How America Killed Transit - Page 15

SIGSEGV · #**281** Posted **Sep 9, 2018, 8:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pip

I don't believe you

I believe that browntown wishes to avoid all contact with poor people. Remember, if you're blissfully unaware of their existence, they don't matter. The solution to poverty and mental health issues is living in the burbs and driving everywhere.

JManc · #**282** Posted **Sep 9, 2018, 9:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pip

I don't believe you

I do. It also depends on where you're taking mass transit. I just got back from Paris and I had no issues or WTF moments riding their Metro for a week; it's heavily used by average Parisians as it is the main source of transport where as here in Houston, most drive so you're more apt to have run-ins or contact with vagrants and skeevatz if you take the rail.

SIGSEGV · #**283** Posted **Sep 9, 2018, 10:11 PM**

New theory: US transit ridership is low because people prefer not to be bothered by the externalities of not bothering to provide mental healthcare to everyone.

chris08876 · #**284** Posted **Sep 10, 2018, 12:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

New theory: US transit ridership is low because people prefer not to be bothered by the externalities of not bothering to provide mental healthcare to everyone.

US transit is also underwhelming. After being on French and Spanish trains, going back to Amtrak or NJ Transit is degrading. Japanese trains are also vastly superior. They are faster, cleaner, more efficient.

Funding and ridership aside, the current transit we do have is 3rd rate compared to the competition abroad.

333609543 · #**285** Posted **Sep 10, 2018, 12:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrownTown

Sure is easy to feel confident in your opinions when you don't even want to listen to evidence.

This isn't even unusual, it's pretty typical of my experiences all over the country.

That's an anecdote, not evidence

SIGSEGV · #**286** Posted **Sep 10, 2018, 2:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrownTown

Sure is easy to feel confident in your opinions when you don't even want to listen to evidence.

This isn't even unusual, it's pretty typical of my experiences all over the country.

I'm glad you took transit several times in your life. Some of us use transit every day (I haven't owned a car in 8 years) and while there are sometimes people asking for money (just like there are on the street or at highway overpasses), and sometimes there are people you'd rather not associate with, it's far from the everyday experience (at least in places where transit is viable). I am not familiar with Denver transit at all though (I've taken the train from DIA to Union Station once...), so maybe that's particularly bad.

jtown,man · #**287** Posted **Sep 10, 2018, 2:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JManc

I do. It also depends on where you're taking mass transit. I just got back from Paris and I had no issues or WTF moments riding their Metro for a week; it's heavily used by average Parisians as it is the main source of transport where as here in Houston, most drive so you're more apt to have run-ins or contact with vagrants and skeevatz if you take the rail.

Really? In Paris I saw so many kids walking around obviously up to no good.

I've seen some shady stuff before in Chicago and DC, but nothing worth noting, even here on this thread. The safest I've been or felt ive been on transit has been in London and Tokyo. The most unsafe was in Paris. I know this is anecdotal, but it was my real experience. Of course my whole trip to Paris was a disaster...so I am in need to go back and give it a chance.

Edit* Dubai's metro was incredibly comfortable and safe feeling too.

10023 · #**288** Posted **Sep 10, 2018, 6:07 AM**

Paris is a big city with big city problems (like, when I was 13, I saw a guy on the stairs down to the metro that had OD’d and may or may not have been dead). It’s usually just fine though.

But that’s kind of a moot point. Neither NYC or Paris could exist without transit. The real choice is between driving and commuter rail, and I’ve never been on a commuter train anywhere in the world that featured any hint of danger.

And any system would improve with funding. In America they can’t keep people from jumping turnstiles, etc. The 24-hour subway is also part of the problem. London’s underground is clean and safe because it shuts down for several hours each night (aside from a few lines on weekends, recently). That gives them time to clean, and keeps the homeless away.

Retyui · #**289** Posted **Sep 10, 2018, 6:19 AM**

What car would you advise to buy to feel comfortable in a city traffic? I thought about buying renault captur but don`t know if it`s really good and what are the advantages of this model? Are there guys here familiar with what it feels like to drive in this car when you are a part of a city traffic?

sopas ej · #**290** Posted **Sep 13, 2018, 4:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eightball

safety on transit is a real issue, especially for women
https://www.presstelegram.com/2017/0...st-commentary/

You are absolutely right.

