Thinking more about my aversion to travel

[xiphias]

So, in the past year or so, I've gone to Europe, to Montreal, to D.C. For someone who normally hates travel, that's a fair bit of travel -- and I enjoyed most of it.

So I've been reconsidering my aversion. And I have a hypothesis: I think that most of my aversion to travel is aversion to airplanes.

When we traveled by car, train, or bus, I did basically fine. I found nine or ten hours on a bus perfectly acceptable, even though two hours on a plane is horrible. I hate planes, I hate airports, I hate airport security.

Buses aren't fantastically comfortable, but they're fine. Driving is tiring, but fine. Trains are wonderful. Flying sucks.

Lis may yet succeed in getting me to go on more trips. . . .

Comments

[ailsaek.livejournal.com]

Heh. On a mailing list I'm on, someone asked for input on whether to take the train or fly. Here's my answer:

The train, hands down. But then, I don't fly. I was nervous about it anyway, and now that the airline terminals are taken over by security theater, I refuse to enter them. When we get a sensible president who dissolves the Department of Homeland Security (typing that makes my hands feel dirty), I'll reconsider.

[ron_newman]

I found JetBlue a much more comfortable way to fly than any other airline I've ever been on. Lots of legroom, XM radio and satellite TV at every seat. Unfortunately they are discontinuing their route to Columbus (where my family lives) in January.

[michele-blue.livejournal.com]

I feel the same. There's something hostile about arriving by air in a new place. You're shoved, all pale and dehydrated and tired, into a terminal that has few visual cues and a lot of equally stressed and disoriented people swarming all around you. Personally, I'd rather take two days and drive somewhere than take four hours on a plane.

The security bit is another stressor entirely; my aversion is all about the claustrophobia and the jostling.

EDIT: I do realize that Boston to Italy by car is problematic, no matter what Google Maps says. ;) I think that for my next overseas trip, I might just save more money, take more time, and do the transatlantic ship crossing. That's always seemed a hugely romantic prospect to me.

[jenett]

I really really liked the river cruise last winter, myself. (Though the flying to get there part, not so good.) Nice sized cabins, you don't have to unpack and repack constantly. Like trains, only more space and more water.

Of course, it does limit some of your travel options, but you can find a bunch of interesting destinations on major waterways.

[burgundy.livejournal.com]

I never liked flying much, but I used to be basically ok with it. Then the security process got worse, and flying got more stressful overall, and in the past several years (starting in 2002, I think) I started regularly although not consistently getting airsick. My cousin is getting married in August and I might not have paid time off by then so driving or taking a train really isn't an option, and already I am dreading the flights there and back.

[delerium69.livejournal.com]

I've discovered that I love arriving at a new destination, but my anxiety makes me fear moving vehicles, with planes at the top of my list. However, I still love to travel, so I tend to spend my time in transit in constant low-level terror. Pass me the valium...

[jehanna.livejournal.com]

Planes suck, flying sucks, the new Computer-Is-Your-Friend-Citizen airport security sucks.

Despite agreeing with you, I will opt for flying when staring down over 8 hours of some other method, because boredom also sucks.

[bradhicks.livejournal.com]

I haven't had occasion to fly since before 9/11, but even before there even was a Transportation "Security" Agency, flying sucked. It's got everything wrong with it that rinding Greyhound does, only with worse seats, more noise, worse air, and worse bathrooms. Given the choice, I'd take the train any day.

Except, of course, that's there almost is no such thing as a good deal on Amtrack, it's pretty nearly all one-price, and it doesn't go anywhere, and you pretty much have to give up at least one whole day each way in travel time to go anywhere unless you're in the Sprawl. If time's critical or you need to go somewhere the passenger trains don't go and aren't willing to take the bus, flying's pretty much your only option. And they obviously know that.