America is Unraveling
Our world opinion and respect has been lost and our bargaining power is nearly at NIL because of our extravagant use of the automobile.
All us city dwellers should be denied the privilege to commute to work in cars and be forced to use mass transit. In one bold stroke the oil, mideast, and global warming crisis’ are solved.
Why do we need 16 lane highways that are nearly empty at all times other than the rush hours.
Think man think!
Work smarter not harder!
Being forced to use mass transit only works when mass transit A. doesn’t suck and B. has the capacity to deal with everyone using it. That’s obviously not going to be true in much of the country.
What is “Things Picard says when he’s feeling pissy” for $200, Alex!
You’re nuts. I will agree that our “world opinion” factor has taken a hit recently, but it has to do with GWB and the Iraq war, not the use of automobiles.
I also agree that we need to come up with some form of mass transit that works.
But it’s difficult to equate what works in relatively tiny European countries with what works in a much, much bigger country like the USA.
Logistics, lack of political will and lack of corporate interest are the order of the day.
I can’t wait for **I am Mad as Hell #2 **!
Yeah but the sequels are never as good.
“It is the international system of currency which determines the vitality of life on this planet. THAT is the natural order of things today. THAT is the atomic and subatomic and galactic structure of things today. And YOU have meddled with the primal forces of nature. And YOU WILL ATONE. Am I getting through to you, Mr. Beale? You get up on your little 21-inch screen and howl about America, and democracy. There is no America; there is no democracy. There is only IBM, and ITT, and AT&T, and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon. Those are the nations of the world today.”
Stranger
Heh. Move to L.A. Our 16 lane highways are packed with traffic 24/7 … .
I have seen the face of God!
“You can blow the seminal prisoner class infrastructure out your ass. I’m not knockin’ down my goddamn distribution charges.”
Stranger
I am only suggesting mass transit to replace the privately owned vehicles in the major metro areas not the whole country. We want to use our fast cars and smooth highways for evenings out, weekend ventures and those wonderful get aways to the where ever in this great land of ours.
All metro areas have mass transit. Lets convert them from just ‘do good’ experiments to a real solution. Multiply the capacity and live with the suckyness during the commute with our IPOD and PDA and cellphone and laptop. We have our community and the world at our finger tips do we still need that sense of power we get from our sucky sub compact.
This is a local metro problem that has local solution within capability of local governments to implement while to solving a National problem. Live in the first totally connected city could be the pitch.
All that is needed is to funnel fuel taxes collected in the city to the project and pass a law having a phased implementation strategy and the will to do it.
Clearly you are not from St. Louis.
Or Cincinnati, or any other city not named New York, Washington DC or Chicago.
It functions as it does in larger cities because they are larger cities!
It won’t work in flyover country now or ever!
Too many people along the way, too many stops, too much land to cover…
We aren’t Germany!
Yeah, why do you want us to be like Germany?
You know who was in charge of Germany? HITLER!
Hitler took the train to work, you know.
Awesome.
So THAT’S why they were always on time!
That’s Mussolini, dear.
The OP also clearly doesn’t live in Reno, which likewise has a mass transit system that sucks. I could probably walk the 10 miles to work faster than the bus can get me there. And walking I wouldn’t have to make two bus transfers, either.
Why don’t you do some research and take a look at how much state and federal monies are used for subsidizing local mass transit.
Hint: Start out by googling “a shitload.” Save you a little time, that will.