I've been confused in the last couple of threads related to this topic how responses like yours exist. Trying to be constructive, I'm going to float a theory: you live in Silicon Valley and that doesn't seem like much money?

For a German pensioner, in many cases, this would represent more than 5% of post-rent living costs. For my girlfriend, a manager of a team of 16 people (in non-tech in Germany) it's more than 5% of her post-taxes, post-rent income.

€49/month is not trivial for a lot of working or retired Germans. GDP per capita in Germany is €46k/year, and after taxes and insurance (and rent! and that more than half of Germans that make less than that), €49/month is not a pittance.

These tickets are generally aimed at working class Germans, which often make 10-20% of a normal Silicon Valley salary.

> I'm going to float a theory: you live in Silicon Valley and that doesn't seem like much money?

I'm a suicidal burn out trying to drag my mind back from oblivion, I sure as shit am not on silicon valley money.

Also:

> Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith.

Your argument's a straw man, regardless of the fact that you're "trying to be constructive".

(And to be honest, the way you prefaced that statement had the feeling of "no offence, but...", it's a poor rhetorical practice.)

Germany has a long history of charging things at damned near administrative costs, 5% on transport just isn't a lot of money.

And also, 5% of "post-rent living costs"?

What's the percentage of overall income? Half of that? So low that your argument holds very little water.

> What's the percentage of overall income? Half of that? So low that your argument holds very little water.

Yeah, about that. Do you think most working class people are flippant about costs that take 2.5% of their pre-tax income?

I'm in favor of the €49/month ticket. It's a step forward. But I genuinely don't understand how (and it feels like some sort of cultural or social class disconnect) that seems trivial to people, and wonder if it's not being acclimatized to German non-tech incomes.

If people take buy this ticket, it either alleviates previous commuting costs or is merely a purchase of convenience. Either way it's a positive at its current price

Absolutely. I'm entirely responding to the "does it even matter" part of things. It's possible to simultaneously be an across the board improvement and still not reach the level of trivially inexpensive.

When rent's 10 times as much, there's a good chance that you're focusing on the wrong thing.

Anyway, I'm out - before this degrades into a meaningless flame war.

Because it covers all their transport needs for a month?