We have a giant country and a dispersed population. There are really only about five American cities that can support rapid transit. No one's fault, just the way it is.

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Europe's population density enables their train system to be economically viable. I may be wrong but I think they're heavily subsidized anyways.

Yeah the population argument is a good one. We subsidize as well but probably not to that level. Sure would be nice to have anyway.

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Elections have consequences.

Even those systems are pretty bad too. They can be average in big cities if you stay within the areas people want to be. I live near the most important city in the United States, and I can drive into the city at least an hour quicker than I can take a train in. In many cases, it's closer to 2 hours saved. Now once I'm there, it's a good way to get around Manhattan but it is bad otherwise. When I was living in the Chicago suburbs, I couldn't even use the train to go into the city at night because the train stopped running at around midnight.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Well, despite their enormous riderships, I guess the NJT, Metro-North, and LIRR are all a big waste of everyone's time and money. It makes more sense to just drive.

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They have enormous ridership because there are times of the day in which traffic is so big that the 1.5 hour difference is neutralized. I don't think it's exactly a great system that it's better than driving at it's worst case scenario.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

When I was in London in November we took the Underground a lot of places....it was awesome, clean, fast, efficient, on time and available everywhere. It was leagues ahead of anything Chicago or whatever city has.

If you want to give your entire life to the reading of a book, The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro is a great story of how New York infrastructure as we know it came to be under car-loving, poor-hating Robert Moses. It's one of my favorite books.

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Is it conspiracy theory or fact that GM conspired to destroy the Los Angeles public transit system?

Additionally, if everyone drove in these metropolis', what kind of additional pressure is put on parking and overall street congestion? The fact some of us 99%ers choose to take public transport saves a precious parking spot for the 1%ers. May be worth the additional expense to subsidize public transport for that reason alone.

I believe GM had a part in tearing up the streetcars, yes.

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I actually wasn't able to listen to a lot of the Score last summer, but when I'd see references here to Boers and Bernstein spending too much time talking about CTE, I legitimately thought a large portion of the show had degenerated to complaining about public transportation

I'd rather they spend money on public art than buying train cars where everyone has to sit parallel to the windows.

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How enchanting.

What a waste of money.

Give Elmhurst Steve a few gallons of white paint and send his ass down the subway. Will be a lot cheaper and maybe somebody would "accidently" knock him onto the 3rd rail.

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It's a waste.

And for the record I in no way endorse the murder of Elmhurst Steve via an electrified train rail.

Well-trafficked public space ought to look good. The Jarvis station was a shithole before the renovation, for example. If you can make L stations as pleasant as can be under the circumstances, maybe more people will be inclined to use it. That doesn't necessarily mean public art, mind you, but even just some decent brightness and cleanliness. I never want to take the Metra Electric again after walking through a miasma of bum piss at 57th Street.

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I don't remember half the time if I'm hiding or I'm lost

The cta fanboy in me knows that the guy with the white shirt on is not on a CTA train.

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What about this one?

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I don't remember half the time if I'm hiding or I'm lost

I don't think Spiderman is either.

I think that is a CTA train that cleevage and beer lady is on.

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Fat Spider-Man is on a bus.

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Spiderman is on a bus. Not sure if it's a CTA bus.


Cleavage lady is on one of the new 5000 series that a lot of people hate. And yes, I would.

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I don't remember half the time if I'm hiding or I'm lost

Ric Flair has hit rock bottom.

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I like the new cars. It seems you can fit more people on during rush hour. I'm all for that.

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