Posted by Underdog on Sat Sep 10th at 11:26pm 2005
Underdog
member
1018 posts
102 snarkmarks
Registered: Dec 12th 2004
Location: United States

Occupation: Sales-Construction
Posted by $loth on Sun Sep 11th at 12:29am 2005
Yea, but our trains suck.
$loth
member
2256 posts
286 snarkmarks
Registered: Feb 27th 2004
Location: South England

Occupation: Student
Posted by wil5on on Sun Sep 11th at 2:16am 2005
wil5on
member
1733 posts
323 snarkmarks
Registered: Dec 12th 2003
Location: Adelaide

Occupation: Mapper
- My yr11 Economics teacher
Posted by jake on Sun Sep 11th at 2:23am 2005
Far too sensible.
Posted by Crono on Sun Sep 11th at 2:23am 2005
The only reason not to use public transportation is that it's MORE EXPENSIVE and slower.
Posted by wil5on on Sun Sep 11th at 2:26am 2005
In what way is it more expensive, unless youre driving a hybrid car or something?
Also, public transport can be much faster. In Adelaide theres a bus track, its like a train track made of concrete that buses go on. Instead of driving through traffic, you get a constant 100km/hr between stations. I can get to the city in 20 minutes on that, as opposed to 45 or so by car.
wil5on
member
1733 posts
323 snarkmarks
Registered: Dec 12th 2003
Location: Adelaide

Occupation: Mapper
- My yr11 Economics teacher
Posted by Nickelplate on Sun Sep 11th at 2:38am 2005
Yea, but our trains suck.
Yeah, I know, But these would be new an thus wouldn't suck until later.
Nickelplate
member
2770 posts
327 snarkmarks
Registered: Nov 23rd 2004
Location: US

Occupation: Prince of Pleasure
http://www.dimebowl.com
Posted by Dr Brasso on Sun Sep 11th at 2:50am 2005
yeah, itll take at least 2 weeks before they need new paint and upholstery...
*****runs
Doc B...
Dr Brasso
member
1878 posts
198 snarkmarks
Registered: Aug 30th 2003
Location: Omaha,NE

Occupation: cad drafter
Posted by Cash Car Star on Sun Sep 11th at 6:52am 2005
Cash Car Star
member
1260 posts
301 snarkmarks
Registered: Apr 7th 2002
Location: Connecticut (sigh)
Occupation: post-student
Posted by Crono on Sun Sep 11th at 9:56am 2005
I'll give some incite, I'm sure Tracer could add as well.
(All the prices are as of a year, or so, ago. Recently prices changed, but they were this way for several years)
Here, it takes me about 15 minutes, 30 minutes in traffic, to get to downtown Portland. Not too bad. Taking the Max (which is what they dubbed the light rail system here) takes AT LEAST 45 minutes. Not to mention, it drops off about 10 block away from where I need to be. That amount of time that it takes to walk to where I need to be is about the same amount of time it would take me to find a spot.
When I drive down, it usually takes about 15 minutes, I never really have classes during traffic heavy times, and it takes anywhere from 1 minute to 20 minutes to find a spot, that's pretty much a variable, but, if I leave at the time I usually leave, I get one in about 5 minutes, at the most.
The spot only costs 60 cents an hour, compared to other spots which are a dollar an hour.
The max costs $1.75, and the ticket only lasts about an hour. So a round trip would cost $3.50. Parking for the same class would only be $1.20 (two hour class). Now, my car gets roughly 220 Miles on 10 gallons (which is awful, should be better now, had to replace the fuel pump and got the injectors cleaned, properly), at the time, gas was about $1.98/Gallon (about a year ago), so, taking that I have 12 gallon tank (fuel light comes on when 2 gallons are left), that means, if I fill up 10 gallons, that'd cost: $19.80, divide that by 220 = $0.09 / mile. Trip to school, and back, is 30 miles: $2.70, add parking: $3.90.
So, honestly, I'd rather pay 40 extra cents to be to school 15 to 30 minutes faster and not have to run to my class carrying s**t.
Not to mention, at the transit center, sunset, You have to pay to park! Not that I'd go there, but it's retarded.
I also didn't count the gas it would take to drive to the "park n' ride" stations. Not to mention, if they're full you have to go to another one, which is an immense pain in the ass.
Anyway, NOW, it doesn't matter, since they raised all parking prices to $1.25 an hour :
They raised the price of Max though too. But, for a long day, I'd take the train anyway.
But, I don't think it'd be good to assume that if you took public transportation you wouldn't have a vehicle.
Posted by wil5on on Sun Sep 11th at 10:05am 2005
The system has a lot of room for improvement then, I can see why you dont use it.
wil5on
member
1733 posts
323 snarkmarks
Registered: Dec 12th 2003
Location: Adelaide

