Passenger Trains > Wanna get depressed?

Then look at my continuing travelogue from Lyon, France, in the magical fairyland of trains. No delays in constructing high speed rail, no ten years of nothing but environmental impact studies, no grimy, slow subways, and unbelievable public art. http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?17,3680059 BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Tor in Only Lyon

Torisgod Wrote:
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> Then look at my continuing travelogue from Lyon,
> France, in the magical fairyland of trains. No
> delays in constructing high speed rail, no ten
> years of nothing but environmental impact studies,
> no grimy, slow subways, and unbelievable public
> art.
> http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?17,
> 3680059 BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
>
> Tor in Only Lyon


Now think Ohio.

France is about the size of the state of Washington, if the USA was that size Amtrak would flourish

Add up all Amtrak trains, put them in a Washington sized area, and I suspect the number is almost insignificant compared to total French train numbers. In other words, we would still have poor service. But are Americans free to drive anywhere they want anytime they want paying next to nothing for gas and highway infrastructure?

Knowing the French and French politics, I imagine there are all sorts of studies. Also, the TGV lines were built years ago and have a magnificent safety record.
(They also have terrible labor relations which means that every time we've ridden or flown there someone has been on strike, screwing-up service!)

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Great if you want to live in a socialist state with high taxes and gas prices. No thanks.

France--246,201 sq. mi.
Washington--71,362 sq. mi.

Dick

Texas is 268,000 sq miles so that is a better comparison

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> Great if you want to live in a socialist state
> with high taxes and gas prices. No thanks.


And fast, efficient, beautiful train service?? Let's talk.

Nickatnight

We could also mention that, although the very word "automobile" is French, and the Panhard and DeDion cars of 100+ years ago pioneered many features still used today, in more recent times, French vehicles have been noted for less-than-stellar reliability and "seemed like a good idea at the time" engineering quirks. I remember one co-worker back in the 1960s, who had a Citroen 2CV, which was as homely as a mud fence, and had about the same horsepower as an American garden tractor. About once a week I'd see him tinkering with this weird-looking ride, making sure it would get him home that day. Then he'd put on his beret and go put-putting down the street. Before that, the kid next door in Monrovia had a Renault Dauphine that he spent more time fixing than driving.

DNRY122 Wrote:
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> We could also mention that, although the very word
> "automobile" is French, and the Panhard and DeDion
> cars of 100+ years ago pioneered many features
> still used today, in more recent times, French
> vehicles have been noted for less-than-stellar
> reliability and "seemed like a good idea at the
> time" engineering quirks.

That reminds me of a joke I heard recently:

Definition of heaven in Europe:
- German auto mechanic.
- French cook.
- British comedian.

Hell in Europe:
- French auto mechanic.
- British cook.
- German comedian.

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> Great if you want to live in a socialist state
> with high taxes and gas prices. No thanks.

I know a railroader who lives in one of those so-called socialist states. He admits to paying about 50% in taxes, but for this he gets: free education for his kids pre-school thru university, free 100% medical care, free day-care, free 6 weeks vacation--starting with year 1, 12 holidays paid, compensation to pay for looking after his 80-year old mother--who gets 2 weeks at a spa per year so he and his wife can have a break from her, subsidized housing, 1st rate rail and highway transport, spotless and safe cities, etc. Sounds like a workers' paradise to me. At the end of the year he still has money to put away in his savings account. There are millions over there like him.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/15 00:11 by railwaybaron.

DNRY122 Wrote:
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> We could also mention that, although the very word
> "automobile" is French, and the Panhard and DeDion
> cars of 100+ years ago pioneered many features
> still used today.
And the name Chevrolet is French in origin.

No wonder so many countries are broke and looking for bailouts

CB

railwaybaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> andersonb109 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Great if you want to live in a socialist state
> > with high taxes and gas prices. No thanks.
>
> I know a railroader who lives in one of those
> so-called socialist states. He admits to paying
> about 50% in taxes, but for this he gets: free
> education for his kids pre-school thru university,
> free 100% medical care, free day-care, free 6
> weeks vacation--starting with year 1, 12 holidays
> paid, compensation to pay for looking after his
> 80-year old mother--who gets 2 weeks at a spa per
> year so he and his wife can have a break from her,
> subsidized housing, 1st rate rail and highway
> transport, spotless and safe cities, etc. Sounds
> like a workers' paradise to me. At the end of the
> year he still has money to put away in his savings
> account. There are millions over there like him.

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great if you want to live in a socialist state
> with high taxes and gas prices. No thanks.

Anybody know the tax rate in Canada? IIRC correctly, a Canadian lady told she paid around 60%.

CountryBoy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No wonder so many countries are broke and looking
> for bailouts
>
> CB

Except that we are allegedly broke too and that without getting anything for being broke. Sigh....

If we're going to use socialist countries like France and Sweden as role models, perhaps we should figure out if those entitlements should be extended only to actual citizens instead of anyone who decides to sneak across our border(s) in the dead of night.

I could probably stomach my tax dollars being spent to improve the lives of my fellow citizens.

To extend those same benefits to the entire world populace as they illegally relocate here? I don't think so.

Call me callous and unfeeling if you must, but I simply think that we can't afford to foot the bill for housing, feeding, clothing, educating, medicating and incarcerating the entire world population.

So, the obvious answer is to move there ASAP, to prevent depression.

But it might take a while to get accepted based on what folks have told me who moved there...<G>

Realist Wrote:
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> So, the obvious answer is to move there ASAP, to
> prevent depression.

But to get back to the point of passenger trains, yes, every country in western Europe has excellent passenger trains. Some countries are more "socialist" than others, but they all have excellent passenger trains, operating all over the countries with multiple frequencies to all of the cities and most of the towns. UK, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland.... some of them more "socialist" than others, but all of them - yes, the size of our states - with excellent passenger-train systems.

Not one state or region in the US replicates the passenger-train efforts and accomplishments of any western European country.

And, yes, they also have discount airlines there; check Ryan Air's website for an example. Our daughter told us that Ryan Air flight attendants sold her a bus transfer between her landing city and her destination, 45 miles away. That's intermodal transportation, and inter-company cooperation.

We can talk about the NEC, but I'm just reminded that if I don't want to pay a minimum of $54 for an Amtrak Regional ticket between New York and Philadelphia, going up to a maximum of $197 for full-fare Acela coach tickets, I have to ride New Jersey Transit from New York to Trenton on one ticket, change trains, buy another ticket for a SEPTA train from Trenton to Philadelphia and continue my trip.

Cooperation? Convenience? Not so much.