The Bus

[Pedata]

Public mass transportation.

I think we need it everywhere. It's possible but involves convincing the huge auto industry.

Can they not make buses instead of so many cars? Cars are so expensive to have, yet we have to have them to get places.

I'm probably just having a pipe dream :) here but the auto industry could still make money if they made buses and we all paid a little bit to ride them.

I saw the bus system, in the city I lived in, cut out parts of it's routes because of lack of enough riders.

If more people rode buses they'd make money.

It would be so beneficial for everyone. Older people who don't drive anymore, kids, blind people.

Someone want to start a movement? I'm too old to march in protests, but I can work behind the scenes, lol.

Pondering...
Cassandra

[PEACE FROG]

It's way do-able. People are just spoiled. I think New York has a very successful public transportation system. How about Japan? What if in addition to cutting back on personal transportation we encouraged better community planning. So that people would have their needs met closer to home. How about the places where people ride bicycles as a primary source of transportation? I'm sure with the drop in "SLUG LIFESTYLE" related illnesses and all that fresh air we would have to breathe we would'nt know how to act. And now lets not get started on the effect it might have on global warming...........thats a rant for later.....GOOD TOPIC !!!!

[Pedata]

Bikes would be cool. That would mean decent bike lanes on the roads.

I'm out in the country. If there was a bus system it would mean that people would not get trapped and unable to go to work.

I think the stores and all would get more business because we wouldn't have to spend what we do on cars.

Buses are nice, also. You get to see and meet so many people. Of course you can't take more than you can carry.

But we are dealing with the giant auto industry. Any ideas on how to convince them? And the government?

When the bus system in my old city cut it's routes, there were a few women I knew that had to find jobs elsewhere. The buses no longer ran to thier towns. Little towns don't have a bunch of jobs available. It was sad because they were poor women, getting by, and in no way could afford vehicles. So they just got poorer.

Ed, good point about people being spoiled. Yeah, everyone wants thier own special type of car, the vanity plates, the fuzzy dice, the whatever that costs more money. It's a real mindset.
We must brainstorm....

Peace,
Cassandra

[nappydread]

yep!
I agree that public transportation is the way to go:)...and I also love mass bicycle transit. I wish more urban folk would use bicycles:D Ofcoarse, if we're talkin pipe dreams...i've always liked jet packs, but that still doesn't solve the gasoline (or high-grade jet fuel!!!) problem.

The ruf (rapid urban transport) concept seems to be catching on in some parts of the world...here is a link:
http://www.ruf.dk/

Summary:
It is a monorail network that is incorporated into the public transport system. It uses magnetic guidance to move cars. The cars (electric motor, wheels and a battery) drive around regular streets on electric power, then use the monorail system to recharge the battery. While on the monorail system the cars can reach a max speed of 90m/h.
They are now building a small test track in Copenhagen, Denmark.
I heard about it from this show:
http://www.exn.ca/dailyplanet/view.asp?date=1/27/2005
the video special is called: "Jetting with the Jetsons".

peace

[delta9]

Europe has great public transportation. No public transportation in the US can hold a candle to it. Oh how I miss it! A lot of people walk and ride bikes in Europe, as well as use the public transportation - most especially because gas is so expensive and public transportation is so cheap.

Missing quality mass public transportation,
delta9

[Darkness]

yep!
I agree that public transportation is the way to go:)...and I also love mass bicycle transit. I wish more urban folk would use bicycles:D Ofcoarse, if we're talkin pipe dreams...i've always liked jet packs, but that still doesn't solve the gasoline (or high-grade jet fuel!!!) problem.

jet pecks aren't technically jet packs, and use no gasoline or jet fuel
they use a mix of chemicals to produce a highly preassurized gaseous propulstion system. Last I heard there were two in existance, but only one functioned and is maintained by Bell labs. The price tag on a single flight is staggering.

[toman]

One of the biggest problems of mass transit is the mixing of cultures that occurs. That, and the social stigma put on ordinary people who use it, cause everyday people who may be conservative and not very adventuresome, or even scared, to not use it. I don't drive these days, and I can say even as a healthy, open minded male I'll do most anything to avoid using mass transit, which usually ends in my walking or bicycling many miles. The problem I have with buses and trains aside from the fact that by their nature they're filthy is the people who ride them. A very large percentage (possible a majority) are either dirty, crazy, overly social, obnoxious, dangerous, or all of the above. Almost every time I've had to use public transportation in this city it has been a very unpleasant experience. I can't even imagine how abhorent it must be to people who aren't as open minded and accepting as I, and even though I think there are far more cars on the road than need be, I really can't blame people for wanting to go about their business in a nice, comfortable, private car where they are far less likely to catch a cold, be late for an appointment, or be assaulted by some crazy motherfucker who just chugged a 40 of old E and took a dump in his seat because it's warmer than a manhole cover.

[RockyJay]

I admit I have my own vehicles and I love them, but I use public transportation when neccessary. I agree with what toman said.

Speaking of public transportation, here are a few in the Philippines that I have ridden and enjoyed.

