Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Posts that don't fit in the other train categories. Off Subject Chit Chat I tell you. :)
User avatar
~Z~
Sofa King Admin
Posts: 12909
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 2:14 pm
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Contact:

Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Unread post by ~Z~ »

Webmaster
Railroad photos on Railroadfan.com

User avatar
trnwatcher
My name ain't Steven
Posts: 4855
Joined: Sun May 11, 2008 6:22 pm
Location: Grandville MI
Contact:

Re: Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Unread post by trnwatcher »

Nice video
Steven F. Shick
http://www.youtube.com/user/trnwatcher
http://www.trnwatcher.net

I.T. guy/Railfan
"The true railfan has two favorite railroads....the Baltimore & Ohio and another one." - Charles S. Roberts

User avatar
Saturnalia
Authority on Cat
Posts: 15385
Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:54 pm
Location: Michigan City, IN
Contact:

Re: Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Unread post by Saturnalia »

Wendover Productions, Half As Interesting, Real Life Lore, CGP Grey and Company Man - your must-have YouTube Subscriptions, if you're into interesting stuff explained in great 4-15 minute videos. :D
Thornapple River Rail Series - YouTube
Safety today is your investment for tomorrow

User avatar
Ben Higdon
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 843
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 2:02 pm

Re: Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Unread post by Ben Higdon »

Good video. Would've been nice to see even a quick mention of the $$$ and lives spent "protecting our economic interests" in oil rich countries, and fighting the terrorism that comes out of those countries, in order to manage the price of oil.

hoborich
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 2992
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:05 am
Location: Northern Michigan

Re: Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Unread post by hoborich »

Or my personal favorite, spending a TRILLION dollars to "upgrade" more than 1000 nucs, whatever that means.http://billmoyers.com/story/the-trillio ... andidates/

https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2 ... nnecessary

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... e-reviewed

The american people have no idea how badly they are being screwed. We are the only developed country without universal healthcare for all the people.
"Ask your doctor if medical advice from a TV commercial is right for you".

User avatar
Saturnalia
Authority on Cat
Posts: 15385
Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:54 pm
Location: Michigan City, IN
Contact:

Re: Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Unread post by Saturnalia »

hoborich wrote:Or my personal favorite, spending a TRILLION dollars to "upgrade" more than 1000 nucs, whatever that means

The american people have no idea how badly they are being screwed. We are the only developed country without universal healthcare for all the people.
Lolz, you have a problem with $1 Trillion over 30 years to modernize the Strategic Nuclear Defense network in this country, but you want a new $2.5-Trillion-per-year Universal Healthcare program? :lol:

So doubling the size of annual government expenditures: ok.

Spending $33 Billion per year for 30 years to ensure American national security: waste of money!!!
Thornapple River Rail Series - YouTube
Safety today is your investment for tomorrow

User avatar
James Sofonia
Grand Traverse Dinner Train 1996
Posts: 1701
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2014 7:56 pm
Location: Traverse City, Michigan

Re: Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Unread post by James Sofonia »

hoborich wrote: The american people have no idea how badly they are being screwed. We are the only developed country without universal healthcare for all the people.

And without the government involved, we also had the best in the world. That is why people from all over the world come here for specialized operations and care.

PatAzo
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1369
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2013 9:20 pm

Re: Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Unread post by PatAzo »

Public transportation is what it is (or isn't) because by and large that is what the public wants. We have a transportation system that the rest of the world envies...personal automobiles. Their thoughts on pickup trucks and SUV's for commuting varies from bewilderment to thinking we're fools, but they envy the flexibility and freedom to drive where we want when we want in our own cars.

Europe and Asia finance their public transportation and influence behavior with taxes. They pay up to twice what we do for fuel and the difference is tax. Want a big engine in your vehicle? You can pay an extra tax just to license the vehicle. We've got a guy in Austria with a 5.0L engine and he pays $2500 annually on top of everything else. They also approach infrastructure differently. The Japanese have a high speed trains between major cities and are building a new mag-lev route. Want to drive your car? It's a two lane expressway, not three or four...two.

Given a choice people overseas with great public transportation system drive when they can. I was in Germany several time this year flying into Frankfort and then driving an hour. The train stopped at the airport and with in ears shot of our hotel an hour away. I asked why we drove instead of taking the train, the answer was "it's easier". We visited another plant across the street from the railroad and stayed at a hotel in the next city also across the street from the station. I watched the train come and go, never full and asked why we didn't take it. Answer "It only comes once and hour."

