Forget High Speed Rail. More Autobahns!

By Saturday November 13, 2010





60 Comments
  1. ? says:
    11/14/2010 at 8:43 am

    Rich,

    Um, satellites orbit around the earth, and GPS is based on satellite radio transmissions. GPS are the initials for Global Positioning System.

    Reply
  2. JoaoPT says:
    11/14/2010 at 8:52 am

    The problem with Dvorak’s wet dream about planes and Hi-speed trains, is that not every one of us drives a SuperSports car over Free state owned quality freeways…

    Here in Europe all the people are bickering about the TGV (french hi-speed, in use in france, spain,and some other places)because of the low-cost operators like easy jet and ryanair. Well, what people forget is that these flights are heavily subsidized by all the local turism, industry, and comerce chambers these comapanies make deals with.
    If they were to pay penny for penny the cost of the flight, the train would be cheaper.

    Reply
  3. Downer in a Pill says:
    11/14/2010 at 9:10 am

    Negative Nancys rock my world!

    Reply
  4. jobs says:
    11/14/2010 at 9:35 am

    The climate change folks would go nuts… well unless we can get a 200mph Pirus.

    Reply
  5. SimonSezz says:
    11/14/2010 at 10:26 am

    I think there is going to be a shift in the USA towards more public transportation. It’s already happening. Generation Y is the first generation that does not see a need to own a car and prefers to take public transportation or rent a car. Amtrak is getting record ridership for the past four years (28.7 million people last year) and the bus companies are booming.

    Reply
  6. chuck says:
    11/14/2010 at 11:59 am

    #1 – I’ve been to China a few times. Once you’re in the country, plane travel is remarkably cheap (cheap for westerners, not for locals). You can fly Beijing to Shanghai for $99, sometimes cheaper.

    In comparison, they have a high-speed mag-lev train that runs from one of the Shanghai airports to downtown Shanghai. It’s very fast, but most people don’t use it. I think a ticket costs around $100 (per person), and you can get a taxi from the airport for less.

    Reply
  7. sargasso_c says:
    11/14/2010 at 3:40 pm

    A very special car. Special wheels, tires, brakes, fuel, shocks, steering and alignment. You definitely do not want to try this in a rental Ford Fiesta.

    Reply
  8. chris says:
    11/14/2010 at 5:33 pm

    #38

    “Flashing lights on the Autobahn is illegal.”

    No, I don’t think it is actually. That’s what they told me to do in the car rental office. I also looked online to make sure, but didn’t see anything confirming that it was illegal. It is supposed to be considered rude, but I don’t care about that.

    “Driving fast is actually no fun.”

    I would also disagree with that. Cool cars are just about the best form of art ever invented. Maybe you have never had nice cars…

    “The driver has to consentrate 100% of the time”

    The driver better be concentrating 100% all the time at all speeds. Stupid kills better than speed.

    “You also have less control at high speed; the pilot takes on the role of guiding the car, rather than hamfistedly ‘driving’ it.”

    Also disagree. Cars respond differently to speed, rain, snow, uneven roads. Some cars feel better at speed and floaty while slow. Depends on the car.

    “Only a douch would suggest unlimited speeds have a place in America.”

    You should at least learn to spell your insults properly. Oh, and I disagree with that point too.

    If you travel outside of the US you might notice a distinct lack of overbearing warning signs and safety fencing. This says more about us than them. I think the intense safety focus is ultimately destructive, because behavior tends to get more dangerous in response to safety innovations.

    Reply
  9. SimonSezz says:
    11/14/2010 at 7:47 pm

    #48, have you been to Europe? They have a TON of signs on the roads about “speed = death” or “15 people have died at this turn”. I travel overseas a lot for my job and when I was in Germany just last month they had these signs. Maybe if you’ve been to Europe you didn’t notice the signs because they’re not in English (I speak/read German, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Czech, and English so it’s easy for me to read most signs in those countries). The point is they have a lot more concern for safety than in most of the USA. Sure if you travel to Mexico they don’t have much for safety, but half of Mexico is akin to a third-world country.

