Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5632|London, England
So it's all over the (Fox) news lately that Obama wants to push through $53BN in spending to fund high speed rail startups here in America. What I don't get is... why? It's not like we're Europe with our cities spaced a handful of hours apart where train travel would be convenient... If I have to go to Philadelphia I'm going to hop in the car and drive. I'm not going to purchase an overpriced and inconvenient Amtrak ticket. I... don't get it. Can anyone explain to me what the benefits are and how they would outweigh our current forms of travel? Yeah, yeah, cars are the devil etc but we have all these airports lying around...
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
11 Bravo
Banned
+965|5511|Cleveland, Ohio
i dont get it either
Cybargs
Moderated
+2,285|6990
fuck HSR. wont work in america, its way too fucking large and its cheaper to get flights so herp fucking derp.
https://cache.www.gametracker.com/server_info/203.46.105.23:21300/b_350_20_692108_381007_FFFFFF_000000.png
tuckergustav
...
+1,590|6188|...

I don't really see the need to spend money we don't have on it.
...
SenorToenails
Veritas et Scientia
+444|6404|North Tonawanda, NY
It reminds me of how the city of Rochester and Toronto tried to have a 'fast ferry' go across Lake Ontario....it was so expensive that it was cheaper to drive...it's not like it's that far to drive around the lake.
Pug
UR father's brother's nephew's former roommate
+652|6816|Texas - Bigger than France
I can think of only three areas of the nation where this makes sense.  Since I don't live in those areas, I don't want to pay for railways for other people.  Let those states pay.
13rin
Member
+977|6753
I love trains.  I don't like the cost of this guy though.  Florida's Gov. told the bamster where to go with his plan too (and the proposed rail wouldn't even make it to my nape of the woods).   I'd be for just restoring old lines and routes.  I would love to be able to get on a train at X and get off it at Y.  I'd probably travel more.  Train travel fucking rocks.
I stood in line for four hours. They better give me a Wal-Mart gift card, or something.  - Rodney Booker, Job Fair attendee.
Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5632|London, England

Pug wrote:

I can think of only three areas of the nation where this makes sense.  Since I don't live in those areas, I don't want to pay for railways for other people.  Let those states pay.
What areas? I could see maybe DFW-Austin-San Antonio-Houston-New Orleans as a rail line, San Francisco-Palo Alto-Los Angeles-San Diego as another and Boston-New York-Philadelphia-Washington as a third... but in each case I'd probably rather fly or drive.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
Pug
UR father's brother's nephew's former roommate
+652|6816|Texas - Bigger than France
Northeast, Midwest round Chicago, California.

This whole this is designed, in actuality, to help O win California.
Pug
UR father's brother's nephew's former roommate
+652|6816|Texas - Bigger than France
You know what makes more sense?

Improve communications and technology.  Then people don't have to move at all.

Most travel is business related...
13rin
Member
+977|6753

Pug wrote:

Northeast, Midwest round Chicago, California.

This whole this is designed, in actuality, to help O win California.
How would he not win Cali?
I stood in line for four hours. They better give me a Wal-Mart gift card, or something.  - Rodney Booker, Job Fair attendee.
Pug
UR father's brother's nephew's former roommate
+652|6816|Texas - Bigger than France

DBBrinson1 wrote:

Pug wrote:

Northeast, Midwest round Chicago, California.

This whole this is designed, in actuality, to help O win California.
How would he not win Cali?
He should, but my opinion is there's nothing like shoring it up.

"Our economy has sucked lately, lots of people left the state, our state is broke, the promises haven't completely panned out, but at least we have a rail"
ghettoperson
Member
+1,943|6923

San Francisco down to San Diego, and Boston down to DC would make sense I think.
11 Bravo
Banned
+965|5511|Cleveland, Ohio

ghettoperson wrote:

San Francisco down to San Diego, and Boston down to DC would make sense I think.
they already have a train from boston to dc
ghettoperson
Member
+1,943|6923

So what is the plan for this? Literally to go across the entire country? That'd take days, surely?
11 Bravo
Banned
+965|5511|Cleveland, Ohio

ghettoperson wrote:

So what is the plan for this? Literally to go across the entire country? That'd take days, surely?
yup.  and just like most public transport it will be a waste
13rin
Member
+977|6753

11 Bravo wrote:

ghettoperson wrote:

San Francisco down to San Diego, and Boston down to DC would make sense I think.
they already have a train from boston to dc
Yea... That's the frustrating part.  Rail lines are everyfucking where.  But they don't by in large move people.  There's trains that pass through my neck of the woods, but they don't stop to pick up people.  Add a fucking passanger car or ten and stop ffs.
I stood in line for four hours. They better give me a Wal-Mart gift card, or something.  - Rodney Booker, Job Fair attendee.
Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5632|London, England

DBBrinson1 wrote:

11 Bravo wrote:

ghettoperson wrote:

San Francisco down to San Diego, and Boston down to DC would make sense I think.
they already have a train from boston to dc
Yea... That's the frustrating part.  Rail lines are everyfucking where.  But they don't by in large move people.  There's trains that pass through my neck of the woods, but they don't stop to pick up people.  Add a fucking passanger car or ten and stop ffs.
If they would make money providing passenger service they would provide it.

