Gasoline

[tinselwolverine]

maybe a couple hundred people ride each train from downtown Chicago out to O'Hare everyday. the cost is $2.25/fare.

Seriously?

I can't believe it's that few...

My guess is it's a lot more than that.

Do you have any data on this?

I would guess that Chicago residents travelling out of town would take the train in much higher numbers than visitors to Chicago who might cab it because they don't know their way around on the trains. [/QUOTE]

 

[Michchamp]

a couple hundred (at least) in EACH train during rush hour, and fewer during the day and at night.

 

[tinselwolverine]

Oh EACH train everyday...not just a couple hundred everyday...got it.

That adds up more.

 

[Thumb]

Honestly, if we built some of those maglev bullet trains like they have in Japan, that would be the tits, and would pay themselves many times over.

Imagine Detroit to Chicago in 3 hours or less?

 

[spockmaster]

Trains have a really bad rep in america (as does diesel, actually), largely due to the shitstorm that is amtrak. Thats a huge barrier to overcome.

But yeah, we really need a better rail system, a la Japan or Europe.

 

[Michchamp]

Trains have a really bad rep in america (as does diesel, actually), largely due to the shitstorm that is amtrak. Thats a huge barrier to overcome.

But yeah, we really need a better rail system, a la Japan or Europe.

Imagine if they actually put a little more money into it, and built actual passenger rail lines so that they didn't have to give priority to freight trains, leading to all the frequent amtrak delays.

when you read about all the impediments politicians (at the behest of lobbyists for the oil/auto industries) throw in the way of mass transit, it's almost comical how petty the oil/auto industries are. clears up any doubt about who really runs things. but it's no surprise they have to resort to such dirty tricks, because most sane people would choose the option of riding trains if they experienced it and had the option. you get so much of your own time back... to read, to sleep, etc. for some people that's practically the only place they can get time to themselves.

and you don't have to pay for gas on top of racking up 100's of miles of wear and tear on your car.

and it's better for the environment.

 

[tinselwolverine]

I like public transit.

LA still has a pretty shitty public transit system, although it's gotten an amount better than it was when I first came out.

I have a bus card for when I wanna go out drinkin; a day pass is five bucks a day; good until 3 am the following morning.

 

[byco42]

No place I rather be than drunk on a bus at 0300.

 

[tinselwolverine]

Really?

You too?

I thought it was only me, and the other drunks on the bus...

 

[Michchamp]

Really?

You too?

I thought it was only me, and the other drunks on the bus...

being drunk on mass transit is really a high mark of mankind's social development. much more evolved than driving drunk.

I read some study once that the highest percentage of vehicles by drink drivers were pickup trucks. no surprise there.

 

[Thumb]

Whats the percentage of those pickup trucks with a gun rack in the rear window too?

I'm betting it's pretty high.

 

[byco42]

being drunk on mass transit is really a high mark of mankind's social development. much more evolved than driving drunk.

I read some study once that the highest percentage of vehicles by drink drivers were pickup trucks. no surprise there.

Maybe it's because the top-three selling vehicles in the U.S. are pickups and have been for years.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Whats the percentage of those pickup trucks with a gun rack in the rear window too?

I'm betting it's pretty high.

I read where they polled 500 people, of the question on who drives a pickup - Republicans 15%, Dems 3%. So to answer your question, a lot.

 

[Thumb]

I read where they polled 500 people, of the question on who drives a pickup - Republicans 15%, Dems 3%. So to answer your question, a lot.

What about the other 82%?

 

[tinselwolverine]

What about the other 82%?

The other 82% don't drive a pickup.

They drive something else, or take public transit or taxis or walk wherever they go.

Some, like the elderly or the character Vince from Entourrage get driven around by somebody else. It is possible they're being driven by someone who drives a pickup but I would imagine that wouldn't count.

Some are incarcerated.

Likely a few live like 100 miles from the nearest civilization, and actually fly their own plane when they leave their residence.

Some are on military bases or stationed on some military water craft.

A few are probably either invalid or agourrophobic and never leave their residences.

 

[spockmaster]

I like public transit.

LA still has a pretty shitty public transit system, although it's gotten an amount better than it was when I first came out.

I have a bus card for when I wanna go out drinkin; a day pass is five bucks a day; good until 3 am the following morning.

Car companies again, LA would have a much better subway system if the car manufacturers hadnt tanked it before it really got started.

 

[Thumb]

Car companies again, LA would have a much better subway system if the car manufacturers hadnt tanked it before it really got started.

Truth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy

 

[Michchamp]

Truth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy

it's funny, and I googled that earlier when I started reading this thread.

I first learned about it a few years ago, and there were a number of good primary source articles on it within the first few pages of google results. since then, presumably oil/auto industry groups & lobbyists have gotten those results buried between lots of other articles claiming the whole thing was dreamed up by the DOJ attorneys who brought the anti-trust suit at the time, and a number of other links attacking them personally, calling them crazy, delusional, etc.

they've got the whole "fucking the public debate six ways from sunday" thing down to a science.

 

[Thumb]

It's bigger than just the car companies though. The contractors who built the freeways and roads had government officials in their pockets.

 

[Mitchrapp]

The other 82% don't drive a pickup.

They drive something else, or take public transit or taxis or walk wherever they go.

Some, like the elderly or the character Vince from Entourrage get driven around by somebody else. It is possible they're being driven by someone who drives a pickup but I would imagine that wouldn't count.

Some are incarcerated.

Likely a few live like 100 miles from the nearest civilization, and actually fly their own plane when they leave their residence.

Some are on military bases or stationed on some military water craft.

A few are probably either invalid or agourrophobic and never leave their residences.

Correct. This is the article I came across..

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Is-Your-Car-a-Republican-or-Democrat/