    One thing about Europe that is fast growing trend is they have speed cameras on the highways. If you go over the speed limit by some amount then they just send you a ticket in the mail. In Poland, if you don’t pay it then they add it to your taxes at the end of the year.

    Reply
  10. chris says:
    11/14/2010 at 10:02 pm

    #49

    I wasn’t speaking of Europe in general. Germany is one of the most permissive places in the western world. Some public interest signs on the road aren’t enough to convince me otherwise.

    The speed cameras are everywhere. It is a blight.

    Reply
  11. Dee says:
    11/14/2010 at 11:32 pm

    First of all this particular stretch of the autobahn is usually FULL. And the only time one can go that fast would be Sunday mornings at 6. There are not many stretches of the autobahns that allow you to go that fast. And where it would be allowed there is too much traffic.

    And #22…the tickets are the same for everybody. The only time when the courts make a difference is when you lose your license and you have to pay a fine on top…that fine is determined by your monthly income.

    But one thing I agree with. The german autobahns are usually kept in good condition. We pay enough taxes for that too. You guys complain about your gas prices??? We pay app 2 dollars for one liter of gas…about 70% of that is taxes. And we pay a yearly tax on having a car, determined by the size of the engine. So our streets better are in good condition!!!

    Reply
  12. JimD says:
    11/15/2010 at 4:57 am

    Still BURNING GAS AND MAKING CO2 !!! We need Inter-City Mag Lev Trains and ELECTRIC AUTOS !!!

    Reply
  13. Rich says:
    11/15/2010 at 11:18 am

    “? said, Um, satellites orbit around the earth, and GPS is based on satellite radio transmissions. GPS are the initials for Global Positioning System.”

    I know- but I thought they were geosynchronous satellites, thus requiring multiple sets of satellites, one for each area of coverage?

    Reply
  14. Rich says:
    11/15/2010 at 11:20 am

    “Only a douch would suggest unlimited speeds have a place in America.” The correct term is now “doutch”. Update your personal dictionaries.

    Reply
  15. smartalix says:
    11/15/2010 at 12:45 pm

    Why are we the only industrialized nation that can’t make high-speed passenger rail work?

    Or why can’t we build and maintain roads of a quality that would allow this kind of driving at any time of the day?

    Reply
  16. gschwein says:
    11/15/2010 at 1:13 pm

    I drive the autobahn several times per year and have accumulated 10s of thousands of miles. Three things are required to drive at those speeds:
    1) Skilled and serious drivers – we don’t have them here.
    2) Perfect roads – here in VB, VA the potholes will knock your fillings out.
    3) High quality car – imagine doing 140mph in a Taurus….yikes.

    Reply
  17. Floyd says:
    11/15/2010 at 8:24 pm

    #55: Amtrak is the only passenger line in the US other than the line from DC to Florida, and a few tourist trains. Amtrak exists today only because there’s a government subsidy.

    Reply
  18. smartalix says:
    11/16/2010 at 5:34 am

    57,

    My point exactly. Why does Amtrak suck so bad, and it ain’t because it’s government “supported”. Why do our roads suck so bad, if we are so f*cking superior?

    Reply
  19. Cap'nKangaroo says:
    11/16/2010 at 10:37 am

    #53. I believe GPS satellites are low earth orbit, as opposed to geosynchronous communication satellites which are high orbits. There are a large number of GPS says in orbit so if you have a clear view of the sky, at least 4 should always be in range.

    Remember, the US military designed the GPS system to support the military needs worldwide.

    Reply
  20. Rick Cain says:
    11/27/2010 at 2:06 pm

    That would be cool if my Chevy Cavalier could go 153mph. The front wheels start lifting off the ground at 90mph.

    Reply

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