Flag waving is GOOD. GOOD for all of us in times of tragedy.

As to your other points:

mass transit ... whose fault is that? Lets see, your from NJ so you must know that the major NE cities like NYC and Boston have had mass transit working for 100 years. Even DC has mass transit now. So whose fault is it other cities don't? Dunno. Taxpayers?

Rail vs Truck: Again, whose fault is that? What happened to the American RR systems? What are the actual numbers of pound of stuff shipped via rail vice trucks? I really dont know but if its not high, why not? whose fault is that?

As to driving long distances ... your choice. You could move to the boonies or you could move to the cities. All a personal choice.

 

This sounds strangely familiar

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, railroad owners were at the center of many scandals stemming from the excessive profits they made and the monopolies they controlled. Names like Jay Gould, James Fisk, Commodore Vanderbilt and Daniel Drew were linked with great wealth, power, and corruption.
One of the things that the Robber Barons did was to charge high rates in areas where they did not have any competition. People were forced to pay whatever the railroads charged or else find other ways to ship their goods.

By the end of the 1960’s several of the nation’s largest railroads were facing bankruptcy. This was partially caused by the large amount of unprofitable passenger service they were providing. The government agreed to step in, creating the National Railroad Passenger Corporation. On May 1, 1971, Amtrak service began. Amtrak’s first director was skeptical of the system, saying that the passenger train was as outdated as the stagecoach and should be allowed to die an honorable death.

 

 

I dont think the trucking industry cares about amtrack. I'm sure there are still many tons of stuff shipped by rail. Much of it HAZMAT,

 

I was listening to a discussion of gas prices and related topics on the radio here in SoCal yesterday, and a fellow called in wondering why monorails/light trains couldn't be built on the sides of the existing freeways. The host said the idea had been worked on and offered 35 years ago and was basically lobbied against and squelched by the auto industry.

I can remember when Los Angeles still had streetcars! The red cars were fun! They were electric and I rode them with my paternal grandmother. She was able to function well with no car in Los Angeles. That isn't yet the case here, now. I haven't seen any lessening of auto traffic as the gas prices have spiked.


Clover

 

I heard on the radio today that in Atlanta gas was $6.00 a gallon!!!impatient

Makes my California $2.96 a gallon not so bad.

 

I not only heard that, on tv I saw people at the station, and SAW the pumps!! eek:


Clover

 

Exactly my point.

Whose fault is it these cities dont have mass transit? I guess in LAs case the lobbyists with their vested interests.

I am originally from Boston, lived in the city, went to college in the city and could NEVER imagine moving anywhere that didn't have mass transit for city dwellers. SInce then, the MTA has moved out in to the suburbs. I would NEVER take a car into the city. Go see the Sox at Fenway, you take the "T"!

Going to other major cities and NOT seeing mass transit is a shock.

 

Yep, Atl has some price gouging going on. I paid $3.04 yesterday here in Florida.

 

Los Angeles is a very horizontal city. It is really a string of small communities cobbled together by freeways and roads, like a crazy-quilt pattern. The mass transit is skeletal, at best. But like I said, that is due to the influence of the auto and related industries like Firestone....


Clover

 

Filled up yesterday with 93 for $2.99, but that was at a full serve station.

 

No...becuase there is no money in it. If it was a profitable venture investors would step up and duild what the people want and would support with thier money. Instead local government pass fuel taxes and try to fund these as public ventures by taxing everyone to fund a project no-one wants. Ask some seattle residents about thier mono-rail project. Besides as soon as someone makes some money you will call them evil rich and blame them for high monorail ticket prices

The reason there is not much mass transit is because me and most other people value our time, and mass transit simply takes longer to go from Point A to Point B in most cases, extremely dense area being an exception. We are willing to by a $25k car, pay $100 amonth insurance, and $40 a week in gas so I dont have to drive to a station for the suburbs, park, ride the train with the bums. get annoyed by people who have no sense of respect for other people. sit for 40 min making stops every 2 miles and then once i get close to where I am going still have to walk a half mile. No thank you.

 

Welcome to Long Island transit.

 

Wow, I didn't know there were any full "service" stations left in the country. Did they check the oil, wash the windows, and check tire inflation? I remember as a small child they use to do that in CA... back in the days they still cleaned the restrooms, and the service bays had mechanics and tires instead of beer, cheap wine, and coffee.

 

I topped off yesterday afternoon @ $2.93/gal for 93 octane as we don't have 91 octane in these parts. As I was pulling out of the station, an employee was heading out with the giant plastic numbers to change the price to $3.29 for regular, which would make 93 octane $3.49!

 

I paid $3.45 yesterday. I live just north of Atlanta. It jumped in price here from 3:00pm to 6:00pm. At 3 gas was 2.89 for premium.then by 6 it was 3.45 , just glad I don't drive a bad gas mileage car. around 26-27 avg. I don't drive with a light foot either.

 

Well, actually, planeguy....there have been numerous documentaries about how the auto/tire industry actually did squelch improving mass transit via a workable rail system here in the 50s and 60s, and into the 70s. If they'd been built then, the price would have been costly, but would have more than paid for itself. In the 1920s/30s, Los Angeles was considered to have had one of the best mass-transit systems in the US.

As in other large cities, people from all social strata road the streetcars. I think your comment about "bums" was unnecessary. I've been seeing a few news stories lately about rather affluent people leaving their cars home here in the greater-L.A. area and using public transportation for the very first time in their lives, and being surprised at how pleasant it was and how much time it cut down on their commutes. :smile:

I value my time, also, and a well-run transit system can save people LOADS of time as compared to gridlocked roads and highways. Come hang out on the 405 just about any time of day....LOL! It can take 45 minutes to travel ONE MILE!


Clover

 

$3.19 yesterday for good 'ol 93 octane. Wow, my most expensive fill-up to date.

 

yesterday i bought it at 2.89. today i passed by and it said 3.09

 

And if you thought about it.........Wouldnt gas prices drop if less people used there cars and used public transportation?

 

Man you guys in Socal have it easy... I saw 3.32 for regular in Chicago a few days ago (3.52 for premium). It's been over $3 for sometime now.

 

Ummm...or maybe it's mother nature, considering many of the major US cities (i.e.- Houston) simplay can not build underground mass transit because they are only 40 feet above sea level and 40 miles from the coast...no drainage = big, expensive pumps and lots of engineering. And we all know how reliable that can be. Anyone seen "The Big Dig" in Boston lately??? I wish all major us cities could have been built on a solid rock of granite like Manhattan. Unfortuantely the rest of us just have to make do...

 

I just found out that Colonial is back to 45% and plans on being to 75% by end of weekend. That puts them ahead of their earlier predictions and I'm betting they'll be at 100% even sooner than what they said (mid-week).

 

I think the Big Dig is over. The problem there is that the airport is mostly land fill ... otherwise there would be no airport.

I'm pretty sure that, for example, Boston had street cars first. Even when I was in college, the street cars ran right in front of the campus. Its only more lately that the move had been to totally underground.

Street cars are very cool. So the fact that Houston, for example, can''t dig is not an excuse. Just run the tracks right over the road ... literally.

I've driven over so many street car tracks in my life that it seems funny, when in a city, that they are not there!

 

I filled up today, $6+.