I apologize to the flyers on my flist

[hmpf]

I know that attacks and recriminations are not the way to go if you want to convince people to change their behaviour. It's just that I get so frelling impatient when I read things like the article linked in the post before the one about flying, because I get the impression the house is on fire and we really need to start, y'know, dousing the flames, and yet any measure to do so is currently regarded as purely an individual 'lifestyle choice' that nobody has any business 'pushing' on others.

And yes, I actually flew fairly frequently between 2003 and 2005 (about eleven times, i.e. five return trips and one single, between Germany and Britain), and my *really* firm decision not to fly anymore is a recent thing, so I'm obviously no saint myself. So it's not like I don't understand the temptation and so on. I just think the time to give in to that temptation is well and truly over now. (Strictly speaking it's been over for quite a while, but sometimes facts take a while to penetrate. We all want to go on believing that we can make 'just one more' exception, and go on living the way we've always done - reality has to hit us over the head with a mallet a few times, usually, before we're ready to acknowledge it.)

Comments

[dune-drd.livejournal.com]

I can tell you exactly what tempts people: Money. Just one little example: I actually went into one of those DB 'Service Points' one day and asked what it would cost me if I went to the UK (IIRC as far as Birmingham) by train. The good woman clicked and clicked and clicked and finally found me a 19 hour fare for 240 Euros. Hooray. My last trip (return!) with airberlin cost 60 Euros.

Service Points suck

[hmpf.livejournal.com]

Frankfurt-London by train can take as little as five and a half hours, and cost as little as 75 euros (one way, admittedly - but 150 euros for a return ticket is still a lot cheapter than what that 'Service' Point lady found you). As with most of the really cheap flights, though, you have to book a little while in advance, and watch for special offers.

Of course, under the current perverse conditions flying will continue to be cheapter than taking the train or bus for a while yet - it's just so massively subsidised. But there *are* train tickets within an affordable range.

'cheapter'???

[hmpf.livejournal.com]

And not just once, but *twice*... o.O