> I thought the anecdote about 1st class trains in London being socially unacceptable was an interesting cultural anecdote. I've ridden Amtrak in the US both steerage class and first class and no one thought it was overly interesting or revolutionary
People view long distance travel differently than their daily commute when it comes to economic segregation. I imagine there would be an uproar in NYC if the MTA talked about a plan to create a first class car on the subway however no one bats an eyelash about Amtrak.
However, I bet you could find a price point where people wouldn't complain if you added a first class car to the London Underground or NYC subway system. I think there's a psychological effect in play where if it's a price that you could pay if you cut into your budget then it stings but if it's a price that seems ludicrous to you then you don't mind as much. I personally would feel more ok with a first class car if it was $100/trip vs. $10 (regular ride is $2.25).
Pretty much all long distance trains going through London have first class sections. Most commuter trains (the Underground included) don't though, but I guess it is more because they are crammed enough as it is, not because people wouldn't pay. However, the metro in Dubai has both a woman's section and a gold class section (it's the same as normal, but you need to pay more), so it can work in places.
As a thought experiment, assuming the transit system was a non-corrupt non-profit, a rich dude paying $100 for a ticket means a heck of a lot of poor people will continue to pay $2.25 today instead of having to pay $2.50. Or insert similar argument. Maybe instead it would mean some employee gets health insurance this month, etc.
In the real world of course, corruption would eat all $100 and then the poor would be stuck paying $2.75 once budgets get used to $100 tickets from rich dudes.
Comments
> I thought the anecdote about 1st class trains in London being socially unacceptable was an interesting cultural anecdote. I've ridden Amtrak in the US both steerage class and first class and no one thought it was overly interesting or revolutionary
People view long distance travel differently than their daily commute when it comes to economic segregation. I imagine there would be an uproar in NYC if the MTA talked about a plan to create a first class car on the subway however no one bats an eyelash about Amtrak.
However, I bet you could find a price point where people wouldn't complain if you added a first class car to the London Underground or NYC subway system. I think there's a psychological effect in play where if it's a price that you could pay if you cut into your budget then it stings but if it's a price that seems ludicrous to you then you don't mind as much. I personally would feel more ok with a first class car if it was $100/trip vs. $10 (regular ride is $2.25).
Pretty much all long distance trains going through London have first class sections. Most commuter trains (the Underground included) don't though, but I guess it is more because they are crammed enough as it is, not because people wouldn't pay. However, the metro in Dubai has both a woman's section and a gold class section (it's the same as normal, but you need to pay more), so it can work in places.
Funny, I feel the opposite.
$100/trip for a subway ride? Preposterous, and the economic system is somehow broken that such an income disparity exists.
$10/trip? Eh, if I cut out the Starbucks latte, I could do that. But, I really prefer flavor coffee to sumptuous subway seating.
I guess I'm really a socialist at heart.
As a thought experiment, assuming the transit system was a non-corrupt non-profit, a rich dude paying $100 for a ticket means a heck of a lot of poor people will continue to pay $2.25 today instead of having to pay $2.50. Or insert similar argument. Maybe instead it would mean some employee gets health insurance this month, etc.
In the real world of course, corruption would eat all $100 and then the poor would be stuck paying $2.75 once budgets get used to $100 tickets from rich dudes.