Just recently, my partner's female friend mentioned to him how her 12 year-old daughter, who rides the Metro Gold Line, was harassed. Some guy just went up to her and asked her stuff like "What school do you go to?" and "Which station do you get out at?" She politely excused herself and changed seats, and then the guy started getting snarky with her. What grown man starts talking to a 12 year-old he doesn't even know? Of course my partner's friend was pissed off and freaking out, especially because of the recent Mollie Tibbetts murder.

My partner suggested that her daughter should try to ride in the first car, near the driver, and that she should always report any harassment. There are the emergency call buttons and phone numbers. LA Metro has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment; they always make that recorded comment about it on the trains and even at the stations. Even lewd gestures should be reported if it makes someone uncomfortable. Metro has a 24/7 sexual harassment hotline.

https://thesource.metro.net/2017/01/...-metro-system/

JManc · #**291** Posted **Sep 13, 2018, 4:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtown,man

Really? In Paris I saw so many kids walking around obviously up to no good.

I've seen some shady stuff before in Chicago and DC, but nothing worth noting, even here on this thread. The safest I've been or felt ive been on transit has been in London and Tokyo. The most unsafe was in Paris. I know this is anecdotal, but it was my real experience. Of course my whole trip to Paris was a disaster...so I am in need to go back and give it a chance.

Edit* Dubai's metro was incredibly comfortable and safe feeling too.

Are there shady people? Sure. But the average "Jacques" riding the Metro outnumber the shady characters 100:1 because that's the main mode of transport over there where as Houston, not so much so the shady folks are much more visible and a turn off for the few folks who do take the Metro here.

jtown,man · #**292** Posted **Sep 13, 2018, 10:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JManc

Are there shady people? Sure. But the average "Jacques" riding the Metro outnumber the shady characters 100:1 because that's the main mode of transport over there where as Houston, not so much so the shady folks are much more visible and a turn off for the few folks who do take the Metro here.

Absolutely. I will say I rode the subway to my hotel and then the next day, only.

The first day I had tons of luggage on me and other stuff in all types of pockets(had my crap and my gfs crap on me), so I might have been a little more cautious and vigilent than usual. The next day our train stopped for no apparent reason for almost 45 minutes.

Then we are walking to our hotel near La Defense and a police officer tells us this area isn't safe. So yeah, we took a cab to the airport when we headed out.

My experience was bias towards the bad, I will end up going again to better gauge it(and stay in a nicer part of town

).

BrownTown · #**293** Posted **Sep 13, 2018, 11:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JManc

Are there shady people? Sure. But the average "Jacques" riding the Metro outnumber the shady characters 100:1 because that's the main mode of transport over there where as Houston, not so much so the shady folks are much more visible and a turn off for the few folks who do take the Metro here.

In my experience shady people are vastly more likely to be on the bus than on the rail system. Not talking about Paris, just generically.

333609543 · #**294** Posted **Sep 15, 2018, 1:27 AM**

Did GM really kill the streetcar in Los Angeles?
If someone could embed the video for me, it would be greatly appreciated.

Busy Bee · #**295** Posted **Sep 15, 2018, 3:49 PM**

Quote:

What grown man starts talking to a 12 year-old he doesn't even know?

Point taken but also kind of sad that in the past perhaps this would have just been considered being friendly to a child.

Busy Bee · #**296** Posted **Sep 15, 2018, 3:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtown,man

Absolutely. I will say I rode the subway to my hotel and then the next day, only.

The first day I had tons of luggage on me and other stuff in all types of pockets(had my crap and my gfs crap on me), so I might have been a little more cautious and vigilent than usual. The next day our train stopped for no apparent reason for almost 45 minutes.

Then we are walking to our hotel near La Defense and a police officer tells us this area isn't safe. So yeah, we took a cab to the airport when we headed out.

My experience was bias towards the bad, I will end up going again to better gauge it(and stay in a nicer part of town

).

You must look like Clark Griswold (fish out of water). Either that or the copper was just trying to mess with you (which I can totally see a French officer doing)