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Both Niedermeyers, the younger and the elder, are off and away on some family thing for the day.
BS, assisted by Cammy Corrigan somewhere in Great Britain, is home alone! So if you miss Ed’s wit and Paul’s curbside classics: Don’t despair. They will be back. Tomorrow.
I’m off to see some seedy bar in Beijing for Friday night. During that time, all TTAC commenting policies are not in effect, so fire away.
But wait until daddy BS is back.
27 Comments on “Housekeeping (My Eye …) Home Alone!...”
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Excellent. I think I’ll re-post my scathing diatribe about my best transportation buddy , Mr. Ray ” You WILL Like High Speed Rail” LaHoood.
On second thought… better not. I was lucky I didn’t get my ass handed to me the first time.
Actually, I’m a big believer in High speed rail. France’s system is excellent and the UK’s system is very good (but still needs work).
I’ve forgone driving to ride on train. Went to the South of France on the Eurostar and the TGV. Absolutely brilliant.
For some routes, high speed rail is good. For really long routes (which they don’t have in France or Germany), they are not so useful…like New York to Los Angeles…unless you can make high speed rail travel 400 or 500 mph.
I think linking New York to Los Angeles is still a way away (but even a maglev track could do that journey in 10 hours). High speed rail would be great from, say New York to Chicago would be very do-able and the journey could be as little as four hours. Or Los Angeles to Seattle in 6 hours.
HSR is a great idea in the right environment. I have little faith that our government will exercise good sense instead of political patronage when deciding who gets what rail where. Public transportation of any sort tends to be quite expensive when total costs are amortized over X number of riders in a given period of time. And where is HSR going to take you that an airplane already can’t?
Americans voted with their dollars on the issue of high speed rail a long time ago when they stopped taking the trains and started flying on the airlines.
The other factor for high speed rail is enough customers. A Peoria to Chicago route would be reasonable for a high speed train but are there enough riders? (By the way Peoria is essentially Secretary LaHood’s home).
Does anyone use the Amtrak Acela Express that runs along the NE corridor? Be curious the hear someone’s first hand experience. The anecdotal evidence I’m familiar with is that it’s a decent commute between Washington / Philly / NY at a reasonable price. So something positive.
@Cammy Corrigan: How many miles or KM was your trip to the south of France?
When I was in Germany, at least in the cities, the amount of rail options boggled my midwestern mind. I could go anywhere on the S-Bahn in town. I could practically go to all of the major cities, and not really have to use the surface roads or the airlines. Of course how quickly you wanted to get there would determine which method you chose. As I was on urlaub, I took my time and enjoyed it.
It would be great to have something like that here in the States, but the long distance trains are NOT inexpensive. Bummer. I like traveling by rail.
@GeoZinger
It was nearly 800 miles. Please also bear in mind that where I wanted to go, didn’t do direct flights. Had I have chosen to fly (and switch in Paris), it would have worked out very expensive.
Taking into account the ease, scenery, price and green-ness of the whole trip, I’d certainly do it again. In fact, I am!
Rail in the UK is very expensive. Did anyone see the old Top Gear episode where the guys , rather than buy rail tickets London to Scotland , bought cars and drove there , and saved money !
It’s “You VILL” for you, Herr Schultz.
I’m also for high speed rail. Here in Canada the perfect high-speed-rail triangle would be Toronto – Montreal – Ottawa.
Too bad NA is 50 years behind Europe in public transportation.
On the other hand, people here are too lazy and/or spoiled, and most prefer being even stuck in traffic jams to taking public transport.
Better watch out for the dog that eats police cars too:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/03/25/sims.tn.dog.vandalizes.car.wtvc?hpt=C2
Finally, a dog that figured out what to do with a car once he caught one.
During that time, all TTAC commenting policies are not in effect, so fire away.
This web site and its writers are stupid! General Motors is the best! The comment before mine was stupid, and the comment after mine will be stupid! Expletive, expletive, expletive! BMW sucks, not because of any specific reason, but because I say so! All TTAC reviewers are wrong about all cars and all suck! Expletive! Everyone is stupid!
*sits down, panting*
I agree with everything you said, you’re absolutely wrong and of questionable lineage.
And that’s why I love the Corvette ZHZ.
How DARE you disturb my peace at Beijing’s finest house of ill repute????
Can’t you discuss high speed rail like everyone else and let me finish my business???
You are clearly a commie bastard and a right wing fascist.
Dr. Zombie, obviously BS is one of “those” Germans, you know, the type that Basil Fawlty finds so offensive!
I remain convinced that the passage of time will result in a growing number/percentage of Americans living in their vehicles.
Neither time, space nor inclination to give rationale for my belief on a message board entry but you young folks who will long outlive me (unless unlucky) note this Disgruntled Old Coot’s mumbling and note trends in future days.
A possible wealth source of the future could be for those who can alter vehicles into “stealth” housing providing a basic living level at an affordable price.
There was an article on Edmunds a few years back about a fellow who sold his house (in SoCal) as part of a divorce and, since the remaining equity wasn’t enough to buy a house in SoCal at the time, bought (and lived in) a Bentley instead.
I don’t think that’s what you meant, though.
This guy is already doing that and blogging about it:
http://www.stealthvandweller.com/
@ obbop This “old coot” enjoys everthing you write.
I hope you are right. If this country heads into a post apacolyptic death spiral
I would take solace in everyone getting more into their cars, both literally and figuratively.
Put me firmly in the camp of giving up my house long before I would give up my car.
+1 Mikey
I too enjoy obbop’s meanderings, I mean posts!
Ok, time out, daddy is home!