Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by pettyfog, Jun 19, 2008.

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  1. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

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    Jan 4, 2005
    Heard the advert from rail freight carriers?

    Where they claim to 'haul one ton of freight 400 miles on one gallon of fuel'?

    Somehow I doubt the figures, but I bet they're closer to factual than not.

    Well, via Instapundit, THIS:

    By request: why does rail suck?
    Notice that doesn't even address why the public shuns municipal public transportation... we dont want to go THERE, do we!
     
    #1
    pettyfog, Jun 19, 2008
  2. jmh

    jmh New Member

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    Brooklyn, NY
    The public shuns municipal public transportation because the public is arrogant and lazy.
     
    #2
    jmh, Jun 19, 2008
  3. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

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    Re: RE: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

    To an extent... but ALSO because the public does not feel comfortable on public transportation.
     
    #3
    pettyfog, Jun 19, 2008
  4. jmh

    jmh New Member

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    Brooklyn, NY
    Re: RE: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

    Because they're lazy and think the idea that they might have to stand on a train is unacceptable?
     
    #4
    jmh, Jun 19, 2008
  5. BarryP

    BarryP New Member

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    Evansville, Indiana
    RE: Re: RE: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

    I shun public transporation because it does not exist in my peaceful relatively small town life.
     
    #5
    BarryP, Jun 19, 2008
  6. jmh

    jmh New Member

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    Re: RE: Re: RE: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

    That is another reason why people shun public transportation. :lol:
     
    #6
    jmh, Jun 19, 2008
  7. FulhamAg

    FulhamAg New Member

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    San Antonio, Texas
    You get some pretty colorful and interesting people on public transportation as well. And some dangerous people.

    Case in point, my buddy lives in Queen Anne and used to take the bus down into Seattle for work. On his route, they had this dude that always had a ferret on his shoulder. He'd hold in depth conversations (one-sided, of course) with the ferret and took to serenading the thing at times. There were other stories, but that one was the most bizarre.
     
    #7
    FulhamAg, Jun 19, 2008
  8. jmh

    jmh New Member

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    Yeah, I was going to say that a crazy guy on a train never hurt anyone, but that's not true. You just have to have the common sense to avoid them. Of course, you have to have the common sense to avoid crazy/drunk drivers too. 40,000 people a year are killed in car accidents; I'm pretty sure the number killed by crazy guys on trains is much lower.
     
    #8
    jmh, Jun 19, 2008
  9. HatterDon

    HatterDon Moderator

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    We're trying to fix that inequity, Josh. That's the purpose behind all the concealed carry laws the last few years.
     
    #9
    HatterDon, Jun 19, 2008
  10. FulhamAg

    FulhamAg New Member

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    I probably could have worded that better.

    I didn't mean to imply that Ferret Guy was dangerous. Just that he and his ilk may make public transportation a bit less desirable.
     
    #10
    FulhamAg, Jun 19, 2008
  11. dcheather

    dcheather Administrator

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    Jul 29, 2005
    I've done both...I used to take the train into DC from Maryland, after that I drove in. I was always planning work and after work activities around a train schedule. Most of the time I was staying in the city longer than the last scheduled time for a MARC train. It just didn't work for me in the long run. I loved that I didn't have to deal with traffic...but that was one of the only benefits besides saving the wear and tear on my car.

    Now I live in the city and take the metro, which works for me a lot better since they run pretty late.

    I think it just depends on the public transportation situation available for each individual. There may be several options of getting to where you're going, but people are going to take what's most convenient to them. I don't think it's a matter of laziness, but a matter of convenience and necessity (especially if you're married w/kids, almost all of these people need to drive).
     
    #11
    dcheather, Jun 19, 2008
  12. BarryP

    BarryP New Member

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    Evansville, Indiana
    Re: RE: Re: RE: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

    I should clarify this point. Public transporation does exsist in Evansville but most of the pick up points are at places like the mall and such places are usually my destination so it seems rather silly to drive to the mall just to get on a bus and arrive back at the mall. Although after reading the ferret story I may try it some time just for the entertainment value.
     
    #12
    BarryP, Jun 19, 2008
  13. jmh

    jmh New Member

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    Convenience is the other side of the coin of laziness.

    I don't buy that you need to drive if you're married with kids. I see plenty of families with kids on the subway; I feel like it's safe to assume that many of the people who are riding alone are probably also married and perhaps have children. When I take NJ Transit out to visit my family in NJ, I also see plenty of families with children, and when I get off the train, plenty of commuters are picked up at the train station by their spouses. If those people drove to work instead, it would be a lifestyle choice, not a matter of need.
     
    #13
    jmh, Jun 19, 2008
  14. FFC24

    FFC24 New Member

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    Holy shit, we agree?
     
    #14
    FFC24, Jun 19, 2008
  15. BarryP

    BarryP New Member

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    I am asking this for clarification purposes. Do either of you have kids?
     
    #15
    BarryP, Jun 19, 2008
  16. dcheather

    dcheather Administrator

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    Jul 29, 2005
    I think you're mostly focusing on what's you see in your area in terms of public transportation. The NY area is going to have a lot of options that will run on a pretty late schedule. That's just not the case for for everyone. I can tell you that in the office I work in the people that married with young kids have to drive. They car pool the kids to school, drive to work, and then have to pick up the kids from their sport activities. In the DC area, the public transportation system is not an option in this case.

    Even for me when I was living in a Maryland suburb I had to drive one town over to get on a train, and hope I didn't have to work late. And if I had a softball game, there was no way I was making that last train home. Like I said it ended up be a lot easier; it was the same amount of time and in price (in terms of gas vs. monthly train ticket at that time) to drive into work and have a free parking space.

    I wasn't being lazy. I just wanted to be able get home (when I stayed late in the city), and in a reasonable time.
     
    #16
    dcheather, Jun 19, 2008
  17. jmh

    jmh New Member

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    I don't.
     
    #17
    jmh, Jun 19, 2008
  18. BarryP

    BarryP New Member

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    Then I will tell you this very respectfully you don't fully understand the life of a parent. Public transportation is designed around an adults schedule in citys where you do not have direct access to something like the NY subway and waiting for transportation to arrive is not signficant.

    Having a child is a lifestyle choice but once you accept that responsibility making sure your perform your parental responsibilities is not. The first time you look at your calender and realize you have to be at three places at once and still have to meet the work deadlines public transportation may not be a real option. Waiting a half-hour for a bus or train may not seem like much but doing it multiple times a day can change the quality of your life significantly.
     
    #18
    BarryP, Jun 19, 2008
  19. jmh

    jmh New Member

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    Fair enough. There are certainly factors I haven't personally experienced.
     
    #19
    jmh, Jun 19, 2008
  20. RidgeRider

    RidgeRider Member

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    Jan 5, 2008
    I'm actually finding I sort of agree with our youngs guys here. We are lazy and want convenience, and have vehicle needs because of how we shape our lifestyles. Now having said that, it would be pretty difficult to get to soccer practice and games after school, with snacks, kids, fluids etc.. if we had to take the bus. :)

    So I admit that I am lazy and would rather have the convenience. :)
     
    #20
    RidgeRider, Jun 19, 2008
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