Train to Berlin

I recently travelled from Zurich to Berlin in order to gather with the family. As ever I was planning a little last minute, just over a week in advance. Having caught the anti-flights eco-friendly bug, I wanted to take a train, but previous experience night train-ing to Vienna/Berlin had put me off (poor sleep in the reclining couch compartments) - so I was looking to buy a day train ticket there and back. A single Zurich -> Berlin was a little eye-watering at ~200 CHF, which absurdly is roughly the same price as a 4-day-in-a-month interrail pass (which amongst other things affords much greater flexibility). Now I have a spare day of travel :smile: - daytrip to Mulhouse?

Extended email chain

In my job hunt, one application I made was to an entry level AI-adjacent software engineer job (which I should have decent credentials for) in the UK at a large finance firm. I sent off the initial application at the end of September. Having written it off due to lack of response (maybe 30% of jobs you apply to never even get back - already filled vacancy etc.), I was pleasantly surprised to hear back in early November from an internal recruiter looking to set up an initial call. However this turned into a week long 10+ email chain where they kept on rescheduling our meeting time (they also had the unusual approach these days of trying to arrange a time to make a phone call, rather than scheduling a zoom/google meets calendar event). Finally they apologised and said that they had regrettably filled the vacancy, and to keep my eyes open for future positions! Hiring works in mysterious ways…

Deutschland-Ticket

A powerful sounding name, evoking national pride. Rightfully so, as for just €49 you can get a whole month of travel on regional trains and local public transport, in the whole of Germany! If the Deutsche Bahn were also more consistent, this ticket would be truly marvellous; it is already a fantastic deal. I recently discovered the “American minds cannot comprehend” family of memes, but my Switzerland residing mind is dazzled even so, juxtaposig it with the 50 CHF Swiss 24 hour train pass.

On the topic of unlimited transport passes, in my slightly over 2 years in Zurich, this month is the first time that I’ve bought the “Zone 110” month pass (~60 CHF). Though this only covers most of the important parts of Zurich, not nearly the whole of Germany, nonetheless the sense of freedom with which it imbues me is still remarkable! No longer must I carefully weigh up the physical exertion involved in biking back up the hill from the office against the cost of a tram ticket, nor calculate the chance of rain in the evening, ration the weight of shopping in my backpack, etc. Even just removing the need to faff around with the SBB app each time I get on the tram is a weight lifted from the mind. All this without even getting onto the haunting fear inflicted by the SBB ticket inspectors.

The sense of freedom from the travel pass, in particular of not having to weigh the cost/benefit of each tram journey, is actually a known economic phenomenon, a “buffet effect”. The removal of the real psychological annoyance of cost benefit analysis is a boon in of itself, and is one reason why people are willing to pay more for buffets, or unlimited data plans, even if they would generally save money by ordering a la carte.