Friday, April 16, 2004

Eco-guilt and tax-free shopping

A manic day at work, major deadlines to hit and one of my team finishes his contract today. All in all this means I’m later leaving the office than I had hoped and that combined with heavy rain on the motorway, means that it’s a major rush to get to the airport in time for my flight to London.

The height of decadence I know, but whilst they are continuing major engineering works on the West Coast Mainline the Manchester to London train journey can be unbearable. My return leg would likely take me nearly 7 hours door to door, which is just ridiculous for a weekend visit. Alternatively I can pay an extra £20 and do it in well under 3 hrs. Ecologically I feel guilty, but I decide to suffer that for the extra time it gives me with my folks.

Of course it also helps that the whole experience of airports is so much more civilised than the scrum of train and tube – even if the boarding gate's always three miles away. The opportunities for retail therapy in the departure lounge are also a plus that I invariable make the most of (this time: two posh lipsticks for mum and two for me). Just think of the savings!

All in all, by the time I settle back into my seat with my free 'vodka and coke', my eco-guilt has almost entirely disappeared.

No comments: