5 ms·

What's the alternative to flying?

by skocznymroczny 7y ago

sbergot 7y ago
Using a train.
- joyjoyjoy 7y ago
  When was the last time you took a train from Paris to New York?
  - seszett 7y ago
    When was the last time you had no choice but to fly from Paris to New York? Not taking the flight at all can also be an option. If you really need to, well contributing 18 euros to support less polluting infrastructure such as trains is not that big a price to pay.
  - dsfyu404ed 7y ago
    > When was the last time you took a train from Paris to New York? Right after I sold my beachfront house in Arizona.
    - benj111 7y ago
      Surely for the joke to work you'd have to suggest that sea levels were much lower, not higher. Eg: 'When I sold my Manhattan mountain lodge.'
      - donarb 7y ago
        The beachfront Arizona joke is usually not about rising sea levels but rather about earthquakes in California causing that state to break off from the continent.
        dsfyu404ed 7y ago
        It's a line from an old country song and it's a joke about the fact that AZ has no coastline. Usually it's used to imply something is obviously false and impossible. While there is no song about a train from NYC to Paris the similarity should be obvious.
        jsymolon 7y ago
        Also, see the plot from the 1978 Superman movie.
ncallaway 7y ago
Trains, buses, cars and not traveling.
fulafel 7y ago
Using another means of transport or doing without travel (eg conducting your business remotely, hiring someone local, etc )
TheSoftwareGuy 7y ago
Not traveling?
jopsen 7y ago
Falling comes to mind :) I guess that's why the tax is on take-off, so everyone can afford landing! Bad jokes aside France has a huge highspeed rail network.
- benj111 7y ago
  When people say they're scared of flying, I tell them they should be worried about the sudden lack of flying instead. It doesn't seem to help.
Balero 7y ago
At least for flights around Europe, taking the train. Flight in Europe are very cheap. It's actually cheaper to fly from London to Newcastle than it is to get the train, and it takes roughly the same time. For all flights the alternative is just not to go. Instead of flying to the Caribbean for a holiday, go some place closer and take the train, instead of flying for a business meeting, just call in. If it's worth that much for you to fly, then paying a little tax on top should be fine. Flyers still aren't paying fully for the damage they do to the environment.
- raverbashing 7y ago
  As much as I worry about global warming, this antagonizing view doesn't help "Paying for the damage" is this some kind of joke? What about all the other polluters? Shipping? Coal plants? Macron got the Yellow Jackets by hating on people that depend on cars to do their job, because wow, if you don't live in a place with public transport and already pay a substantial amount of tax in everything else and earn less than the people in the capital you should pay more right? You're the bad guys Wow pat yourself in the back for not taking a straw and taxing those "big bad" travelers. Then wonder why your tax revenue goes down every year or people hate you. "Oh but sleeper trains" yeah, also known for the constant robberies and lawlessness inside them.
  - skosch 7y ago
    > "Paying for the damage" is this some kind of joke? What about all the other polluters? Shipping? Coal plants? Right – tax them too, and distribute the revenue back to households. That way it's not a regressive tax, but a wealth transfer from heavy polluters to regular folks who are bearing the indirect costs of the climate crisis.
    - raverbashing 7y ago
      This sounds like a better plan, too bad it won't happen This tax will just go to cover deficit or to pay the exceptional privileges of the government employees including French railways which go on strike more often than not. But surely, alienating the common people is the way to go...
elohju 7y ago
Sailboats
- Freak_NL 7y ago
  Hmm… Perhaps dirigibles too? Sounds rather wonderful to travel across the oceans in a luxury airship. Perhaps throw in the excitement of a murder mystery solved by a cunning Belgian detective with a funny moustache as well?
lm28469 7y ago
Let's not fool anyone here, europe is plagued with low cost airline companies, the vast majority of flights are for leisure. The alternative to slowly destroying the world for leisure related flights is to not travel. I can buy TWO berlin<>mallorca round trips for the same price as a single taxi trip from berlin to the airport. https://www.google.com/flights?hl=en#flt=/m/0156q./m/0jwz5.2019-08-19.TXLPMI0FR280*/m/0jwz5./m/0156q.2019-08-28.PMITXL0FR277;c:EUR;e:1;p:5000.2.EUR;sd:1;t:b;sp:2.EUR.1998*2.EUR.1998 https://www.google.com/flights?hl=en#flt=/m/0156q./m/0jwz5.2...
newnewpdro 7y ago
Traveling less far, or taking longer to get there, using a slower alternative.

