprawling airport.
A mile north is Phoenix Chinatown. After 10PM, that's what I mean by bad.
Thousands of people use SkyHarbor every day, it is what it is.

How bad is it?
Much better than O'Hare.

At o'hare I prayed if I ever got home I would never fly again.
The regional air traffic control was set on fire?
Only Grace of God got me out of Chicago
and so no more airports for me ever again.
If I want to go back to Alaska I will take my Tacoma again.
The Alcan is much more fun than flying.

My favorite airport is SeaTac,
leave Fairbanks at 1AM,
breakfast in Seattle,
Tucson for lunch.
Airlines kept schedules in those days.
Those days are over.

[MT Gianni]

One thing to be aware of Arizona does not require it's drivers to have liability insurance. If you want protection you need full coverage.

[Battis]

That's good to know. NH doesn't require insurance so we have to pay more in MA.

[35 Rem]

I fly into the Phoenix airport about 1 time a year for about the last 20 or so years. If you can manage the Logan airport in Boston, Phoenix is like small town USA in my opinion. All of Phoenix is manageable as far as driving goes. The land is flat so everything tends to be more spread out. Yeah, it's like any large city in the country, crowded and all the lanes are full on the Interstate, traffic will suddenly stop, etc. But you see that everywhere. The Rental car situation is not bad compared to many of the large airports. I kind of prefer the remote Rental car center concept so that you get out of the airport clutter on a big bus before picking up your rental car. I don't travel unless I can get my own car - too independent to do it any other way.

Airports I try to avoid at all costs - anything in the NY City/Newark, NJ area. Those are horrible as is the entire area. Boston - that tunnel is something else. LAX - way too many people for miles and miles and miles around the airport. I try to use the Orange County airport in that area if possible. I've only driven into Chicago Ohare a couple times and don't remember it being too bad - follow the signs and turn your brain off.

[Mal Paso]

There's more to it than accepting an offer.
The question was, how bad is that airport...

The airport is much better than I-10 South to Tucson. You wouldn't know it's an open carry state, it's that rude!

[Battis]

Come to find out, the offer to pick us up didn't include bringing us back.
Our average trip out west has been at least 1500 miles of driving. Nope - I quit. Goodyear, Sedona, Grand Canyon - that should do it. Monument Valley has a mask mandate, indoors and out. No thank you.
I have my woodstove going tonight. Something tells me that will all change in AZ.
The Boston Big Dig tunnels...some call it the Big Frig. Nothing changed as far as traffic.

[Handloader109]

Why that doesn't make sense.. they expected you to walk back or stay permanently with them? Airport is easy.

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[Battis]

Yeah, I'm not sure how they expected us to get back.
If someone I know is flying into Boston's Logan Airport, I always offer to pick them up. To get out of that place, you have to be a speed reader, a mind reader, and a little nuts. Even after several trips, you can still screw up.

[Battis]

Phoenix airport is a great place to fly into, especially compared to Logan in Boston. Renting the car off site wasn't bad. I like that grid road system. Incredible scenery up to, and including, the Grand Canyon. Sedona looks like a Hollywood set. Long weekend means lots and lots of people. I missed the foliage season in NH, but Sedona made up for it.
Question: why are there so many blown out truck tires on the highways? Heat or just bad tires?

[MUSTANG]

Phoenix airport is a great place to fly into, especially compared to Logan in Boston. Renting the car off site wasn't bad. I like that grid road system. Incredible scenery up to, and including, the Grand Canyon. Sedona looks like a Hollywood set. Long weekend means lots and lots of people. I missed the foliage season in NH, but Sedona made up for it.
Question: why are there so many blown out truck tires on the highways? Heat or just bad tires?

1. Yes Heat kills the tires.

2. In the Las Vegas area (Probably many other locations in Arizona, and New Mexico also) Look for the different colored black rough spots of asphalt on the shoulder 20 to 40 foot long. Thats where the Winnebago RV's and Tractor Trailer's caught on fire and burned when either the Tires or bakes failed, caught fire, and the vehicle burned along the side of the road.

[elmacgyver0]

There's more to it than accepting an offer.
The question was, how bad is that airport...

Really?
It is an airport, what else needs to be said.
If it serves more than puddle jumpers it is bad, just how bad is the question.

[Battis]

just how bad is the question.

And that was the question, not whether or not I should take a ride.

[ShooterAZ]

I've never had much problem in getting in or out of Sky Harbor. It's a very large airport, but it's pretty dang efficient in my opinion. Just allow yourself the time to do what you need to do and you'll be fine.

[armoredman]

Welcome to Arizona. I hope you have a great time.

[Battis]

We had a great time. The second day there, we decided to see what Tucson was like, but we only went as far as the Casa Grande Ruins. Interesting place. Sedona was great. We hiked to the The Devils Bridge but neither of us crossed it. I don't think I'd stay in the Grand Canyon park again, but the Canyon itself was amazing.

[armoredman]

If you come back again, we have tons of neat stuff tucked away in weird spots. For instance, the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff has an incredible night tour. Also, Black Barts in Flagstaff is the craziest place for dinner, with the wait staff all taking turns singing and dancing. The International Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix SOUNDS boring but is anything but. In any case, glad you had a good time, come back soon.