A society sufficiently sophisticated to produce the internal combustion engine has not had the sophistication to develop cheap and efficient public transport?''Yes, boss... it's true. There's hardly any buses, the trains are hopelessly underfunded, and hence the entire population is stuck in traffic
In "Gridlock," Ben Elton highlights the stark contrast between modern technological advancements and the lack of effective public transport solutions. The quote raises a critical point about society's capacity to innovate, suggesting that despite the sophistication required to create complex machines like the internal combustion engine, we have struggled to establish affordable and efficient public transportation systems.
This deficiency has led to widespread congestion, with insufficient buses and severely underfunded rail services leaving the populace frustrated and trapped in traffic. Elton's narrative emphasizes the irony of our technological prowess being undermined by inadequate infrastructure, ultimately affecting the daily lives of individuals who rely on transportation.