You assume that everyone living here has a halbtax card? Not so. Some people live in places where they can get to or from work without ever using the railways... thank god.

After years of commuting into and around London I've developed a real phobia for rail transport. Sure, it's fine, I know it is, and on those odd occasions when I've needed to get a train connection to Zurich airport or on the trip to Frankfurt I did the other week I can now cope with them in a relatively stress-free way. But I'd still always choose to drive if at all practicable.