I just remembered Alfred Bester’s novel The Stars My Destination, in which free, planet-wide teleportation becomes available to every human being. The rich and would-be-rich immediately decide that fast, efficient travel is super gauche and lame and for proles and set to ranking themselves by who can afford the shittiest transportation. Up-and-coming businessmen take jet planes; the established wealthy hire cross-country limos; the absolute richest-of-the-rich build international rail lines dedicated to luxury steam trains, and are met at the station by a horse and buggy.
I’d always thought the satire was a bit over-the-top, silly me…