Last week I was in Japan. There is a train from the airport to downtown Nagoya a few blocks from our hotel and we drove. We took one commuter train and that was because of construction on the highway. We did ride the Shinkansen twice. It's an excellent service. Fast, frequent and reliable. If you look at highway maps of Japan you will see two lane expressways even into Tokyo. Not three or four lanes like we would build. It would be foolish for us to build public transportation to parallel it with huge highways. The future may not be the automobile and highway networks but at the moment it's what the U.S. by and large wants.

hoborich
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 2992
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:05 am
Location: Northern Michigan

Re: Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Unread post by hoborich »

And without the government involved, we also had the best in the world
Except for the 37 million americans with no healthcare.
Lolz, you have a problem with $1 Trillion over 30 years to modernize the Strategic Nuclear Defense network
Please explain how "modernizing" over 1000 nuclear weapons makes us any safer, considering we don't attack countries that have "any" nuclear weapons. Seems to me a dozen or two would suffice! It's pretty clear a 700 billion dollar defense budget hasn't made us any safer.
You are aware our National Parks are underfunded, and there is a "donation" box just inside the door at the Sleeping Bear welcome center, right?
You are aware our roads, bridges, dams, and other infrastructure are crumbling in ruins, right?
You are aware the clowns in DC just voted to raise the national debt limit to 21 TRILLION dollars, right?
You are aware we send China over 300 MILLION dollars A DAY, just to pay the interest on the national debt, which they keep on raising, right?
The ignorance of the younger generation is appalling.
"Ask your doctor if medical advice from a TV commercial is right for you".

User avatar
Saturnalia
Authority on Cat
Posts: 15385
Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:54 pm
Location: Michigan City, IN
Contact:

Re: Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Unread post by Saturnalia »

hoborich wrote: You are aware we send China over 300 MILLION dollars A DAY, just to pay the interest on the national debt, which they keep on raising, right?
The ignorance of the younger generation is appalling.
Your ignorance of how government bonds work is appalling.

Gotta love the financial edition of "China Syndrome". In reality the US Gov't biggest bond owners are US Citizens and Corporations!

The US also holds a significant sum of Chinese debt as well.
Thornapple River Rail Series - YouTube
Safety today is your investment for tomorrow

hoborich
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 2992
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:05 am
Location: Northern Michigan

Re: Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Unread post by hoborich »

"Ask your doctor if medical advice from a TV commercial is right for you".

User avatar
Saturnalia
Authority on Cat
Posts: 15385
Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:54 pm
Location: Michigan City, IN
Contact:

Re: Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Unread post by Saturnalia »

Yup, China is the single largest holder, but they carry only slightly over $1 Trillion of the $20 Trillion in US Govt debt. The vast majority is owned by either American citizens or corporations.

And no, China doesn't get to just change the interest rate on demand!
Thornapple River Rail Series - YouTube
Safety today is your investment for tomorrow

PatAzo
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1369
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2013 9:20 pm

Re: Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Unread post by PatAzo »

I'm confused. If we had better public transportation we'd have more nuclear bombs or free health care as a result?

hoborich
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 2992
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:05 am
Location: Northern Michigan

Re: Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Unread post by hoborich »

Yup, China is the single largest holder, but they carry only slightly over $1 Trillion of the $20 Trillion in US Govt debt.
I'll make it simple, so you can all understand it. If we weren't squandering a TRILLION dollars "upgrading" enough nuclear weapons to turn the entire planet to glass a dozen times over, AND paying interest on 20 TRILLION dollars of debt, we could have BOTH free healthcare and better public transportation!

https://www.thebalance.com/interest-on- ... bt-4119024

The current interest on the debt is $266 billion. That's from the federal budget for fiscal year 2017 (October 1, 2016, through September 30, 2017).

So....what could we do with 266 BILLION dollars a year, every year!
"Ask your doctor if medical advice from a TV commercial is right for you".

GreatLakesRailfan
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 4828
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2005 12:28 am
Location: Marysville, Michigan

Re: Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Unread post by GreatLakesRailfan »

Nuclear weapons are a funny thing. They're great if you want to threaten someone, but once you use one, there's no going back.
~ Charles W.

User avatar
~Z~
Sofa King Admin
Posts: 12909
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 2:14 pm
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Contact:

Re: Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US

Unread post by ~Z~ »

Started a good thread.... now thread sucks; locking, thank you, drive thru.

Image
Webmaster
Railroad photos on Railroadfan.com

Locked