I would not want more restrictions, since again this will come in the form of taxes which would only raise inequality imho.
However, I don’t think when this is over we are going back to the same situation.
Well I've made the call to terminate my (work) lease today.
I've driven the car about 5 times in the last 6 weeks and I now know I didn't need to. I've thoroughly enjoyed walking, that involves a trip to a supermarket occasionally, and picking up some bits and bobs. Plus WFH is definitely my future for a while yet.
Niggling doubt I may have made the wrong decision, but a month on and £300 wasted from when I first thought it I've bitten the bullet.
I am also fully aware it's not rained for 6 weeks 😀
Im going to be honest and say No. I love going to the Alps, Wales, the Lake and alike to ride my bike. I wouldn't want to stop doing that so I guess I will just admit it. If this lockdown has taught me anything its how much I miss not being able to go away for the day, weekend or longer. Yes I am concerned for the environment so there is that contradiction but when you watch programs about 1 ship builder using 21km of steel a week to build a cruise ship it makes we realise that no matter what I do I will make not one jot of difference.
In answer to the OP, yes,but....it's not going to happen for all the reasons mentioned on here....but I do think a lot more people will WFH, and a lot of work related overseas travel will be done over Zoom etc. I would hope these two things alone could make a slight dent.
If we can at minimum use it to encourage big business to allow more WFH and get people to use bikes/buses/walk fir the smaller journeys and in compact urban areas then it'll be a start. We'll never suppress society's desire to travel the longer distances in their own personal transport, that ship sailed a while ago, but if we can improve the easy wins of all these short journeys, unnecessary commuting and the air quality of our immediate surroundings then that would be a win in my book.
It most likely won't happen but you can live in hope.
Yes I would, but I suspect I (and many others on here) are in the minority.
A lot of people where I work are saying they feel more productive working at home (I do) whereas many can't wait to get back into the office. I have found that correlates quite strongly with whether they have kids in the house though and if the kids were at school they may find it very different.
I am not looking forward to having to go back to office as this break has made it so clear what a waste of time commuting is, how annoying the office noise is, how you get distractions from people standing at your desk and interrupting you etc,.
Yep, I have lived without a car for about 7 years so that isn't a problem for me. For me it seems sensible to live within 1/2 and hours cycle/public transport of my work. But the problem with that isn't always where it seems. The UK has a highly volatile employment market, and a dysfunctionally expensive housing market not really giving the option to a lot of people of working close to where they live.
So the commuting problem may be better solved by having more secure employment, and a much more flexible housing market. laying a bit of technology on top of that to allow some home working would just be the icing on the cake. Giving people options is better than imposing restrictions.
Got to say though, the money I save from not running a car, I put into holidays. But there is improvement to be made there as well. I am quite happy travelling by train if it can be done in a day. And the EU is regulating to make inter country journeys much easier so that looks to becoming more realistic.
As long as my boss is in with me wfh, then sure, bring it on.
-
No, no, no.
I demand it. Flying for pleasure is disgusting. It serves one useful purpose. It takes millions of people away from this country . Driving much the same. I used to drive 25 miles to a school and almost daily waved to someone coming from just along the road from that school to teach at the school half a mile from me.
Recreation is worse. Immoral.
Stuff basic freedoms . Over rated and often not deserved. Every right has a responsibility. If you can't cope with the latter you don't deserve the former.
This current crisis is, very much to my surprise, bringing out an unpleasant socialist streak!
It doesn't really work like that....
I fly for work... not because I choose. Once a year the OH likes going to a furrin land and I reluctantly fly even though I'm not keen because I see more planes and departure lounges than I'd ever want to and as far as I'm concerned don't want to fly as part of a vacation.
Given a choice I'd rather get a Eurostar where it is practical but I'm not paying my own fare and my company won't pay so I fly...
Driving ??? Outside work, I drive to places to ride and that is more or less it.
Am I prepared not to ride anywhere worth riding when 90 something percent of my carbon footprint from travel is work and as they won't do anything NO.
What are you thinking in how this would be done? Ban trail centres/bike parks/races you can't ride to?
It may have been pointed out already on this thread (not read through it all) but there is a very real chance that post-lockdown easing of restrictions that car use goes up dramatically.
I work in local government public transport and we are planning for the number of journeys on bus and tram not to return, perhaps ever, to pre-Covid levels. It’s entirely predictable, faced with the decision of relatively quiet roads (for now) and total control of who’s in your vehicle, people will chose private car over public transport and the perceived additional risk that it presents.
This can only result in us having to provide ever greater funding for the bus network to provide socially necessary routes for those that can’t afford a car.
Yes, in a heartbeat. I really hope there are millions of people out there, enjoying time to do stuff they want to do, that don't want it to go back to 'normal' (which in reality is ****ing insanity.) Have you seen the before/after photos of places like Delhi? Seriously, why the **** would you want to contribute to re-polluting the place?
