Luxury on Overdrive

In theory this Thames Flyer thing is pretty appealing. What red-blooded male doesn’t want the “James Bond” experience of going wicked fast up the Thames while sipping elegantly on expensive champagne?

But then, in a lame attempt to justify the ridiculous fee of six hundred pounds per hour, they go too far. They promise, as though it were a good thing, that they will puncture your manly fantasy with “commentary . . . provided by standup comedians.” Honestly, who on earth wants that?

Of course, as The Economist notes , the current financial crisis might mean passengers get more than their money’s worth by the grim entertainment of “investment bankers jumping from bridges.”