The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Quick question for those who have used the Venture Bus trips that ODU promotes for away games. I'm planning on going to the Liberty game with my 4 year old daughter and was wondering how bus rides are and if it's appropriate to bring a young child along on the bus. My concern is about possible over drinking (assuming drinking is permitted on the bus). Thanks for any info!

(05-15-2018 07:40 AM)FTW ODU Wrote:  Quick question for those who have used the Venture Bus trips that ODU promotes for away games. I'm planning on going to the Liberty game with my 4 year old daughter and was wondering how bus rides are and if it's appropriate to bring a young child along on the bus. My concern is about possible over drinking (assuming drinking is permitted on the bus). Thanks for any info!

What is this "over drinking" thing you refer to? I am not familiar with the concept.

(05-15-2018 08:02 AM)MONARCHSWIN Wrote:  

(05-15-2018 07:40 AM)FTW ODU Wrote:  Quick question for those who have used the Venture Bus trips that ODU promotes for away games. I'm planning on going to the Liberty game with my 4 year old daughter and was wondering how bus rides are and if it's appropriate to bring a young child along on the bus. My concern is about possible over drinking (assuming drinking is permitted on the bus). Thanks for any info!

What is this "over drinking" thing you refer to? I am not familiar with the concept.

Drinking so much that the environment becomes inappropriate for a 4 year old. Us adults are far more battle hardened.

I went to their website to try to find some info for you, but it's pretty bare. Their FAQ isn't very helpful. So yeah, no answer here, just wanted to let you know I tried.

The trips I have been on, they allowed drinking. I can't say that in my experience anyone has been out of control, but the possibility would exist, since it is allowed. We had a great experience on the trip to Villanova. The driver was great and friendly. We did not enjoy the trip to ECU. tTere was a player's mother who stayed after the game to see her son and held the bus up from leaving for over an hour. It was already late and everyone just wanted to get home. There weren't any food stops on that trip, either and the bus driver did not know how to allow access to Wifi and did not turn on the TVs. There were some especially loud and annoying people on that trip. We didn't take another bus trip until VT and that was a bus that was only invited guests of ODAF. That was a very nice trip, other than a long stop in Richmond to change drivers, which was annoying after a long day and since I had to get up and go to work the next morning. So, mostly, it is just a crap shoot as to what kind of driver you get and who you end up sharing a bus with. So far, I have not experienced any really inappropriate behavior. The big question is how will a young child deal with a long bus ride, especially twice in one day? I don't remember children on either of the first two trips, but they were a long time ago. At the least, if there were children, they did not make an impact that I remember, like I do the people on the ECU trip. There were some children on the VT trip, but none quite that young.

I've never been on one of their trips, but there's a part of me that wonders if alcohol consumption on the bus will be heightened because Liberty prohibits it on campus so people have to get it in when they can.

Can't help with the bus trip. But I have a coworker who's a Liberty grad and he claims there's plenty of drinking at thier tailgates. You're just expected to be discreet and not out of control. He told me he was at a tailgate with a guy that was getting a little too loud in his drinks. A cop came by, looked in the cooler full of beer and basically just told him to cool it down.

(05-15-2018 12:17 PM)mturn017 Wrote:  Can't help with the bus trip. But I have a coworker who's a Liberty grad and he claims there's plenty of drinking at thier tailgates. You're just expected to be discreet and not out of control. He told me he was at a tailgate with a guy that was getting a little too loud in his drinks. A cop came by, looked in the cooler full of beer and basically just told him to cool it down.

Ah, so the application of the rule is different from the letter. Which makes sense, because they'd have a heck of a time fostering a half-decent tailgate culture if they're super strict about the no-booze-on-campus rule.

(05-15-2018 12:36 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(05-15-2018 12:17 PM)mturn017 Wrote:  Can't help with the bus trip. But I have a coworker who's a Liberty grad and he claims there's plenty of drinking at thier tailgates. You're just expected to be discreet and not out of control. He told me he was at a tailgate with a guy that was getting a little too loud in his drinks. A cop came by, looked in the cooler full of beer and basically just told him to cool it down.

Ah, so the application of the rule is different from the letter. Which makes sense, because they'd have a heck of a time fostering a half-decent tailgate culture if they're super strict about the no-booze-on-campus rule.

So I've heard. I plan on testing it Labor Day weekend.

I did the ECU bus trip. It wasn't great and it was slow. It took 1.5 hours to get to the rest area on 17 near the VA/NC line. Wifi didn't work and cell service was spotty. It was one of the double decker buses and they didn't have assigned seating at that time. My group of 6 was split on both decks. I had three annoying drunks on the first deck. Two college buddies in their 50s got drunk and fought about a girl from college days. It was comical at first but it got old after an hour. Then a lady in her 60s split them up by reseating them and she started drinking with one of them and she starts telling her life story.

On the way back our bus got delayed because one of the passengers was a mother to one of the players and didn't return back until the team buses left the stadium. My buddies ditched the return ride and got home 2 hours before us.

Took bus to NC State and didn’t have any issues, other than the driver showing off his tight quarters driving after he got caught up in the tailgate lot

(05-16-2018 07:37 AM)AimHigh Wrote:  I did the ECU bus trip. It wasn't great and it was slow. It took 1.5 hours to get to the rest area on 17 near the VA/NC line. Wifi didn't work and cell service was spotty. It was one of the double decker buses and they didn't have assigned seating at that time. My group of 6 was split on both decks. I had three annoying drunks on the first deck. Two college buddies in their 50s got drunk and fought about a girl from college days. It was comical at first but it got old after an hour. Then a lady in her 60s split them up by reseating them and she started drinking with one of them and she starts telling her life story.

On the way back our bus got delayed because one of the passengers was a mother to one of the players and didn't return back until the team buses left the stadium. My buddies ditched the return ride and got home 2 hours before us.

You were on the same bus with us. We were on the bottom level on the opposite side, but very close to that group. We were so over that woman and the player mother who held us up all that time.

(05-15-2018 07:40 AM)FTW ODU Wrote:  Quick question for those who have used the Venture Bus trips that ODU promotes for away games. I'm planning on going to the Liberty game with my 4 year old daughter and was wondering how bus rides are and if it's appropriate to bring a young child along on the bus. My concern is about possible over drinking (assuming drinking is permitted on the bus). Thanks for any info!

We have taken the Venture Buses a few times they have always been very enjoyable. JMU & Towson a few years back. We have also taken other trips with Venture and all have been Great. The trips we have taken we have never encounter and problems.

What time do you guys think the bus will depart?

(05-18-2018 06:17 PM)Brandnew Wrote:  What time do you guys think the bus will depart?

Just a guess 6 hours before kickoff.

I think the answer to FTW ODU's question should be NO don't take your 4 yr old daughter on the bus where there will be excessive drinking!

I've been on several trips. My experience has been there is some drinking, but it's not like the entire bus is bombed. The ECU trip sucked and thankfully it wasn't that far away. They should have left the woman who held the bus up. Talk about inconsiderate!
The bus trip to Maryland was fine.

I'll probably use it for the ECU game. Never been there before.