I need a ride from St. Paul/Loretta to Ronstock

[tribute_13]

Hi, I'm Mike. Everyone here has probably read my many posts trying to find a chaperon or any suggestions that could help me make the rally. Well, everything looked great. I had a way to St. Paul, I had a ticket to the rally, Ronstock was looking very promising as far as cheap lodging, and I was under the impression that the Raleigh Ronvoy would be dropping me off there. However, I was completely wrong that Ronvoy would be dropping people off at Ronstock. So, Ronvoy will pass through St. Paul on the way to Loretta MN where the campground is. I need help getting from St. Paul to Good ol' Goodhue for Ronstock. They are taking I-94 by St. Paul on the way to the Ihduhapi Campground which is in the Loretta area.

All my plans were made and set in stone until I hit this roadbump. I need a ride from St. Paul to Goodhue, they will be passing through St. Paul somewhere around 8pm, but knowing any trip, this is an extremely volatile timeline. So, I'm looking for someone willing to help out a 16 year old sober, clean teenager get to a cheap campground because I'm strapped for cash.

If you can't help, referrals or suggestions are just as welcome.

~Mike

[Danke]

I am just a couple of miles north of 94 on the 280 como exit.

What date are you arriving?

[Ninja Homer]

I was just looking at it, looks like Saturday the 30th. http://www.raleighrallyronvoy.eventbrite.com/

Map of the route: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Raleigh,+NC&daddr=Greensboro,+NC+to:Charlotte,+NC+to:Spartanbu rg,+SC+to:Asheville,+United+States+to:Knoxville,+T N+to:Lexington,+KY+to:Louisville,+KY+to:Loretto,+M N&hl=en&geocode=&mra=pe&mrcr=3,4&sll=39.972402,-86.031262&sspn=17.251298,24.082031&ie=UTF8&ll=35.245619,-83.759766&spn=9.199675,12.041016&z=6

Mike, I assume you're going to need a ride back to connect with your Ronvoy on Wednesday as well?

There's other people from the Ronvoy going to Ronstock, right? I don't know if it's workable, but I would think the easiest way to do it is if all those people took one of the Ronvoy vans to Ronstock, then use it to go to the events, and then get back to the Ronvoy camp in Loretto on Wednesday morning.

[tribute_13]

Yes I will need a ride back to the bus to leave back to NC.

However, I might have fixed the problem. I'm working on seeing if I can get a friend to let me stay with them. But this is still open to suggestions.

So help is welcome and I still need a ride lol.

[malkusm]

Make that two, I guess....

I'm very disappointed in the organization and lack of accommodations provided by the Ronvoy. The departure date on the website changed well after I bought my tickets, and they have been generally non-supportive to anyone with plans outside of their campgrounds, meals, etc.

[HVACTech]

I will make the effort to pick you up. can I assume you both have cell phones? I have other work to do at the farm. but you will not be stranded for long.

[tribute_13]

Hey. Thanks for your kindness. There is a chance I have a friend willing to let me stay with them so I will keep everyone updated.

[HVACTech]

Hey. Thanks for your kindness. There is a chance I have a friend willing to let me stay with them so I will keep everyone updated.

let's just call it working together for the cause. I don't want to post my cell # but I will give it to you and the other guy. y'all end up stranded, call me. think of it as a safety net.

[torchbearer]

Make that two, I guess....

I'm very disappointed in the organization and lack of accommodations provided by the Ronvoy. The departure date on the website changed well after I bought my tickets, and they have been generally non-supportive to anyone with plans outside of their campgrounds, meals, etc.

kinda hard to cater to everyone when the whole thing is ran by volunteers.
I'm not driving a van for 1500 miles just to drive you around everywhere like your personal taxi. And other drivers feel the same.
We are just supporters like you, not hired automatons.

People who bitch about ronvoy would look a gift horse in the mouth.

[tribute_13]

kinda hard to cater to everyone when the whole thing is ran by volunteers.
I'm not driving a van for 1500 miles just to drive you around everywhere like your personal taxi. And other drivers feel the same.
We are just supporters like you, not hired automatons.

People who bitch about ronvoy would look a gift horse in the mouth.

