Quote:
Originally Posted by Nanook
Hi T., as the guy said. He loves trains and time wasn't a factor here. Maybe he just wanted to have a nice adventure under his belt.
Of course your remarks make sense, but I believe Angloteuton just wanted to give it a shot and maybe he is cured now.
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Why NOT?! And who's calling me sick? You guys work for airlines' PR depts?
That one little misadventure with 30 min on an oversold bus was my own stupid mistake. I should not have bought my bus ticket in advance and I should have not gotten on that crowded bus in Surat. Always just show up and inspect the bus. Sniff it too. Then pay the bus crew in person.
I always prefer a surface trip to air. Ships & trains vs planes. Not because I scared of flying: I used to fly gliders in my past life.
In Europe I always ride the trains even though now they cost more than the budget airlines. They go downtown to downtown while Ryan Air and other cheapo airlines dump you 150 km from Frankfurt at Hahn-Hunsrueck when you thought you're flying to FRA ;-(), for instance.
On a train I can walk up and down the wide ailes, eat a real fresh-cooked meal in the diner, take pictures of the scenery. Any train seat in 2nd class or better is wider and has more legroom that a 1st class airplane seat. Many recline to a perfectly flat position. Sleepers are usually available for a small extra charge.
What's so great about planes? Obviousdly you don't follow the recent developments in air travel: usually they're more crowded than the cheapest bus, most of the time they want you strapped into your seat like some cretin in a mental hospital. Incredible lines at airport counters/check-in/customs/immi, even if you show up >2 hrs ahead of departure as required. Airports are nothing better than protective custody camps now and planes the paddy wagons in between. Rude officials check and double-triple check people trapped inside.
Airline food is not much better than prison food too. And don't forget: planes attract hijackers. Air marshals only shoot unruly/drunk passengers dead. They haven't cought a terrorist yet. Passengers did.
Airlines now enforce very strict luggage weight limits, so they can rip you off on overweight charges. I had to throw 5 kg of stuff away I bought in Germany on my last trip to avoid a EUR 575 fine Gulf Air wanted to collect from me. Nok, Air Asia, 1,2,3, Go, Tiger ect have luggage limits as low as 15 kg! Even "real" airlines now lowered theirs to 20 ;-(
I flew HKT-BKK-HKT or 3 different airlines over the last year, none was a fun trip and each took >7 hrs door-door. I fly cross-ocean by plane several times a year and it's always a bad trip. No matter if in economy or biz/1st class. Sometimes delays can be >10 hrs. Read about the inhumane, abusive conditions the airlines put people under in USA during the recent snow storms. Ppl said they were 'held hostage' on parked planes for 9-10 hrs w/o food and water, with toilets overflowing. I had only endure 30 min on that bad bus.
And: why does Michael Palin does his great surface trips? Not because he's a Cheap Charley. Same here.