6 ms·
One word: comfort. Riding the public transportation systems meant I would arrive at work sweaty (hot crowded train and bus), with a backache (inadequate seats)
by Raphmedia 8y ago
One word: comfort.
Riding the public transportation systems meant I would arrive at work sweaty (hot crowded train and bus), with a backache (inadequate seats) and a headache (noisy engine).
Those issues made my life so miserable that I swore never to ride those again.
- protonimitate 8y agoAll those issues can be fixed with more funding and better equipment. Not saying you're wrong, but the issues are not unsurmountable. In most cases people will have a handful of bad experiences and default back to their comfort zone.
- jamesblonde 8y agoI prefer to travel by subway in Stockholm because of the comfort. It's a money issue, plain and simple. Jeff Bezos could fix the problem for the whole US all by himself. Will he? Will he, my ass!
- rekado 8y agoMaybe it's a bad idea to let people get really rich.
- coryrc 8y agoSweden has more billionaires per capita than the US.
- rekado 8y agoI'm not talking about the US. I'm talking about the world. This is not a competition. Maybe it is generally a bad idea to concentrate financial means in few people. I don't want to depend on a billionaire's altruism.
- Felz 8y agoCounterpoints: 1. It's not concentration, it's creation. There's probably not an active conspiracy to make the rich richer. (Your phrasing seemed to connotate that) http://www.paulgraham.com/ineq.html http://www.paulgraham.com/ineq.html 2. We tried forming a broad spanning coalition and charging it wit public transportation (among other things). Then we gave it 30-40% of all economic activity. And yet, people apparently still feel like only excitable billionaires can fix public transport. I don't see how taking more money from the billionaires and putting it into the government would help.
- foolfoolz 8y agoAll issues can be fixed with more funding
- johnchristopher 8y agoNot really. In Belgium we went from this comfy setting https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/MS96_Interior_second_class_detail.JPG/1920px-MS96_Interior_second_class_detail.JPG https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/MS... https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/MS96_Interior_second_class.JPG/1920px-MS96_Interior_second_class.JPG https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/MS... to this https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/MS08_Interieur_2e_klasse.jpg/1920px-MS08_Interieur_2e_klasse.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/MS... No more adjustable tray for laptop or books in the back of seat. No more armchairs and the whole seat seems to be designed to be uncomfortable. One of the reason I now rather listen to podcasts in my car on the highway than not being able to work in the train. No more
- aqme28 8y agoI don't really understand. You don't get a laptop tray while driving a car, and you're able to listen to podcasts on a train.
- johnchristopher 8y agoSomehow my post was scrambled (I blame cosmic rays). If I go by train I expect to be able to work (to compensate for the stress of missing a connection or being late). I can easily listen to podcasts in my car and in much better condition than in the train (plus the fact that 99% of the time I'll be at the office on time). All in all I don't want to listen to podcasts but I'd rather to listen to podcasts in my car on my way to work than sitting in one of the new and upgraded train seats which don't allow working with a laptop. Besides, listening to podcasts with a headphone in the train is a no-no because I need to crank up the volume.
- Steltek 8y agoFrom that perspective, it highly depends on your point of view. I'd rather read the news and sip coffee on the bus than white knuckle it through stressful, cut-throat gridlock.
- petra 8y agoTrue. But still, riding in a bus is not a good experience. Now let's imagine, if riding in a bus was a great experience, maybe more people were more forgiving to how much time it takes ?
- smileysteve 8y agoI agree. I think that one reason I prefer to commute by train instead of car is because I had a friend in middle school lose her father to a heart attack during his daily commute.
- pc86 8y agoWhat country are you in? Out of all the public transport complaints I'm familiar with, "the train is too hot and the engine gives me a headache" is not one I've heard before.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- mjevans 8y agoWhat about the seats being very small, poorly shaped, and not padded at all? How about the passengers that smell for lack of bathing, too much drink, or that smell like they are trying to cover up one of the other defects by covering themselves in potent airborne warfare agents? (E.G. those body sprays, perfumes, colognes, etc) I think the above could probably be fixed by a combination of better social support policies and better social morals that helped to promote a tranquil ride zone in part of the transit cabins.
- Raphmedia 8y ago> How about the passengers that smell for lack of bathing, too much drink, or that smell like they are trying to cover up one of the other defects by covering themselves in potent airborne warfare agents? (E.G. those body sprays, perfumes, colognes, etc) The thing is, you would not notice any of those with proper ventilation and spacing/seating that meant we didn't have to sit on each others.
- pc86 8y agoBeing a few inches farther away from a homeless person who hasn't bathed in weeks is not going to make much difference.
- pc86 8y agoI specifically left out the seat bit because I've heard and experienced that one regularly.
- vkou 8y agoSeattle buses only have the noise problem. I've dropped $350 on a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. It was the best investment I've made in a long time, because it let me ditch my car, without a serious reduction in commute comfort.
- HumanDrivenDev 8y agoNot to mention listening to peoples inane phone conversations, and having to shove other passengers legs out of the way when they think they can encroach on your seat space. Bus drivers also tend towards the unpleasant. I realise it's a stressful job but that doesn't make my commute any better.