looking for ride Sunday from TFcon West (to Kitchener/Hamilton/Buffalo area)

[RavageX-9]

Hello.
Last minute shot in the dark here. I'm looking for a ride from the convention center any time Sunday (ideally not too late in the evening) to anywhere west of Toronto, ideally anywhere in between Kitchener and Buffalo. (I have my passport to cross the border)
I guess even somewhere like Milton, Oakville, Burlington, or even Guelph would work, but probably not Halton Hills. It's really the Toronto-to-Hamilton traffic that my ride from Kitchener wants to avoid the most, I think. I guess Oakville wouldn't help that much, but it might still be worth it.

My ride in Kitchener has a long trip ahead, and is looking to avoid the detour to Toronto and back down to Buffalo. (we're going way out east from Buffalo for another 6 hours) Map sites are saying the detour from Kitchener to Toronto and then back down to Buffalo is 2.5 hours. I don't think they're taking into consideration the traffic, which I guess would easily add an hour to that, maybe two. Not something you want to add to a 6 hour drive. (plus 1 hour to stop at a friend's place to pick up some stuff, and pit stops)

I'm sure I can pitch in some gas money as well.

[JLvatron]

It might be best for potential drivers if you can estimate how much luggage you'll have.

[Jeepmanhastj]

What time you think you'll be completely done all your activities on Sunday?
I'll be coming home to Kitchener whenever I feel like (flexible)

[Super_Megatron]

There is only bad Toronto-to-Hamilton traffic Monday to Friday, there will be hardly any traffic Sunday. Driven that route at that time many times.

[RavageX-9]

It might be best for potential drivers if you can estimate how much luggage you'll have.
I'm not sure exactly. I think I may have a sleeping bag and the TFcon exclusive.
I'll be picking up some other stuff from people: a boxed WebDiver Gradion (I guess that will take up some space. I think it's a fair sized box), boxed RID Megatron, Universe 1.0 boxed set, two large carded figures... not too much, and I won't have much spare cash for the dealer room. It's hard for me to imagine how much space this will actually take, especially since I don't actually know how big the WebDiver Gradion box is. hope it doesn't take up much more room that what fits in my lap and maybe half a seat. :S

Jeepmanhastj, will your vehicle have plenty of room, or loaded with people and loot, or somewhere in between?

What time you think you'll be completely done all your activities on Sunday?
I'll be coming home to Kitchener whenever I feel like (flexible)
Awesome. This would be really helpful, Jeepmanhastj.
I don't have any attachment to the activities. Still not sure what plans will be... I don't think we'll be rushing to the USA Sunday night, so there shouldn't be a motivation to leave early. I'm guessing I'll just be sleeping in Kitchener with relatives of acquaintances on Sunday night.

While I have some other issues to deal with that could be eleviated by getting a ride to Buffalo/Long Island, I think my concerns are probably negligible. Getting to Kitchener will still eliminate the larger problems.

There is only bad Toronto-to-Hamilton traffic Monday to Friday, there will be hardly any traffic Sunday. Driven that route at that time many times.
What about Monday morning?
It's just a lot of things piling up. We already have a 6 hour drive from Buffalo, so adding a detour will add another hour and a half making the total time for the detour 2.5 hours, and traffic would just make the total (where we haven't even added in pit-stops and time to pick up the stuff in Buffalo) be agonizingly painful.
and my ride needs to go to work in the morning, so I really don't want to get them back so late after such a grueling day.

[Jeepmanhastj]

Hey RavageX-9,
No worries man, tonnes of room (whole back seat)
and no people.
Around 2-2:30 I'll be stepping out to drop the g/f off at work downtown Toronto and then come back for the "Lost in Translation" session at 3pm which kinda looks interesting.
After that I'm ready to roll.

You guys definitely will want to avoid the typical rush hours in the morning.
Sunday you won't find much traffic after 6pm.
If your ride is working in the morning you guys should leave around 9pm - hardly any traffic in the late hours.

[Sureshot22]

i live in hamilton. i can also leave any time after the customizing class on sunday.

not sure how much hamilton will help you though compared,

[RavageX-9]

Hey RavageX-9,
No worries man, tonnes of room (whole back seat)
and no people.
Around 2-2:30 I'll be stepping out to drop the g/f off at work downtown Toronto and then come back for the "Lost in Translation" session at 3pm which kinda looks interesting.
After that I'm ready to roll.

Ok, cool. Thanks. :) Like I said, I don't think I'll be so hard-up for time that I'll want to leave before most of the convention is over at 4pm.


You guys definitely will want to avoid the typical rush hours in the morning.
Sunday you won't find much traffic after 6pm.
If your ride is working in the morning you guys should leave around 9pm - hardly any traffic in the late hours.
Well, since we have 7 hours driving + at least two stops to eat and pick up a huge load of toys, we're not going to want to leave in the evening.
Also, from Kitchener to Grand Island (near Buffalo. uh-oh. Did I say "Long Island" before?? I meant Grand Island!), I'm hoping there won't be quite so much traffic as there is between Toronto and Hamilton. Isn't most of the traffic going IN to Toronto in the morning? What about around Burlington/Hamilton? I guess people are commuting in to those cities in the morning, so it might be a bit packed going towards them, but easier once you're past them.
Is it safe to take that Hamilton Beach bridge when going through, or is that crazy-packed going south-south-east?

i live in hamilton. i can also leave any time after the customizing class on sunday.

not sure how much hamilton will help you though compared,
Thanks. You're right. Kitchener is pretty ideal, as it's where my other ride is staying. Any destination through Buffalo/Grand Island is the only thing that would be better at this point.

[Jeepmanhastj]

You're worried about getting to Grand Island?? Grand Island NY? You got nothing to worry about coming from Kitchener.
I've made that trip many a time to areas around there.

where's your final destination to be driving and stopping for a total 7 hours?
Kitchener to Niagara Falls is like an hour and a half. And isn't Grand Island close on other side of the border?

Only traffic you'll get is in the 7:30am-9am on Monday morning getting out of Kitchener, and a lil bit on Highway 6 coming down from the 401 towards the 403.

If by the Hamilton beach bridge you mean the Skyway Bridge on the QEW going to Niagara its like five lanes wide. IF thats packed it's most likely an accident. You should be fine.

[RavageX-9]

You're worried about getting to Grand Island?? Grand Island NY? You got nothing to worry about coming from Kitchener.
I've made that trip many a time to areas around there.

where's your final destination to be driving and stopping for a total 7 hours?
Kitchener to Niagara Falls is like an hour and a half. And isn't Grand Island close on other side of the border?

Canada's capital. (I'm speaking in code so that I'm not revealing personal info about myself on the internet! ;) )


Only traffic you'll get is in the 7:30am-9am on Monday morning getting out of Kitchener, and a lil bit on Highway 6 coming down from the 401 towards the 403.

If by the Hamilton beach bridge you mean the Skyway Bridge on the QEW going to Niagara its like five lanes wide. IF thats packed it's most likely an accident. You should be fine.
No idea. I'm just looking at maps. They're not always labeled very well.
Well it doesn't matter how many lanes they have in Toronto, they still manage to make all of the lanes come to a full stop. That place is ridiculous. and I was told last time they went, that the highway was backed up all the way between Toronto and Hamilton. Man, I totally don't understand cities. Except that they're a cluster@#$%.