xkcd #2940: Modes of Transportation

https://xkcd.com/2940

Explain xkcd #2940

Title Text:

My bold criticism might anger the hot air balloon people, which would be a real concern if any of them lived along a very narrow line directly upwind of me.

alt-text:

A chart that categorizes various modes of transportation based on their practicality and danger level:

Zone of Practicality:

  • Trains
  • Airliners
  • Boats
  • Walking
  • Cars
  • Scooters
  • Bicycles

Zone of Specialty and Recreational Vehicles:

  • Motorcycles
  • Helicopters
  • Light aircraft
  • Go karts
  • Skateboards
  • Rollerblades
  • Skis
  • Unicycles
  • Sleds
  • Bumper cars

???:

  • Hot air balloons

“Hot air balloons are the optimal mode of transportation, if your optimization algorithm has a sign error.”

  • brbposting@sh.itjust.worksOP
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    5 months ago

    The tone and content of this message indicate a severe lack of empathy and a high degree of self-centeredness, verging on sociopathic tendencies lulz, you know how to underscore a perspective right there! I wonder if that is a brand new sentence…

    No need to indulge but since you got me thinking about self interest and empathy:

    If you had the opportunity to gain an extra hour of sleep the next time you wanted it, but in return, someone you don’t know would experience moderate discomfort for ten years. Would you be willing to make that trade-off?

    • Skates@feddit.nl
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      5 months ago

      We’re talking about me now? No. Of course not. Just like I wouldn’t knowingly buy a car whose making process involves some random people being shit inside of. I find hyperbolic exaggerations funny and I like to use them for making a point.

      The point was - you don’t purchase things for others, you purchase them for yourself. A car can be a major money spender - you buy it because it gives YOU safety, and it’s silly to act like you’re a bad person for spending your money in a way that benefits you. But some Knights of the Broken Tire are out here pretending like they’re damn selfless, like they spent all their house money on housing the homeless not their own family, and like they chose to carry that 2 year old through traffic on a bycicle, not a fucking minivan. Fuck right off with this hypocritical shit. It’s okay to want the safety of yourself and your family, that’s how the entire world works. You’re not gonna get blamed for buying a car, drop the selfless, holier-than-thou act, nobody’s buying it.

      • ripcord@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        I find hyperbolic exaggerations funny and I like to use them for making a point.

        Good way to distract from and undermine your points, as in this case.

    • zbyte64@awful.systems
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      5 months ago

      I have it on good authority they got banned for abusing the report feature, so I guess we’ll never know how they might respond.