Travel and social class

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My only hope is that those of you rich enough to do these long haul flights all the time are doing something to combat climate change. I can't imagine living that lifestyle with zero regard to what you're doing to the planet.

We have one kid and DH has worked from home for 4 years and has no plans to commute into an office.

So I’m not too concerned. The biggest thing anyone can do to fight climate change is to have 0-1 kids.

There is very little that is done at the individual choice level that makes a climate change dent. I mean its good to do what you can like giving up a lot of meat, etc. But its this ridiculous fallacy of putting climate change down to individual action that allows the real, enormous drivers of climate change to never be in part of the conversation in the mainstream outside of the academics of it. Like concrete. When was the last time we talked about that and how consumers might drive that change? We don't. Gates' new book on it is very good and breaks this all down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I traveled a lot in my 20s. I saved up $2-4000 each year when I was making 30k/year and went on some european vacation. I was pretty poor. Now that my family makes 350k/year, we only visit family in the car. It sucks.

I'm similar except I also travelled a lot in Asia and did the whole backpacking for 6 months thing. The upside is I don't feel like I'm missing out now that most of our vacations are visiting family. I'm glad I did so much travel when I was younger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My only hope is that those of you rich enough to do these long haul flights all the time are doing something to combat climate change. I can't imagine living that lifestyle with zero regard to what you're doing to the planet.

We have one kid and DH has worked from home for 4 years and has no plans to commute into an office.

So I’m not too concerned. The biggest thing anyone can do to fight climate change is to have 0-1 kids.

There is very little that is done at the individual choice level that makes a climate change dent. I mean its good to do what you can like giving up a lot of meat, etc. But its this ridiculous fallacy of putting climate change down to individual action that allows the real, enormous drivers of climate change to never be in part of the conversation in the mainstream outside of the academics of it. Like concrete. When was the last time we talked about that and how consumers might drive that change? We don't. Gates' new book on it is very good and breaks this all down.

Exactly. Organizing and pushing for national and worldwide legislative change is the only real solution- carbon taxes are the simplest and probably most efficient method. Look at the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. No way things would be better if not for the government forcing people to change.

[Anonymous]

I am old, and travelled a LOT more in the 90's than today - one thing I have noticed OP, is that everyone and their brother travels now - people act different now. People used to be MUCH more civilized on airplanes. Travel used to be a much more pleasant experience. I know I sound like your grandparent, but it is true.

So no, I am not impressed and I do not think you are a "higher social class" just because you travel. So many people have points, etc. - travel is basically a free for all now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I traveled a lot in my 20s. I saved up $2-4000 each year when I was making 30k/year and went on some european vacation. I was pretty poor. Now that my family makes 350k/year, we only visit family in the car. It sucks.

I'm similar except I also travelled a lot in Asia and did the whole backpacking for 6 months thing. The upside is I don't feel like I'm missing out now that most of our vacations are visiting family. I'm glad I did so much travel when I was younger.

+1

Absolutely! I do not understand people that schlep their little kids to exotic places for bragging rights and photos - of a trip the kid will never remember.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am old, and travelled a LOT more in the 90's than today - one thing I have noticed OP, is that everyone and their brother travels now - people act different now. People used to be MUCH more civilized on airplanes. Travel used to be a much more pleasant experience. I know I sound like your grandparent, but it is true.

So no, I am not impressed and I do not think you are a "higher social class" just because you travel. So many people have points, etc. - travel is basically a free for all now.

That's because, as you said, it is MUCH cheaper now, especially flights, so many more people can afford to travel longer distances. Anything will get worse when it is more crowded. Personally I am happy that wider travel is more available to more people, setting aside the climate aspect of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am old, and travelled a LOT more in the 90's than today - one thing I have noticed OP, is that everyone and their brother travels now - people act different now. People used to be MUCH more civilized on airplanes. Travel used to be a much more pleasant experience. I know I sound like your grandparent, but it is true.

So no, I am not impressed and I do not think you are a "higher social class" just because you travel. So many people have points, etc. - travel is basically a free for all now.

Completely agree and I’m only 41. People used to behave much better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am old, and travelled a LOT more in the 90's than today - one thing I have noticed OP, is that everyone and their brother travels now - people act different now. People used to be MUCH more civilized on airplanes. Travel used to be a much more pleasant experience. I know I sound like your grandparent, but it is true.

So no, I am not impressed and I do not think you are a "higher social class" just because you travel. So many people have points, etc. - travel is basically a free for all now.

Completely agree and I’m only 41. People used to behave much better.

I’m 38 and remember dressing up to take flights, and smoking sections on planes.

[Anonymous]

Fascinating thread.

Bumped it up bc I was searching for Lyford Cay and this thread popped up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Couldn’t you tell someone’s social class just by where you met them, what they do, etc etc? I mean, to whom am I giving this test? And what would I do with the results?

Well in the book it’s a college student hearing that her new roommate grew up going to Christmas markets in Europe, skiing out west every spring break, and vacations on Sea Island every summer.

Tipped her off immediately to the roommate being from a high class family.

This could be rich person stuff - do they own the Sea Colony house? Do they fly first class to Europe and stay in the nicest hotels? Do they go to Aspen instead of slumming it at a less lux resort? - or it could be middle class if it is coach and rentals.

Skiing out west doesn’t have to be expensive. It really depends on where you go. And most middle class families can afford to rent a house for a beach vacation for a week or even two.

Sea Island, not Sea Colony lol. Pretty sure we’d know the character was solidly middle class if they went to Sea Colony.

I have many great memories Sea Colony! But yes, we weren't jetting off to St. Barts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Couldn’t you tell someone’s social class just by where you met them, what they do, etc etc? I mean, to whom am I giving this test? And what would I do with the results?

Well in the book it’s a college student hearing that her new roommate grew up going to Christmas markets in Europe, skiing out west every spring break, and vacations on Sea Island every summer.

Tipped her off immediately to the roommate being from a high class family.

This could be rich person stuff - do they own the Sea Colony house? Do they fly first class to Europe and stay in the nicest hotels? Do they go to Aspen instead of slumming it at a less lux resort? - or it could be middle class if it is coach and rentals.

Skiing out west doesn’t have to be expensive. It really depends on where you go. And most middle class families can afford to rent a house for a beach vacation for a week or even two.

Sea Island, not Sea Colony lol. Pretty sure we’d know the character was solidly middle class if they went to Sea Colony.

I have many great memories Sea Colony! But yes, we weren't jetting off to St. Barts.

Same.
And my family goes to the same place to vacation every year. Every single year.

[Anonymous]

Particularly in this day and age, it doesn’t mean much. You can charge vacations; a much better indicator of wealth is investments and real estate.

[Anonymous]

The specific place in the place is an indicator along with how long your family has gone there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The specific place in the place is an indicator along with how long your family has gone there.

Like what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Particularly in this day and age, it doesn’t mean much. You can charge vacations; a much better indicator of wealth is investments and real estate.

Class isn't about wealth; it's about consumption.