• 
• 

What humoured all in the bus was the guide's reassurance that we should not be frightened by the protest. Oh, if only she knew how many protests we have endured for months.

"You can see that they are peaceful and there are a number of police officers. Sometimes, the number of officers is higher than the protesters themselves," she said.

In my mind, I thought about those who have urgent business but have got struck in traffic. Certainly, people in Vienna would not be so affected by protests, given the alternative modes of transport. From the city of Vienna, the taxi fare to the airport was over ¤30 (Bt1,300), plus the ¤11 for the trip to the suburb, compared to less than ¤10 for a subway ride.

Indeed, I prefer Thailand to other countries. But envy crept into my mind during the visits to European cities where public transport is so excellent. Nearly all cities have subways and trams, which guarantee safe, sound and convenient rides to destinations.

To facilitate travel for tourists, many big cities offer a card which tourists can use on all kinds of transportation. Also, the cards could be used for discounts at museums or restaurants. During the three-day stay in Berlin, with a ¤43-card, I hopped in and out of those trains and buses.

In Luxembourg, the small country encourages people to use public transport with a very attractive scheme. Mark, our tour guide, said all inhabitants pay ¤40 a month for the transportation cost.

Eco-conscious Luxembourg also promotes the use of more bicycles. Bikes are available for rent for ¤1 a day. However, if the bike is lost, the user would be billed ¤350 to the credit card used to rent the bike.

As further promotion, in Berlin, you can rent a bike at a subway station and leave it anywhere under the rental company's sign. Controlled by the GPS system, the company has no fear of thieves.

When would a scheme like this come to Bangkok? When it does, no resident in the town would be annoyed by any protest, particularly those who are travelling near or to destinations which are the usual targets of protesters.