The Hertfordshire oil depot explosion here in the UK seems to provide great fodder for The Guardian to rant yet again against modern society, affluence and technology: "Millions of us have to accept we must live duller lives", a columnist writes today. "Without being forced to change our habits, very few of us will do our bit. The job of government is to lead, and to insist..."

This reminds me of an article a while back in The Onion, "America's Finest News Source", concerning a "report" by the "American Public Transportation Association" (APTA).

The headline reads "98 Percent Of U.S. Commuters Favor Public Transportation For Others". Here is an excerpt:

In conjunction with its release, the APTA is kicking off a campaign to promote mass transit with the slogan, "Take The Bus... I'll Be Glad You Did."

The campaign is intended to de-emphasize the inconvenience and social stigma associated with using public transportation, focusing instead on the positives. Among these positives: the health benefits of getting fresh air while waiting at the bus stop, the chance to meet interesting people from a diverse array of low-paying service-sector jobs, and the opportunity to learn new languages by reading subway ads written in Spanish.

"People need to realize that public transportation isn't just for some poor sucker to take to work," Collier said. "He should also be taking it to the shopping mall, the supermarket, and the laundromat."