Sjoerd wrote:

"Chad Irby" schreef in bericht
om...

But for the 200 to 500 mile range, people over here have *cars*, which
gives them much more flexibility. And the continental US is 3000 miles
across.

I own a nice car. But I travel by train often when it is more convenient. I
get to read a nice book or the newspaper, I can stare out of the window and
relax, I arrive fresh, I get to chat to interesting people of various age
groups, etc, etc. Many advantages of travelling by train.

I lived in the US for 11 years, and had a car for about 1 of them. I
don't recall feeling stranded in those ten years! To tell the truth,
when I did have the car, I tended to use it for unnecessary trips. I
believe in public transport, refuse to own a car, and make choices about
where I live as a result- that is, I live close to good public transport
links. If people thought a little bit more about that, we might have
cleaner air to breathe- instead, the focus on building new housing
complexes in the UK tends to depend on the occupants having cars- the
government really seems to have abondoned public transport- rural
railways and bus routes have been decimated in the last 40 years.

David

--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk