Stupid Amtrak Tricks

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

One note for anyone considering this trip: the train is nice and comfortable, the food is good, and the people were (by and large) very polite. However, the train is showing it's age, so don't expect pristine.

Thats nice to know. Didn't realize that it had a reputation for being late. I was looking at the various on line schedules that they have, and was trying to get one that connect to Vancover, so we could get on the Trans Canadian rail for a trip across Canada, but found out that it stops, and you have to take a buss across the border into Canada. (darn!!)

[felinefan]

You mean they fixed the southern route from L.A. to Orlando via New Orleans, yet on the Amtrak site it still says the trackage between N.O. and Orlando is out from Katrina???? What gives?

As for the lettuce truck, yeah, chances are that jerk lost his job. For those of you who are interested, there's a website for Operation Lifesaver, http://www.oli.org , and frankly I think if they have all these PSAs, they should show them more--I haven't seen any train safety PSAs on T.V. in ages. People have to be reminded about safety. I thought it was interesting on the site that they have the stats on deaths, incidents (not "accidents',) trespassing deaths, etc. broken down by state, that except in two areas, Texas has the highest incidence of train vs. vehicle/pedestrian incidents. California ranks third in all but two; on one, it ranks second, the other first.

I agree, America's train system needs work, and they have to quit whining about how much it's going to cost. Everything costs money, peeps, get over it! I'm sure that those who protest the cost are afraid it'll mean less in their pockets from the porkbarrel.

[Big Wallaby]

One note for anyone considering this trip: the train is nice and comfortable, the food is good, and the people were (by and large) very polite. However, the train is showing it's age, so don't expect pristine.

When I took the Coast Starlight, I would always ditch my seat for the Sightseeing car, where I would spend the entire trip, unless I went to the back window to view the tracks appearing behind us.

[Rob562]

Always remember, when two objects try to occupy the same space at the same time, the one with higher mass will win. Truck and train, train wins. Truck and car, truck wins. Car and motorcycle, Car wins. And continue all the way down to ECV vs child. It makes no difference which object has the right-of-way. That only comes into effect AFTER the dispute is settled and the vultures...err lawyers have flocked. ;)

I seem to recall reading an Irma Bombeck book about her travels ("When You Look Like Your Passport Photo, It's Time to Go Home") that pretty much described the traffic laws in some country as pretty much following those laws of physics. If a car and a bicycle are coming opposite each other on a one-lane road, the bicycle has to disappear off the road, or be run down.

-Rob

[Randy B]

I seem to recall reading an Irma Bombeck book about her travels ("When You Look Like Your Passport Photo, It's Time to Go Home") that pretty much described the traffic laws in some country as pretty much following those laws of physics. If a car and a bicycle are coming opposite each other on a one-lane road, the bicycle has to disappear off the road, or be run down.

-Rob

I wish someone would teach the local college students around here the rules of physics. It's amazing how many of them believe that if they step into the road right infront of a moving vehicle the vehicle will magically stop before touching them. And with the prevalence of ipods and cell phones they are coming into conflict with larger and larger vehicles. A recent dispute for space time location between a pedestrian and a bus has been a mess of stupidity. The pedestrian was crossing the street in a no-crossing area, with music plugged into ears at a high volume, without looking, and when the bus couldn't stop in time the driver was the one obviously at fault. So now they are instituting all kinds of rules and regulations for busses so that inattentive and oblivious pedestrians won't be in danger from those mean old busses. Of course one solution that was quickly rejected was the elimination of busses in the core campus area. Those same oblivious students can not be bothered to walk more than 10 feet from a building to catch a bus to get the 4 blocks to their dorm or next class.

Randy

[hobie16]

I wish someone would teach the local college students around here the rules of physics. It's amazing how many of them believe that if they step into the road right in front of a moving vehicle the vehicle will magically stop before touching them.

Same thing on Front Street in Lahaina. The tourists seem to think the other tourists will slam to a stop when they stop the curb in the middle of the block. And, as the evening wears on, the drivers and the jay walkers are probably both drunk. Luckily for both sides, the traffic is so bad the vehicles aren't going faster than 10 mph.