[Roritharr]

As someone that avoids the german rail at all costs I applaud this move, the freer the roads and airports are for me, the better.

[chairmansteve]

Exactly. I don't understand why most car owners are so opposed to public transport.

[waveBidder]

the same reason omnivores are sometimes highly critical of veg*ns: there's a moral claim going on, so their identity/ moral standing is threatened.

[juliangmp]

Personally I'm not opposed to public transport, in fact I want to like the railway. I tried. But the German railway is in such a poor state that I never use it. Not for small trips (with regional trains that are covered by my 49€ ticket) and especially not for longer trips (long distance trains like ICEs).

Every time you enter an ICE just remember that its a coinflip on whether or not you'll arrive on time to get your connecting train. Or maybe you won't arrive at all, happened enough times to me that I frankly don't trust it anymore. And considering how expensive ICE tickets have gotten... yeah I'd rather take the highway, despite that I don't like driving much.

[CuriouslyC]

It takes forever compared to driving in most cases, catching the transit often involves a walk, and a lot of public transit is kind of grungy. This doesn't apply or matter as much in some cases (e.g. the NY subway) but in general it's not great, at least not in the USA.

[fn-mote]

A old friend used to make the same argument for doubling the price of gasoline (in Germany)… something like “it will keep the rabble off the road”.

[ted_dunning]

As someone who uses the German rail any time I can, I also applaud this move.

[stavros]

Why do you avoid the rail system?

[Glawen]

Because waiting im Stau (traffic jam) is so much better.

[chgs]

Not exactly hard to nowadays in Germany

Using the rail system? Now that’s a trick and a half.

[nik736]

Only 62,7% of the trains were in time (and by in time they use a rigged system to count what is in time and what is not). So it's basically a 50% chance if you will be delayed at your destination or in time. Also note, that if you have to change trains mid travel you have that chance again. That means you will be late very very often. If you travel as an individual and you don't value your time at all this is a great deal, if you travel for business purposes good luck to you.

Apart from that, it's a lot more stressful (and time consuming) to go to a train station and leave at a train station instead of just driving by car.

[sadcherry]

Congrats, now you just need to be on board when tax money is used for that infra. I bet that latest there your opposition starts.

[hit8run]

I can fully relate. No one wants to travel in these unreliable, piss-stinking trains full of drunken criminals and islamists.