First-Class PR Stunt? German Railway Company Calls Out Greta Thunberg's Train Bluff

Climate activist Greta Thunberg, who is known for shunning airplanes for the sake of the environment, is returning to her home country, Sweden, for Christmas.

While on her way, she tweeted a picture of herself sitting on the floor of an “overcrowded train”.

“Travelling on overcrowded trains through Germany. And I’m finally on my way home!”, the 16-year-old tweeted, attaching a self-portrait gazing into the window while sitting on the floor surrounded by an array of bags.

​German railway giant Deutsche Bahn thanked Thunberg for using the ICE 74 “with 100 percent green electricity”, but stressed that it would be more honest of the climate activist to admit that she actually had a first class seat and enjoyed top-tier service.

“It would have been even nicer if you had also reported how friendly and competently you were looked after by our team at your seat in first class”, Deutsche Bahn tweeted.

​Greta, however, stuck to her guns and maintained that she actually had to sit on the floor in not one, but two trains, as one allegedly was taken out of traffic. As a staunch opponent of flying, however, she said she didn't mind overcrowded trains, because it was a greener alternative.

“Our train from Basel was taken out of traffic. So we sat on the floor on 2 different trains. After Göttingen I got a seat. This is no problem of course and I never said it was. Overcrowded trains is a great sign because it means the demand for train travel is high!” Thunberg tweeted.

​Still, many were increduluous of the media darling, who was recently named Time magazine's “person of the year”, accusing her of hypocrisy and lying.

“She has a first class seat but the PR folks who are using her thought sitting on the floor will have more impact to the masses. Same way they forgot to mention that she is sailing the world on a $15m yacht”, a user wrote.

​“Nice PR stunt”, another one replied.

​​“So are you telling me the train sold more tickets than they had seats? This makes no sense, but, it does make a great photo op”, yet another one quizzed.

​​Others showed that this was not nearly overcrowded and posted graphic suggestions to suit the actual definition of the word.

Popularity Backfires

​As the number of awards and accolades pocketed by Greta Thunberg soars, many subscribe to the falseness and insincerity surrounding her persona. Alexander Bard, musician, producer, and writer, formerly of the Army of Lovers, recently mocked Thunberg's famous “You've stolen my dreams and my childhood” she hurled at world leaders during the UN Climate Summit in New York. Bard posted a photograph of Thunberg sitting in her mother, opera singer Malena Ernman's lap, with footnotes on the cost of the furniture. “You've stolen my dreams and my childhood starter pack”, he sneered.

​After a year packed with PR-stunts such as taking an “emissions-free” racing yacht to cross the Atlantic, and incessant campaigning across the globe, Thunberg, who rose to fame with her solitary climate protests outside of the Swedish Parliament and gathered numerous awards, said she needs a rest.