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Last Minute Driver Cancellations


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We had a trip planned this last weekend and I had 7 parents signed up as drivers, In the last 48 hours before the trip, 3 of my drivers cancelled and a fourth simply didn't show up to the departure location. If one of the drivers who was signed up didn't have the opportunity to borrow a mini-van, we would have left Scouts behind in the parking lot.

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Sign of the times.

 

Parents don't rsvp to birthday party invitations.   About once a month it seems I read an article about some poor child who invited a bunch of pals to his/her party...and no one shows up.  

 

Locally, a scout troop nearly had to cancel their trip to summer camp.   Reason:  at the very last minute, two adults suddenly decided they didn't want to go.   No extenuating circumstances like illness, family matters, etc.   They just decided they couldn't/wouldn't go.   Thankfully another unit stepped up and offered to help.  

 

Compounding the issue is the absolute failure of grown adults to use their ever-present electronic devices to actually COMMUNICATE in a timely manner.

 

Not trustworthy + inability to communicate = big mess.

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 Alas, @@MrBob, you might be right. 

 

I guess I wouldn't mind making two trips, but the boys in the second shift would be showing up at camp a day late and leaving a day early.  One does what they have to considering the cards that were dealt.

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We had a trip planned this last weekend and I had 7 parents signed up as drivers, In the last 48 hours before the trip, 3 of my drivers cancelled and a fourth simply didn't show up to the departure location. If one of the drivers who was signed up didn't have the opportunity to borrow a mini-van, we would have left Scouts behind in the parking lot.

 

Just out of curiosity... did any of these drivers who cancelled happen to be the parents of Scouts who showed up to go on the trip?

Edited by MrBob
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Yah, I know of one troop in these parts that has a simple policy.   If there aren't enough seat belts for all the boys goin' on a trip, boys are dropped from da trip in the order of the number of miles their parents have driven, startin' from the least.  It gets the point across, and I don't think they actually have to do it hardly at all.

 

Yeh have to watch out for single-parent families and such, though.  Sometimes folks just need help, and a Scout is Helpful.

 

Beavah

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If the same person flakes out regularly you deal with that person, basically by understanding they'll flake out, otherwise you're at the mercy of a world where every business, every service, every activity, has to run 24/7.  If your boss tells you you have to work late Friday night, or your spouse has to work late, or the friend who was going to watch your other kids has to work late, then the chain reaction is started.

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When we are short, naturally the kid(s) of the driver get a seat. This has become a bigger issue since the pre 2005 15 passenger van ban took affect especially on trips where we need some trucks to haul gear...we lose capacity. We have tried having some 'backup' drivers on call just in case if it is not too close.

 

I really don't see why this happened for you...usually we get some parents that are glad to drive a few hours just so they do not have to campout. But 4 out of 7 means there needs to be some sort of discussion. 

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