What's the alternative to flying?

sbergot 7y ago

Using a train.

joyjoyjoy 7y ago
When was the last time you took a train from Paris to New York?
- seszett 7y ago
  When was the last time you had no choice but to fly from Paris to New York? Not taking the flight at all can also be an option. If you really need to, well contributing 18 euros to support less polluting infrastructure such as trains is not that big a price to pay.
- dsfyu404ed 7y ago
  > When was the last time you took a train from Paris to New York? Right after I sold my beachfront house in Arizona.
  - benj111 7y ago
    Surely for the joke to work you'd have to suggest that sea levels were much lower, not higher. Eg: 'When I sold my Manhattan mountain lodge.'
    - donarb 7y ago
      The beachfront Arizona joke is usually not about rising sea levels but rather about earthquakes in California causing that state to break off from the continent.
      - dsfyu404ed 7y ago
        It's a line from an old country song and it's a joke about the fact that AZ has no coastline. Usually it's used to imply something is obviously false and impossible. While there is no song about a train from NYC to Paris the similarity should be obvious.
      - jsymolon 7y ago
        Also, see the plot from the 1978 Superman movie.

ncallaway 7y ago

Trains, buses, cars and not traveling.

fulafel 7y ago

Using another means of transport or doing without travel (eg conducting your business remotely, hiring someone local, etc )

TheSoftwareGuy 7y ago

Not traveling?

jopsen 7y ago

Falling comes to mind :) I guess that's why the tax is on take-off, so everyone can afford landing! Bad jokes aside France has a huge highspeed rail network.

benj111 7y ago
When people say they're scared of flying, I tell them they should be worried about the sudden lack of flying instead. It doesn't seem to help.

Balero 7y ago

At least for flights around Europe, taking the train. Flight in Europe are very cheap. It's actually cheaper to fly from London to Newcastle than it is to get the train, and it takes roughly the same time. For all flights the alternative is just not to go. Instead of flying to the Caribbean for a holiday, go some place closer and take the train, instead of flying for a business meeting, just call in. If it's worth that much for you to fly, then paying a little tax on top should be fine. Flyers still aren't paying fully for the damage they do to the environment.

raverbashing 7y ago
As much as I worry about global warming, this antagonizing view doesn't help "Paying for the damage" is this some kind of joke? What about all the other polluters? Shipping? Coal plants? Macron got the Yellow Jackets by hating on people that depend on cars to do their job, because wow, if you don't live in a place with public transport and already pay a substantial amount of tax in everything else and earn less than the people in the capital you should pay more right? You're the bad guys Wow pat yourself in the back for not taking a straw and taxing those "big bad" travelers. Then wonder why your tax revenue goes down every year or people hate you. "Oh but sleeper trains" yeah, also known for the constant robberies and lawlessness inside them.
- skosch 7y ago
  > "Paying for the damage" is this some kind of joke? What about all the other polluters? Shipping? Coal plants? Right – tax them too, and distribute the revenue back to households. That way it's not a regressive tax, but a wealth transfer from heavy polluters to regular folks who are bearing the indirect costs of the climate crisis.
  - raverbashing 7y ago
    This sounds like a better plan, too bad it won't happen This tax will just go to cover deficit or to pay the exceptional privileges of the government employees including French railways which go on strike more often than not. But surely, alienating the common people is the way to go...

elohju 7y ago

Sailboats

Freak_NL 7y ago
Hmm… Perhaps dirigibles too? Sounds rather wonderful to travel across the oceans in a luxury airship. Perhaps throw in the excitement of a murder mystery solved by a cunning Belgian detective with a funny moustache as well?

lm28469 7y ago

Let's not fool anyone here, europe is plagued with low cost airline companies, the vast majority of flights are for leisure. The alternative to slowly destroying the world for leisure related flights is to not travel. I can buy TWO berlin<>mallorca round trips for the same price as a single taxi trip from berlin to the airport. https://www.google.com/flights?hl=en#flt=/m/0156q./m/0jwz5.2019-08-19.TXLPMI0FR280*/m/0jwz5./m/0156q.2019-08-28.PMITXL0FR277;c:EUR;e:1;p:5000.2.EUR;sd:1;t:b;sp:2.EUR.1998*2.EUR.1998 https://www.google.com/flights?hl=en#flt=/m/0156q./m/0jwz5.2...

newnewpdro 7y ago

Traveling less far, or taking longer to get there, using a slower alternative.