Macon Residents Hit the Road for Christmas

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Many middle georgians have already hit the road,
and in about a minute some will be taking to the skies.
According to AAA, more than 90 million americans will travel by plains, trains, automobiles or buses over the holiday season.

We caught up with Joan Oliver, as she was waiting to catch a bus at the Greyhound terminal in downtown Macon. Oliver who was in a wheel chair said she chose to leave the driving to someone else.

“I’m going over to my family’s house and spend Christmas over there with my nieces and nephews,” she said.

People lined up inside the Middle Georgia Regional Airport, but it wasn’t to purchase airline tickets. They wanted rental cars.

Willie Grimsley is going to Tampa, to be with his family for Christmas. He says renting a car just makes more sense.

“It saves you from the wear and tear on your car. Driving your car you know, to get back and forth to work that way you don’t have to pay later in car repairs,” says Grimsley. “So it’s cheaper to rent a car.”

Flamisean Footman was in the airport rental car line too. She’s heading to Tallahasee, to visit her in-laws. She believes it is better to use a rental car when traveling.

“Well when you rent a car you can already have transportation, when you get to your destination,” says Footmans. “So, you don’t have to turn around and try to fly and then turn around and rent a car too.”

The only airline carrier at the airport, Silver Airlines, only had one flight on Christmas Eve, and it was to sunny Orlando.

Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, Colonel Mark W. McDonough, urges drivers to plan trips, carefully and allow plenty of time to reach your destinations.

“Make sure everyone is buckled up, and that children are properly restrained,” he said in a news release. “Don’t text and drive, and obey the posted speed limit.”