Look dude, you have the wrong idea about what's even going on. The departure date got moved back to August 29th for the Raleigh Ronvoy, which is on a Friday. Which means a lot of people have to change plans. It's not exactly a walk in the park. I've already had to change around some plans because I was under the impression I was getting dropped off at Ronstock which I later found out wasn't happening. We were never asking anyone to personally be our taxi. We wanted a ride to St. Paul, period. After that we fend for ourselves. Some find alternative lodging, some find hotel rooms, some camp at the Ihduhapi Campground, some are staying at Ronstock because it's cheap. I can't afford much, I'm stretching myself just by going to the rally. I could have said screw it and not gone. No one is bitchin, we're frustrated because everytime we make plans, someone changes some shit around and makes it that more difficult to go. I bought the ticket when the departure date was on Saturday when I had no other obligations that weekend. Now, it's on Friday, when I have college classes I can't miss and can't make up. That one change completely threw my schedule for the weekend out of whack and I have to scramble and beg people at the last minute to help me out. Its not like I procrastinated and did everything at the last minute. I planned this out thoroughly.

So if anyone is bitching its not because we're ungrateful, its because we have a life which we have to plan stuff around. The world isn't going to stop and say "Hey! Don't worry about going to school or work or going to your mother's funeral, because there is a rally in St. Paul!"

So, I'm not ungrateful, I'm very happy that I got a ticket for $140 round trip. I'm just not satisfied with the organizing and last minute changes which is making it almost impossible for me to go. I am supposed to be attending the VIP Dinner in someone's stead and if I don't make that of course I'll bitch.

[torchbearer]

Look dude, you have the wrong idea about what's even going on. The departure date got moved back to August 29th for the Raleigh Ronvoy, which is on a Friday. Which means a lot of people have to change plans. It's not exactly a walk in the park. I've already had to change around some plans because I was under the impression I was getting dropped off at Ronstock which I later found out wasn't happening. We were never asking anyone to personally be our taxi. We wanted a ride to St. Paul, period. After that we fend for ourselves. Some find alternative lodging, some find hotel rooms, some camp at the Ihduhapi Campground, some are staying at Ronstock because it's cheap. I can't afford much, I'm stretching myself just by going to the rally. I could have said screw it and not gone. No one is bitchin, we're frustrated because everytime we make plans, someone changes some shit around and makes it that more difficult to go. I bought the ticket when the departure date was on Saturday when I had no other obligations that weekend. Now, it's on Friday, when I have college classes I can't miss and can't make up. That one change completely threw my schedule for the weekend out of whack and I have to scramble and beg people at the last minute to help me out. Its not like I procrastinate

I'm letting you know, for every bit of frustration you feel, the people on the other side of the fence is feeling it doubly. because they have to deal first with the headache of scheduling a major logistics operations under a small time frame with volunteers who can back out on them at any time changing the schedule, and the second, they have to deal with everyone bitching about it.
Everyone is doing the best they can.
Next time around it will be better because a structure is being put in place to handle these things, plus experience comes with each run through.

[tribute_13]

Thats all fine and dandy, its a learning experience for everyone. But this thread is for finding me some help. So get back on topic please.

Is anyone willing to give me a ride or help find someone willing to drive me to Ronstock?

[torchbearer]

Thats all fine and dandy, its a learning experience for everyone. But this thread is for finding me some help. So get back on topic please.

Is anyone willing to give me a ride or help find someone willing to drive me to Ronstock?

here: http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=151680

[tribute_13]

here: http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=151680

Just PM'ed him thanks

[malkusm]

I wasn't trying to criticize the work that the organizers of the Ronvoy are doing, because I really appreciate it more than I can express, and I've never come close to organizing something as detailed and consuming as what they are doing.

But rule #1 of any organization is that you treat your most loyal customers/members best, that you put their needs before anyone else. I was the second person to sign up for the Raleigh ronvoy, there are now over 50 people signed up for it.

When I signed up, there was nothing about camping or rally tickets on their website, only transportation. As such, I made my own plans for accomodations. Since then, the leadership of the Ronvoy has seemingly been hell-bent on pigeon-holing myself and others into their accomodations.

Yes, I understand that those accomodations were not finalized at first, but at the least they could have mentioned those intentions at the time that I was purchasing my tickets. I understand that people who were tentative about buying Ronvoy tickets would have rather had the Ronvoy leave on Friday instead of Saturday, but again, the website clearly said leaving on Saturday when I bought my ticket. Not "Saturday for now, but by the way if we have enough support it might be Friday." I had already contacted my professors and told them I would be missing three days of classes - they obviously weren't pleased when I added an extra day, four days beforehand.

Again, I understand the level of complication involved with organizing something this big - I just wish I had known the risks involved for me, as a ticket purchaser, beforehand.