[TML] "Coffin hotels"

[GDWGAMES at aol.com]

>> > Speaking of passage cost, I thought of an interesting idea.  
> >> Ever see those "businessman motels" the Japanese have (or did 
> >> years ago).  You don't get a *room*, just a bed in a small 
> >> tube, less space than most military bunks.
> >> With reasonable common areas (which you need anyway) you 
> >> could fit a lot more passengers on a ship.  :)
> >
> >Interesting idea (I think they also called them "coffin motels"), but I
> >wonder if it'd be practical. The problem is with the 'businessman
> >motels' is that you only sleep there and you've got the city outside for
> >your food/entertainment/business/etc... But on a ship you're pretty much
> >stuck 'inside'. So the lack of personal space has to be made up with a
> >larger common room or else people will go stir-crazy.

We actually wrote "coffin hotels" up in GURPS Traveller: Starports.

That said, this is very similar to the way things used to work on a Pullman 
sleeper railroad car. During the day, you sat in a seat, and at bedtime the 
porter came by and made the seats into bunks. The train had observation cars, 
lounge cars, diners, club cars, and so on, depending on how far the train 
travelled. When you weren't in your assigned seat, you could hang out in one of 
those. Some trains had barbershops, showers, and stenographers available for 
travelling businessmen.

LKW


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