this post was submitted on 01 Sep 2024
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Flying wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that there are so many delays and waiting times. Hours and hours of time wasted. On 90% of the flights i've been on i spent more time waiting in the airport than actually in the air flying. Trains may be slower but at least you spend most of the time actually moving so you feel like you're making steady progress getting closer to your destination. Plus, trains are way quieter.
Worst part for me is airport security. Going through it feels like such a waste of time and energy. Going through Transportation Fondling Administration's checks as a non-yt is demeaning too.
Exactly, also train stations can be built right downtown, while airports necessarily have to be outside the city.
Indeed, and when the station is more accessible that also means less time spent getting there.
My only problem with trains is that train tickets are absurdly expensive here in Europe. Last time i flew i took a train from the airport to get back home and for a one hour train journey i ended up paying nearly 50 euros, and there weren't even any seats available until the train got a bit emptier about half an hour into the journey.
I hope China is keeping their prices under control because the two main factors that really draw in the masses to use public transit are affordability and convenience. It is essential to keep ticket prices low if you want people to use less cars and planes. I know China is on a big EV path right now, but even EVs still contribute to traffic congestion, so ideally you want as many people on public transit as possible.
I agree, in my opinion train infrastructure should just be subsidized by the state and made as affordable as possible. EVs are great, but removing cars from the road is even better. There's simply no comparison between the volume of people that trains and cars can move.
I think that electric vehicles could, or at least should, always have a place.
I think trains and public transport should be heavily subsidized as much as possible, and I understand the arguments and heavily support in favor of making cities more walkable and not requiring a car, but if I'm plowing my girl in the next city over, it might be more economical for me to drive there personally than getting a train ticket.
Edit: Also, I think there is a happy "middle-ground" (I hate that phrase, but regardless) of having cities that allow cars but also are very walkable.
Yeah, I think it's a combination of all these things in practice. You want to make cities walkable to reduce local traffic. You want to have good train infrastructure so people can get around the country. And then you have cars for additional convenience. If public infrastructure is good enough then it reduces the need to drive, and cars aren't a problem at that point.