2 ms·

Thing is, I'm really a big public transit fan. I see time and time again that the US just doesn't get how to build a public transit system that the middle class

by dheera 3y ago

Thing is, I'm really a big public transit fan. I see time and time again that the US just doesn't get how to build a public transit system that the middle class wants to use, and would prefer to use when they already have a car. In countries where it works, it's a non-issue to get to/from the train station on both sides, and the train stations have ample good food options (real food; not a Dunkin Donuts), clean restrooms, direct connections to subways without having to even exit the building. It's an all-around pleasant experience. I suppose, if they can go to market on 125mph, fine, but I'm rather pessimistic that anyone who lives in LV or LA (especially) would use it considering the sad state of public transit in both cities. To be honest, faster rail between Boston - NYC - Washington (on the order of 1.5 hours between Boston-NYC and 1.5 hours between NYC-Washington, which is doable at Shinkansen/CRH speeds) would be a better market in my opinion until the west coast can get their shit together with public transit (if ever). There's plenty of business need on the east coast for faster trains, the space for the rails is already carved out by Amtrak's stupidly-slow Acela Express, and all 3 cities have excellent public transit, good enough that a significant chunk of the population of all 3 actually lives car-free.

coding123 3y ago
Tons, I mean TONS of people drinking alcohol and or consuming THC will want to use that service. There will be piss all over the train if they don't put in a bathroom. which they wont because they never do...
- dheera 3y ago
  Yeah the bathroom thing is another thing I don't get. Why is the US so stingy with public bathrooms? I don't even drink alcohol and I've actually had to pee on the road multiple times because I couldn't find a bathroom, and the only bathrooms within walking distance were "customers only" (at least for men; women usually get to use them in anecdotal experience). In Europe and Asia I've never had a situation in an urban area where there wasn't an easily accessible public bathroom within a couple blocks. People in SF complain about piss on the ground. Yet I've had to piss on the ground waiting 45 minutes for the Caltrain because the goddamn Caltrain bathrooms were closed for the rest of the night and the Panera next door wouldn't let me use theirs. What do you expect?
  - SllX 3y ago
    Safeway was always the go to bathroom spot over there. Dunno if it still is, but if it’s any consolation, the Panera is dead.
  - _moof 3y ago
    > the only bathrooms within walking distance were "customers only" They don't want homeless people using them.
    - dheera 3y ago
      Don't they realize that human bodies need to excrete waste and if you don't give them a designated place to do it, it's going to come out on the street? And then the same people who refuse restroom access complain about shit and pee on the street? This isn't rocket science.
      - xcrunner529 3y ago
        Someone has to clean them too and you clearly don’t realize how trashy people ruin things. And for some reason we seem to tolerate those breaking social contracts and homeless drug users messing things up instead of dealing with it. It sucks but it’s not a young minimum wage worker’s primary job.
  - Symbiote 3y ago
    In Europe and Asia, there's always a toilet (usually one per carriage) on a middle or longer distance train. It's only urban trains and metros that don't have them — on these, the expectation is that you use a toilet in the station, and the train is so frequent it doesn't matter if you miss one. The Brightline website says their trains in Florida have toilets, I don't see why California would be any different.
  - swasheck 3y ago
    i’m currently in paris where the only “public” WC in the train stations still require payment and none of the stops between terminals on the RER seem to have had public restrooms on the platforms. it feels quite similar to my home city in the US. i find there to be quite a few things to love about Europe over the US, but the idea of toileting as superior in Europe than in the US strikes me as odd. colloquially, i chalk it up to travel/cultural anxiety and stress because i can find a place/way to toilet in SF, NYC, or Orlando far more easily than in Paris, Florence, or Frankfurt

by dheera 3y ago

coding123 3y ago

Tons, I mean TONS of people drinking alcohol and or consuming THC will want to use that service. There will be piss all over the train if they don't put in a bathroom. which they wont because they never do...

dheera 3y ago
Yeah the bathroom thing is another thing I don't get. Why is the US so stingy with public bathrooms? I don't even drink alcohol and I've actually had to pee on the road multiple times because I couldn't find a bathroom, and the only bathrooms within walking distance were "customers only" (at least for men; women usually get to use them in anecdotal experience). In Europe and Asia I've never had a situation in an urban area where there wasn't an easily accessible public bathroom within a couple blocks. People in SF complain about piss on the ground. Yet I've had to piss on the ground waiting 45 minutes for the Caltrain because the goddamn Caltrain bathrooms were closed for the rest of the night and the Panera next door wouldn't let me use theirs. What do you expect?
- SllX 3y ago
  Safeway was always the go to bathroom spot over there. Dunno if it still is, but if it’s any consolation, the Panera is dead.
- _moof 3y ago
  > the only bathrooms within walking distance were "customers only" They don't want homeless people using them.
  - dheera 3y ago
    Don't they realize that human bodies need to excrete waste and if you don't give them a designated place to do it, it's going to come out on the street? And then the same people who refuse restroom access complain about shit and pee on the street? This isn't rocket science.
    - xcrunner529 3y ago
      Someone has to clean them too and you clearly don’t realize how trashy people ruin things. And for some reason we seem to tolerate those breaking social contracts and homeless drug users messing things up instead of dealing with it. It sucks but it’s not a young minimum wage worker’s primary job.
- Symbiote 3y ago
  In Europe and Asia, there's always a toilet (usually one per carriage) on a middle or longer distance train. It's only urban trains and metros that don't have them — on these, the expectation is that you use a toilet in the station, and the train is so frequent it doesn't matter if you miss one. The Brightline website says their trains in Florida have toilets, I don't see why California would be any different.
- swasheck 3y ago
  i’m currently in paris where the only “public” WC in the train stations still require payment and none of the stops between terminals on the RER seem to have had public restrooms on the platforms. it feels quite similar to my home city in the US. i find there to be quite a few things to love about Europe over the US, but the idea of toileting as superior in Europe than in the US strikes me as odd. colloquially, i chalk it up to travel/cultural anxiety and stress because i can find a place/way to toilet in SF, NYC, or Orlando far more easily than in Paris, Florence, or Frankfurt