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Don't walk to work, when you can fly instead!

incensed | 18.07.2006 20:22 | Ecology

Here's a BBC story you really should respond to:

"Fed up with over-priced cities and overcrowded trains? The new breed of commuters are going to fly into work from their homes in Spain and eastern Europe, claims a trendspotting report.
When you think of the commuter belt around London you don't immediately think of Barcelona, Marrakech and Tallinn.

But a future-gazing report suggests that we could see a new type of commuting - where large numbers of people work in the UK but live overseas".


"By 2016, there will be 1.5 million people working in the United Kingdom but living overseas, using Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted as commuter terminals - predicts a report from the Future Forum, set up by travel firm Thomson.

Carrie Frais earns her living as a television news presenter in London, but finds it better value to live in Barcelona, using budget airlines for her international commuting.

"I couldn't afford this quality of life in London - or else I'd have to be working every hour of every day. In Barcelona, you don't need as much to live on - everything from rent, food and clothes is cheaper."

Read more of the BBC article below.

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5187096.stm

Then,as they suggest:

"Add your comments on this story."

incensed

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

It's happening in the U.S., too

18.07.2006 21:42

Insanely long commutes are prevalent in the States, too; though flying is almost unheard of just yet outside of business trips. From what I've read and seen, this is an epiphenomenon of class -- the haves and have-nots. That is, you don't see any company execs looking for cheaper places to live and compromising their lifestyles (or the environment). Rather, they're largely to blame for squeezing us to death with artificially inflated prices. Unfortunately, the (petty)bourgeoisie continues to use technology to deny and rearrange the problems it creates rather than solve them. At least in Europe (it seems), as opposed the U.S., the socio-political climate doesn't seem so nationalistic or xenophobic as to obviate deterritorialization of nations and the individuals who inhabit them. In the States, it would be "unpatriotic" to live anywhere else.

James

3rd world

19.07.2006 00:07

so if the affluant move then will their pampered needs like good healthcare, shopping, transport, beer well you know what i mean, the uk & us become the new drained 3rd world nations with only the poor trapped & the pollutant industries staying?

palewarrior

Unsustainable

19.07.2006 12:42

With airtravel being the fastest growing cause of C02 emmissions, it is an unsustainable lifestyle. The poor will pay the price!

Sas