<story><title>Why an eight-hour bus ride from Los Angeles to San Francisco might beat a flight</title><url>https://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2017/08/life-slow-lane?fsrc=scn/fb/te/bl/ed/whyaneighthourbusridefromlosangelestosanfranciscomightbeataflight</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>clamprecht</author><text>&amp;quot;The drivers intentionally go slowly and take back roads so that the trip, normally six hours, lasts eight.&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;Why not just get there 2 hours early, park, and sit for 2 hours.  This would (1) reduce vehicle motion, so you can sleep better, and (2) allow people who aren&amp;#x27;t asleep anyway to get out early if they want.  It may also save gas, although once buses are electric, this becomes less of a factor.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>cwilson</author><text>I&amp;#x27;ve taken quite a few overnight buses during a 6 month trip through South America. Even when paying for the luxury option (which is literally $10-$15 more, totally worth it) and having fully reclining comfortable seats, it all comes down to one thing, the drivers.&lt;p&gt;If the drivers are maximizing for time you&amp;#x27;re not going to sleep very well because they are driving like a maniac. Sudden halts, near misses, and sharp corners make for a particularly terrifying experience when you&amp;#x27;re attempting to sleep.&lt;p&gt;The fact that this endeavor is focusing on drivers that go slow is 100% a positive for me and I would now consider trying it.&lt;p&gt;This is an issue that really just exists with overnight buses, as trains don&amp;#x27;t make sudden stops and they are not competing with other trains for a lane.</text></comment>
<story><title>Why an eight-hour bus ride from Los Angeles to San Francisco might beat a flight</title><url>https://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2017/08/life-slow-lane?fsrc=scn/fb/te/bl/ed/whyaneighthourbusridefromlosangelestosanfranciscomightbeataflight</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>clamprecht</author><text>&amp;quot;The drivers intentionally go slowly and take back roads so that the trip, normally six hours, lasts eight.&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;Why not just get there 2 hours early, park, and sit for 2 hours.  This would (1) reduce vehicle motion, so you can sleep better, and (2) allow people who aren&amp;#x27;t asleep anyway to get out early if they want.  It may also save gas, although once buses are electric, this becomes less of a factor.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>LewisJEllis</author><text>I don&amp;#x27;t know about everyone else, but if I&amp;#x27;m sleeping in a moving vehicle and it comes to a stop, I&amp;#x27;ll typically wake up.</text></comment>