4 ms·

The case for the Real IDs and TSA and all that nonsense is mostly from air travel. They are not required for trains and buses.

iosjunkie 2y ago
Surely high speed rail wouldn't reduce air travel to point where there isn't a push for TSA and Read IDs.
- vlovich123 2y ago
  And it wouldn’t be long before high speed rail would require IDs anyway. There’s not some intrinsic reason why rail doesn’t require that stuff & it’s as much of a terrorist target as any other form of transportation.
  - ClumsyPilot 2y ago
    A bomb on a train doesn’t bring down the train
    - defrost 2y ago
      Russia opens terrorist investigation after freight train derailed https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-opens-terrorist-investigation-after-freight-train-derailed-2023-11-12/ https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-opens-terrorist-... Millions of Americans face risk of a toxic ‘bomb train’ https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/01/29/vinyl-chloride-trains-chemical-report/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/01/2... Less than a year ago, a disastrous train derailment sent a massive plume of dangerous chemicals billowing over East Palestine, Ohio, startling the town of nearly 5,000 residents and onlookers nationwide. Now, a new report warns that more of these catastrophes may loom: At any given moment, more than an estimated 3 million people are unknowingly at risk, as toxic trains full of a highly combustible and carcinogenic chemical used to make plastic move between Texas and New Jersey.
    - mindslight 2y ago
      Does it matter? The terrorists (eg TSA) are attracted to anything popular they can make up a plausible panic narrative about. If trains became popular, they'd set up shop at train stations. In fact I think they're already doing "spot check" performances to trains.
    - FinnKuhn 2y ago
      More importantly you don't need to be on the train, you could just be next to the trains rails...
  - macintux 2y ago
    I used to take Amtrak to/from Chicago 2-3 times a year, and once as I was headed back home TSA had set up shop at the Chicago station and was checking everyone. I don’t travel by train these days so I have no idea whether that has happened again.
  - bigstrat2003 2y ago
    > it’s as much of a terrorist target as any other form of transportation. I agree, which is why we should dismantle the TSA immediately. They provide negative value to this country.
cscurmudgeon 2y ago
China has HSR. Does China have no domestic air travel?
- userbinator 2y ago
  It has HSR and security checkpoints, similar to what you'd find at an airport, at the stations. I was there over a decade ago, and that was already there.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
Andrex 2y ago
> They are not required for trains and buses ...for now.

iosjunkie 2y ago

Surely high speed rail wouldn't reduce air travel to point where there isn't a push for TSA and Read IDs.

vlovich123 2y ago
And it wouldn’t be long before high speed rail would require IDs anyway. There’s not some intrinsic reason why rail doesn’t require that stuff & it’s as much of a terrorist target as any other form of transportation.
- ClumsyPilot 2y ago
  A bomb on a train doesn’t bring down the train
  - defrost 2y ago
    Russia opens terrorist investigation after freight train derailed https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-opens-terrorist-investigation-after-freight-train-derailed-2023-11-12/ https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-opens-terrorist-... Millions of Americans face risk of a toxic ‘bomb train’ https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/01/29/vinyl-chloride-trains-chemical-report/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/01/2... Less than a year ago, a disastrous train derailment sent a massive plume of dangerous chemicals billowing over East Palestine, Ohio, startling the town of nearly 5,000 residents and onlookers nationwide. Now, a new report warns that more of these catastrophes may loom: At any given moment, more than an estimated 3 million people are unknowingly at risk, as toxic trains full of a highly combustible and carcinogenic chemical used to make plastic move between Texas and New Jersey.
  - mindslight 2y ago
    Does it matter? The terrorists (eg TSA) are attracted to anything popular they can make up a plausible panic narrative about. If trains became popular, they'd set up shop at train stations. In fact I think they're already doing "spot check" performances to trains.
  - FinnKuhn 2y ago
    More importantly you don't need to be on the train, you could just be next to the trains rails...
- macintux 2y ago
  I used to take Amtrak to/from Chicago 2-3 times a year, and once as I was headed back home TSA had set up shop at the Chicago station and was checking everyone. I don’t travel by train these days so I have no idea whether that has happened again.
- bigstrat2003 2y ago
  > it’s as much of a terrorist target as any other form of transportation. I agree, which is why we should dismantle the TSA immediately. They provide negative value to this country.

cscurmudgeon 2y ago

China has HSR. Does China have no domestic air travel?

userbinator 2y ago
It has HSR and security checkpoints, similar to what you'd find at an airport, at the stations. I was there over a decade ago, and that was already there.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

Andrex 2y ago

> They are not required for trains and buses ...for now.