[img] 
[/img]
Anway some change will happen: we’ve just been told that the bank I work for is planning on making WFH a far more common thing
I agree, many workplaces have had to invest quickly in WFH infrastructure so they may as well get a return on that expenditure by saving on office costs.
when you watch programs about 1 ship builder using 21km of steel a week to build a cruise ship it makes we realise that no matter what I do I will make not one jot of difference.
No, you're entirely wrong. Why is the ship builder making a cruise ship in the first place? Because people are booking cruises. Why are they making container ships? Cos people are buying junk they don't need from the far East. Why are Airbus making planes? Cos people are booking flights to the Alps or Costa del Sol. Etc etc etc. People just like us.
Yes absolutely. I already cycle to work (or used to before WFH) and a trip to the Surrey hills already involves the road bike there and back or a train for the mtb. Never owned a car, and I dislike flying intensely (our last cheap European holiday was entirely by train, the one before that was train out and around then fly back).
Living in London what I’d really love to see longer term is more short trips being done by car or foot rather than by car. That and a reduced aviation industry as I see it’s pre covid situation as being totally incompatible with preventing climate change.
Someone mentioned food deliveries earlier. Sainsbury’s marks which slots are ‘green’ for us, so we can choose one where a van is already in our area.
Restricted flying - yes, maybe a maximum of non-transferable maximum traveled miles by air per person.
Restricted driving. Perfectly happy with priority lanes, alternating day access to city centres, restricted mileage, limits on commute mileage totals. All supported by requirements on mandatory supporting remote working etc and improving public transport...
No for restrictions.
Yes for improved availability and consideration of alternatives.
I would but like a lot of people who'll say that, I'm not the person that has to accept it since I don't fly much anyway (once every couple of years on personal business and maybe once a year on work)
Just like with everything else environmental, the reason it's necessary is that the cost paid isn't the true cost. We don't need a punitive regime or anything, we just need to change carbon costs so that they include the real world cost of climate damage, rather than paying for flood defences and health issues out of general taxation and kicking the bigger costs down the line.
Sort of wishing I'd spent my twenties slumming around Europe instead of exploring the highlands on the cheap now!
How does one get to the Alps with a bike if not by flying? 18hr gauntlet of jobsworth train guards on LNER/EUROSTAR/TGR?
I've only just had a taste of Euro road riding, will be a tough one to give up!
13thfloormonk
SubscriberSort of wishing I’d spent my twenties slumming around Europe instead of exploring the highlands on the cheap now!
How does one get to the Alps with a bike if not by flying?
We drove down to alpe d'huez last year, from Edinburgh. It wasn't a massive amount of fun tbh but it had its upsides, not least seeing MC from this forum lose his mind
On the subject of WFH (mentioned a few times on here) where do people stand on it?
I'm doing it now and I can't understand why people are in such a hurry to be in their house all the time.
I should say I do have a generally quite pleasant 40 minute ride to work (with good bus options in really rough weather) and I work in a nice office with nice people. I do realise that's not the case for everyone.
On the subject of WFH (mentioned a few times on here) where do people stand on it?
In the living room. In our pants.
In the living room. In our pants.
I suppose I asked for that. Fair.
How does one get to the Alps with a bike if not by flying?
In a campervan with a brief stint on a train.
In a campervan with a brief stint on a train
Have just advised my wife that we'll be combining family holidays and cycling holidays in future 😁
How does one get to the Alps with a bike if not by flying?
Maybe in order to save the planet for another generation we'll just have to change our expectations of long-distance travel?
Maybe in order to save the planet for another generation we’ll just have to change our expectations of long-distance travel?
It was a genuine question, wasn't trying to imply it wasn't possible. Am actually thinking it would be easier just overnighting by train with a hire bike waiting at the other end!
WFH is tricky for me for 2 reasons
1 I'm not that productive at home, too many distractions and we don't have kids
2 I am an accountant at a hospital and so 95% of my colleagues are at work and being the odd one who isn't there feels wrong.
It was a genuine question, wasn’t trying to imply it wasn’t possible.
It's true though. Decades of travelogues, documentaries on far-off foreign places, the post-war flying boom and then the fallout from Freddie Laker have left us all in a position where we think nothing of travelling half-way around the world for a bit of sunshine, do some business or meet up with relatives. In a few years time it might all (have to) look very different.
WFH is tricky for me for 2 reasons
1 I’m not that productive at home, too many distractions and we don’t have kids
2 I am an accountant at a hospital and so 95% of my colleagues are at work and being the odd one who isn’t there feels wrong.
First is a personal thing - people should work where they're most productive, that's different for different people.
Second is a bit of a societal thing, it'd be nice if the norm changed to make WFH more usual in such environments. People travelling just because that's what everyone else does is mad.
@bearnecessities A couple of months saving that £300 and you'll never be in the wrong clothing for the weather ever again.
It appears most people see it in a taxes and not being allowed in your car/plane restriction. i see it more as a removing capacity be that fewer slots for take-off and landing or highway space being re-allocated to active travel or public transport modes. A huge increase in public transport funding is also required along with re-opening the railway branch-line system.
Whether there is the political will and enthusiasm for this is down to us asking for/demanding it of those we elect.