Occupation: Mapper
- My yr11 Economics teacher
Posted by Crono on Sun Sep 11th at 10:18am 2005
When the time you'd want to take the train, when it gets icy and dangerous to drive, the damn thing isn't available.
The old transportation adviser ... or whoever ... didn't want to alleviate traffic problems, because he wanted people to use the light-rail more ... to think, if they just made an express line from Hillsboro to Sunset to Portland and back the same way, tons of people would pack on. Lowering the price to pocket change would be good too. Also ... if the train went over 35 - 40 miles an hour, that'd be good too. (They can safely go up to about 60, I think)
They don't plan on improving it, I'm sure. They're just putting up more tracks in obscure areas.
The only thing I'll give it, is there's a line that goes all the way up to the airport (PDX), which, is pretty nice, since you wouldn't want to catch a cab or something like that, that'd easily cost well over $100. Same with parking your car at the airport.
So, that's good, but for other intensive purposes ... it sucks.
Posted by $loth on Sun Sep 11th at 5:00pm 2005
It costs about 93pence (about $1.7) here for a litre of petrol (around my area it does, differs in different areas).
$loth
member
2256 posts
286 snarkmarks
Registered: Feb 27th 2004
Location: South England

Occupation: Student
Posted by Addicted to Morphine on Sun Sep 11th at 7:06pm 2005
It costs about 93pence (about $1.7) here for a litre of petrol (around my area it does, differs in different areas).
1 US gallon = 3.7854118 liters
Posted by Nickelplate on Sun Sep 11th at 8:23pm 2005
When i was in England and we used the train, We walked to the station, we didn't drive. I think it would be healthier for everyone if they stopped driving and started walking more places. Less pollution and more excercise, then maybe those bastards in Europe wouldn't be saying things like:
All americans are fat and all europeans are sexy. lollerz.
Nickelplate
member
2770 posts
327 snarkmarks
Registered: Nov 23rd 2004
Location: US

Occupation: Prince of Pleasure
http://www.dimebowl.com
Posted by Crono on Sun Sep 11th at 10:11pm 2005
But, if they were closer, man, that'd be great. Cheaper transportation, no dealing with traffic. Hey, I'm all for it, but the current system sucks smelly goat ass.
The thing that really pisses me off though ... is they had an entire trolley system in Portland, about 100 years ago, around, the 30s I think, they ripped it all out since most everyone owned a car, "Why would we ever need trolleys again?" they questioned. Bad move. Come to think of it, they got rid of the subway system too. Idiots.
But, I'm mostly bitching, sorry. It's just most train systems here are poorly designed. It'd be nice if we had bullet trains. A lot of people work in the city, so, you'd think they'd have it as an express way.
Even with a student discount, a term pass still costs around $60. Which, if you're a student, you really don't have $60 to cough up all at once. I'll never understand where companies get the idea that college students have tons of cash ... high schoolers are the ones with the cash!
Posted by Gaara on Mon Sep 12th at 7:51am 2005
Here in Australia the drinking and driving age is 18. We also have drive thru pubs. Does anyone see a problem with this?
Gaara
member
219 posts
22 snarkmarks
Registered: Aug 12th 2005
Location: Australia

Occupation: Freelance Gynacologist
Snarkpit v6.1.0 created this page in 0.0167 seconds.