Last edited by JohnG@lt (2011-02-17 08:30:49)

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
13rin
Member
+977|6753

JohnG@lt wrote:

DBBrinson1 wrote:

11 Bravo wrote:

they already have a train from boston to dc
Yea... That's the frustrating part.  Rail lines are everyfucking where.  But they don't by in large move people.  There's trains that pass through my neck of the woods, but they don't stop to pick up people.  Add a fucking passanger car or ten and stop ffs.
If they would make money providing passenger service they would provide it.
Private ya, but I thought amtrack was owned by the Government.  I'm a believer that government entities like Amtrack and the Post Office should not ever turn a profit, but just break even.

*guess not anymore.

Last edited by DBBrinson1 (2011-02-17 08:41:13)

I stood in line for four hours. They better give me a Wal-Mart gift card, or something.  - Rodney Booker, Job Fair attendee.
Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5632|London, England

DBBrinson1 wrote:

JohnG@lt wrote:

DBBrinson1 wrote:


Yea... That's the frustrating part.  Rail lines are everyfucking where.  But they don't by in large move people.  There's trains that pass through my neck of the woods, but they don't stop to pick up people.  Add a fucking passanger car or ten and stop ffs.
If they would make money providing passenger service they would provide it.
Private ya, but I thought amtrack was owned by the Government.  I'm a believer that government entities like Amtrack and the Post Office should not ever turn a profit, but just break even.

*guess not anymore.
If they aren't turning a profit, they are inefficient and the taxpayer is stuck footing the bill for their inefficiency. By your logic, Amtrak should provide service to every town in America whether its profitable or not instead of just sticking to the places where it will turn a profit and thus makes logical sense.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
Trotskygrad
бля
+354|6273|Vortex Ring State
tbh it's cause he thinks it'll decrease emissions from highway congestion or some shit like that, because trains put out less CO2 than cars
Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5632|London, England

Trotskygrad wrote:

tbh it's cause he thinks it'll decrease emissions from highway congestion or some shit like that, because trains put out less CO2 than cars
That's retarded. If I'm not driving to my destination, I'm flying and renting a car when I get to my destination. Who wants to sit on a train or a bus for hours if they don't have to?
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
Trotskygrad
бля
+354|6273|Vortex Ring State

JohnG@lt wrote:

Trotskygrad wrote:

tbh it's cause he thinks it'll decrease emissions from highway congestion or some shit like that, because trains put out less CO2 than cars
That's retarded. If I'm not driving to my destination, I'm flying and renting a car when I get to my destination. Who wants to sit on a train or a bus for hours if they don't have to?
because he thinks HSR can be just slightly slower than flying? and cheaper?

I know it's a pipe dream ,but those are the arguments
Macbeth
Banned
+2,444|5860

JohnG@lt wrote:

DBBrinson1 wrote:

JohnG@lt wrote:


If they would make money providing passenger service they would provide it.
Private ya, but I thought amtrack was owned by the Government.  I'm a believer that government entities like Amtrack and the Post Office should not ever turn a profit, but just break even.

*guess not anymore.
If they aren't turning a profit, they are inefficient and the taxpayer is stuck footing the bill for their inefficiency.
Government entities and programs aren't meant to turn profits. They are meant to provide services and to do it as best as possible profits be damned.
13rin
Member
+977|6753

JohnG@lt wrote:

If they aren't turning a profit, they are inefficient and the taxpayer is stuck footing the bill for their inefficiency. By your logic, Amtrak should provide service to every town in America whether its profitable or not instead of just sticking to the places where it will turn a profit and thus makes logical sense.
Nah, offer service to areas that would break even & I think that's where we're at currently.  I just wish there was a greater enthusiasm for rail.

I'd sit on a train for hours rather than be stuck on a tarmac breathing recycled ass air worried about my baggage, connecting flights and shit....  But I would most likely rent a car upon arrival.

& safer than other means of travel.

Last edited by DBBrinson1 (2011-02-17 08:57:55)

I stood in line for four hours. They better give me a Wal-Mart gift card, or something.  - Rodney Booker, Job Fair attendee.

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