When it comes to transportations types, The U.S. seems to have adopted the most uncomfortable forms that exist today. Does this make Americans transportation masochists?
Let’s investigate.
First, what is a masochist?
Masochist: a person who enjoys an activity that appears to be painful or tedious.
This would make masochistic travel an experience that is painful and/or tedious. When you think of travel that fits this category, what types of transportation come to mind?
Travel in the U.S.
With a few exceptions, one must either drive or fly in the United States.
In my experience, driving and flying can be two of the most uncomfortable ways to travel.
Let’s consider the reality of flying first.
Flying
If you’ve been jammed into an airplane recently, you know what I’m talking about. There’s not much more to do than suffer through it, knowing that after 2 to 7 + hours of uncomfortable sitting positions and trying not to imagine fiery crashes, you’ll land somewhere incomprehensibly far away, finally free to commence your existential jet lag session in the travel destination of your choice.
The days of air travel being comfortable are long since gone, unless of course you can afford a private jet or the most expensive first-class tickets. But even with the best ticket in hand, you’re facing down inconvenient commutes to the airport and lots of time moving through security and waiting for your flight.
These are all reasons that I now dread flying, and can imagine that many people feel the same.
Driving
As for driving, the advantages of being able to carry all your crap with you is quickly offset by the mind-numbing activity of driving long distances. If you enjoy zoning out on an interstate while your body starts to lock up from being in the same position for hours, then I guess driving is for you.
Plus, while driving, you’re not able to truly relax because you have to keep your eyes on the road. Typically, this isn’t scenic driving either, and even if it is you can’t truly look because your eyes should be on the road. Because of this, I can’t think of anything more tedious than driving long distances. Couple that with the pain of sitting still for so long, and we have a truly masochistic form of transportation.
This isn’t even to mention safety concerns, car trouble, and the cost of driving.
Are Trains the Most Comfortable?
A caveat. Any form of travel can be either nice or uncomfortable. I’ve had pleasant drives and comfortable flights before. It’s just that the norm for these activities have shifted towards being painful and tedious ways to transport your body long distances, rather than being a chance to relax and enjoy yourself along the way.
Then, we have train travel. The most comfortable form of transportation has been mostly forgotten in the United States. When done right, train travel offers centrally located stations, quick boarding and unboarding, and a pleasurable journey that allows you to read, work, walk around, and even have a meal (on many longer-distance trains).
Even in corridors where it makes sense (San Francisco to LA; LA to Phoenix; Portland to Seattle, etc…) quick, efficient rail is strangely absent. Even if there is a train, infrequent service and pitifully slow speeds make it more of a novelty journey than anything else.
Some people would claim that this transportation system is what Americans chose. If that’s true, what does that say about the people in this country.
Is there something masochistic about the American psyche? Is tedium and pain something that is celebrated in the culture? The way that people in the United States defend car culture and urban sprawl makes you think they enjoy sitting in traffic jams and tediously driving long distances. Maybe they actually do.
When we consider the forms of travel prevalent in the U.S., an argument for this could be made. What do you think?
Driving a car is very much a test of how long you can stay awake. A certain amount of pain helps. I have a coccyx that protrudes that assists in that regard. But a couple of years ago I was driving at about 5PM. Perhaps I should have had a sleep in the afternoon, but I was anxious to obtain a cement mixer to be used on the following day, and since the local Bunnings megastore had no stock, I decided to drive for an hour to another branch. I got to the outskirts of town where the speed limit drops from 110kph to 80kph before I fell asleep, wandered off into a slightly depressed grassy hollow that separates two lanes of traffic and trundled along for perhaps about 50 meters before waking up in time to see a crossover with a power pole directly in my path. It was too late to avoid it.
To extend the life of timber power poles the practice is to drive three lengths of railway line into the ground and leave two and a half meters of steel above the pole and to strap the whole lot together with heavy grade stainless steel.
Fortunately, a steep rise to the level of the road associated with the provision of a concrete pipe under the crossover, lifted the front of my Toyota Utility to the extent that the chassis below the radiator struck the pole perhaps a meter above the railway line snapping it cleanly in two. At that point I would have been in a reclining position and my posterior driven into the seat which cushioned my spine to the extent that my head was not carried forward with sufficient momentum that would have instantly broken my neck. As I write this, I remember that this is how my father died in his sixties. I was 78 at the time.
The power lines were intact and supported the remnant portion of the top half of the pole at a crazy angle. The utility landed on the driver's side, so I was unable to open that door. There was white stuff in the air, perhaps from the air bag that had inflated. But the bag was not in evidence. I was not injured but concerned that there might be an explosion. It's actually difficult to open the passenger side door when you are standing on the driver's side door. A person appeared and I asked him if he could open the door so that I could get out and he obliged.
There were many stationary cars in the vicinity.
Bits of plastic and metal were all over the road. I was of course extremely embarrassed and began tidying up as best I could.
My helper suggested that it would be best if I accompanied him to the hospital that was close by. About three hours later they allowed me to depart, having discovered nothing untoward.
The Toyota was written off by the insurance company.
When my family purchased a second vehicle and Mum learned to drive for the first time, we would take a trip just to have a look at the countryside. I still enjoy the open road, but my preference is for road alone, free of impediments like trees, poles, posts and other vehicles.
I don't envy those who have to drive a car to work through the city. Think of the opportunity cost in lost time when you sit behind the wheel of a car. Work out what you could earn if you drove a vehicle for 15000 km a year at an average speed of 60 kph. Add that to the costs attached to the vehicle itself. Consider how much it would mean to you if you worked from home and could obtain the necessities of life in the street in which you live. Consider what it would mean for your children if you were at home when they walked home from school via streets full of pedestrians rather than projectiles.