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Shall we take the plane?
So you need to get somewhere in the 48 states. Do you choose a
plane, a train, a bus (there are still a few left) or your personal
automobile? Fuel is now a major expense, not only for you and your
car but for everybody. The airlines have been losing money for years
mostly due to artificially low fares. Now they have the jet fuel
crunch. It is that old story, "So we lose money this year; we'll
make it up next year." But that never happens. So now the costs have
had to go up, ten bucks here, twenty there, all in an effort to look
like they haven't really raised the fares. And they'll still lose
money. While fuel is now the major culprit, it is just one of many
loss factors the airlines face. But the real rub is the lousy
service, unreliable schedules and broken promises.
And that isn't the end of it. Not long ago almost every mid-sized
town had commercial air service. The airlines are folding their
wings and abandoning many of these cities with disastrous
consequences for those cities, their commerce and their residents.
Where a few years ago, the government told the airlines where to fly
and how much to charge, they now can do pretty much as they please.
Amtrak: coming of age, finally
So air travel is no longer a desirable choice. How about trains?
Just ten years ago it was cheaper and more convenient to fly than to
take the train. Amtrak was losing money big time except on a few
East Coast routes. Now Amtrak can be less expensive and considerably
more convenient than an airline. Amtrak hasn't changed its fare
structure -- yet. The airlines have had to. But Amtrak services a
very limited number of communities. (This will be true of the
airlines, soon.) If you are traveling with children, the choice is a
no brainer; Amtrak is a good choice. If you are traveling with
baggage, Amtrak will probably be the better choice (depends upon
weight and size). If it is a long trip, Amtrak is slower (usually).
If it is a short trip, Amtrak is frequently faster. But if you can
accept the extended duration of your trip, Amtrak is certainly much
more comfortable.
So let's take the bus
Greyhound used to go almost everywhere. They had express busses for
long distance runs and 'milk runs' for the shorter runs. Then the
government said Greyhound was too big and making too much money
(transportation in the USA didn't get any less expensive than
Greyhound!) so they broke it up. Buses still were the least
expensive way to go. Reserved seats on a bus were almost unheard of,
you felt like you were packed in a sardine tin, and almost nothing
could be as boring as a bus ride. But they got you there, cheap.
I could buy dinner for two if I got a dime for every time I've
heard someone say, "Boarding a plane, now, is like boarding a bus
used to be." Busses are now MORE convenient that the airlines and
the airlines are steadily getting worse. So, perhaps, the solution
is to take the train to the nearest city and then take the bus to
your final destination.
Then we could take our family car
Then there's always the family car (or van or SUV). It will take you
where you want to go, when you want to go. You can stop, get out,
smell the roses, eat something, -- you have the options and most are
under your control. Cost-wise, for trip of 600 miles, for a family
of four (two adults and two children) your car will cost you about
the same as Amtrak. But does Amtrak go where you want to go? For
longer, overnight trips, the car is less expensive (you can get a
motel room for much less than the cost of an Amtrak sleeper and,
believe me, you don't want to try to sleep in their coach seats. In
most situations, the car, again for a family of four, is much less
expensive than the airlines. What about the bus? The bus wins
economically but a long trip with two children in a commercial bus
is not going to be very pleasurable.
We'll take our RV
There is one other option. If you already own an RV and it's not a
super gas hog (less than 8 miles per gallon), and you are going on
an overnight trip, the RV wins hands down. You don't have to pay for
a sleeper or motel room and the fare (even at $4 or $5 per gallon)
won't be as hurtful. Like with your family auto, you can stop, get
out, smell the roses, eat something, -- you have the options and
most are under your control.
So what will it be: Plane, Train, Bus or Car? No thanks, we'll take our RV and enjoy
life a lot more. RVing is certainly not dead! |