3 ms·

I think rail doesn't get anywhere in the U.S because it makes it to easy for "undesirable elements" to get to places they're not wanted too easily. I think tha

I think rail doesn't get anywhere in the U.S because it makes it to easy for "undesirable elements" to get to places they're not wanted too easily. I think that's the incredibly sad but honest truth of it all. The class differences in the United States are far more extreme than most people realize, mostly because people stay inside their tight little class bubbles all day long in their private cars, driving to work and back and rarely venturing out to get a latte every once in a while.

yummyfajitas 16y ago
I find this rather implausible. We don't build a Dallas/Houston or LA/San Fran train because we are afraid that a black guy might pay $80 to ride from Dallas to Houston? I can see this claim being plausible concerning short distance rail, i.e. "don't build a train to the ghetto", however.
- mortenjorck 16y ago
  In my home town, there's certainly an instance of this fear for mid-distance runs. The Chicago-area Metra commuter train terminates about 15 miles away, and there's a boarded-up old station from the golden age of passenger rail in the middle of the downtown. Whenever the subject of negotiating a deal with Metra and renovating the station comes up, the crime threat is always second right after budget concerns. I can't say I've ever seen much of the thug life on Metra trains, though.
camiller 16y ago
Hmmm.... Just checking prices it's about $10 more to fly round trip from Omaha to Denver vs. going from Omaha to Denver by Amtrak. The plane ride (including travel to/from the airports) would probably cost me about 4 hours of my life each way while the train would be over 10 each way (this is a trip I have made before). But that is a simple example where there is a direct route by both modes of transportation. Lets say I'm going to take the family to Orlando for vacation. By air is about $60 per person more expensive than by train BUT the trip by air will take about 8.5 hours while Amtrak will take 53+ hours EACH WAY! Rail doesn't get anywhere in the U.S because generally it doesn't go where you want by anything like a direct route so it takes a significant portion of your life in travel time.
- decadentcactus 16y ago
  > Rail doesn't get anywhere in the U.S because generally it doesn't go where you want by anything like a direct route so _it takes a significant portion of your life in travel time._ I don't think any HSR advocates really believe something like cross-country would be viable. This would be more like (as it is currently) NY-Washington DC.
DavidAdams 16y ago
I don't agree with this comment in this context, but I do know for a fact that the Washington DC Metro does not extend to the popular Georgetown shopping and nightlife district for precisely this reason.
- _delirium 16y ago
  That's the same reason Atlanta's MARTA doesn't extend into Cobb County. I don't think it has much to do with intercity rail, though; it seems to be mainly an issue with opposition to metropolitan-area rapid-transit systems, with people worried that they'll blur boundaries between nice and not-nice neighborhoods within the same city.
- julius_geezer 16y ago
  It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you know that isn't so that does. That is a canard, often repeated but without basis in fact.
- julius_geezer 16y ago
  It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you know that isn't so that does. That is a canard, often repeated but without basis in fact.

yummyfajitas 16y ago

I find this rather implausible. We don't build a Dallas/Houston or LA/San Fran train because we are afraid that a black guy might pay $80 to ride from Dallas to Houston? I can see this claim being plausible concerning short distance rail, i.e. "don't build a train to the ghetto", however.

mortenjorck 16y ago
In my home town, there's certainly an instance of this fear for mid-distance runs. The Chicago-area Metra commuter train terminates about 15 miles away, and there's a boarded-up old station from the golden age of passenger rail in the middle of the downtown. Whenever the subject of negotiating a deal with Metra and renovating the station comes up, the crime threat is always second right after budget concerns. I can't say I've ever seen much of the thug life on Metra trains, though.

camiller 16y ago

Hmmm.... Just checking prices it's about $10 more to fly round trip from Omaha to Denver vs. going from Omaha to Denver by Amtrak. The plane ride (including travel to/from the airports) would probably cost me about 4 hours of my life each way while the train would be over 10 each way (this is a trip I have made before). But that is a simple example where there is a direct route by both modes of transportation. Lets say I'm going to take the family to Orlando for vacation. By air is about $60 per person more expensive than by train BUT the trip by air will take about 8.5 hours while Amtrak will take 53+ hours EACH WAY! Rail doesn't get anywhere in the U.S because generally it doesn't go where you want by anything like a direct route so it takes a significant portion of your life in travel time.

decadentcactus 16y ago
> Rail doesn't get anywhere in the U.S because generally it doesn't go where you want by anything like a direct route so _it takes a significant portion of your life in travel time._ I don't think any HSR advocates really believe something like cross-country would be viable. This would be more like (as it is currently) NY-Washington DC.

DavidAdams 16y ago

I don't agree with this comment in this context, but I do know for a fact that the Washington DC Metro does not extend to the popular Georgetown shopping and nightlife district for precisely this reason.

_delirium 16y ago
That's the same reason Atlanta's MARTA doesn't extend into Cobb County. I don't think it has much to do with intercity rail, though; it seems to be mainly an issue with opposition to metropolitan-area rapid-transit systems, with people worried that they'll blur boundaries between nice and not-nice neighborhoods within the same city.
julius_geezer 16y ago
It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you know that isn't so that does. That is a canard, often repeated but without basis in fact.
julius_geezer 16y ago
It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you know that isn't so that does. That is a canard, often repeated but without basis in fact.