People travel to places because it is tractable to get there in a reasonable amount of time. In the 17th century, I would walk to my local knife sharpener. In

People travel to places because it is tractable to get there in a reasonable amount of time. In the 17th century, I would walk to my local knife sharpener. In the 21st century, I can take a train to Soho to visit a superior specialist. Both trips take a few hours via two different modes of transport. The fact that one covers more distance is immaterial. They are comparable by the fact they can both be completed in an afternoon. (Ironically, our modern era provides a third option: cycle to the local specialist. Cycling with a bag full of knives — even blunt ones — is way too risky.)