The pedicab.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/___/PTIP/328379c7.jpg

The tricycle.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/___/PTIP/cbbe7a55.jpg

The kalesa.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/___/PTIP/29cc6b5b.jpg

The jeep.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/___/PTIP/d334bca5.bmp

[toman]

^^^ Very cool!

[nappydread]

jet pecks aren't technically jet packs, and use no gasoline or jet fuel
they use a mix of chemicals to produce a highly preassurized gaseous propulstion system. Last I heard there were two in existance, but only one functioned and is maintained by Bell labs. The price tag on a single flight is staggering.

ya...i was dreaming more along the lines of the propeller-powered ones (SoloTrek Exo-Skeletor Flying Vehicle (XFV))...which are the price of a high-performance sports car and use the same gas....as opposed to the rocket-propelled ones which as you say run on hydrogen/nitrogen mixtures....these are far too expensive and very inefficient to operate:)

hey jay...that tricycle is awesome!!!:bandit:
...gotta get me one!

peace

[PEACE FROG]

Bikes would be cool. That would mean decent bike lanes on the roads.

I'm out in the country. If there was a bus system it would mean that people would not get trapped and unable to go to work.

I think the stores and all would get more business because we wouldn't have to spend what we do on cars.

Buses are nice, also. You get to see and meet so many people. Of course you can't take more than you can carry.

But we are dealing with the giant auto industry. Any ideas on how to convince them? And the government?

When the bus system in my old city cut it's routes, there were a few women I knew that had to find jobs elsewhere. The buses no longer ran to thier towns. Little towns don't have a bunch of jobs available. It was sad because they were poor women, getting by, and in no way could afford vehicles. So they just got poorer.

Ed, good point about people being spoiled. Yeah, everyone wants thier own special type of car, the vanity plates, the fuzzy dice, the whatever that costs more money. It's a real mindset.
We must brainstorm....

Peace,
Cassandra That might be a set back caused by the way our "profit driven" system operates. However if communities were planed better, to be sustainable, rather than unplanned urban sprawl. Your employment would be localized. The way it is now, I think, things end up where they do in the order of farmers "GIVING UP" and selling out to greedy, facist developers. If you don't see it don't worry, "COMMING SOON TO A PICTURESQUE LANDSCAPE NEAR YOU".

[NeverNeverLand:)]

I liked buses,the lunatic asylums on wheels :)
It´s possible to go with buses and subway if there´s not so many people iném but to do like the tokyosubway where they have people pushing people inside the subwaycars is for me unthinkable.
If u´r not used to go by subway in a city when it´s crowded it´s definitly a new experiance,not so nice :)
Where to look?
Bad smell?
Beggers?
And weekends a lot of drunk youngsters that wants to fight or making a lot of noice.

But if u want to use buses at the countryside where there wount be any passagers an not economical it´s not a good idea but from suburbs to cities it is a good one.

[SlowerThenb4]

Im convinced that no matter how hard we try as a group of educted people the mission of getting people to sacrifice luxury will never play to a big enough minority to really make any strides. Were all familiar of the wasteful patterns of westerners

[Pedata]

Im convinced that no matter how hard we try as a group of educted people the mission of getting people to sacrifice luxury will never play to a big enough minority to really make any strides. Were all familiar of the wasteful patterns of westerners

That is true.

I used to live in a tiny village in England. Population about 100 people. We were miles from nowhere, but still, the buses came from the city on a regular schedule so that people could get to the bigger and bigger towns. Of course the incredibly high taxes helped pay for it, and other programs for people. Hardly anyone in our village had a car. What cars there were was tiny little things. Of course hardly anyone had cars because the taxes on them were almost the price of the car itself.

There was a joke there. When you buy a car you also buy one for the government.

One thing about america. Our taxes aren't squat compared to other places. But if you have bad luck you're on your own. There's very little help.

Still just rambling....still tired.

Peace,
Cassandra

[freakyfairy]

i try to encourage people to use public transport as much as possible...or at least to share rides so as to reduce the number of cars used, but the problem is, public transport is so expensive over here....to go into town and back it costs me £7 on the bus... isn't that like nearly 14 dollars? which to some people may not seem alot, but that's £49 a week!!!!

[gill066]

Buses have proven themselves to be great means of transportation time and time again. For example, the Furthur Bus, with Neal Cassady and the pranksters was one of the coolest concepts ever.

[Unkle_John]

Here's something interesting that i came across some time ago.

I'm a train fan, I have since I was a kid, and I wish that today passenger train service was still widely used (heck especially with gas so high). I grew up in the southern Dallas/ Ft. worth Region. There used to be a company called the "Texas Electric Traction Company" AKA Interurbans, AKA Trollies.
Well they used to have a line run past my grandparents place and a block over from a house I just sold. Have I ever ridden it? Nope. It was disbanded right after World War 2 (electric boogaloo). Who and why did they do that? BF Goodrich himself. He bought the trains and tracks and dismantled them so his stocks would go up in the rubber industry. Forcing people to buy an automobile. BS if you ask me. The lines stayed operational but only for frieght untill the late 1980's when the MKT was bought out.
since them they have pulled the tracks and sold the lands for mobile homes and ranch land. The same happened here in west texas (where I currently live), there was a short line that went into the hub and it was failing in age and costs. Two smart guys wanted to buy the right of way and get the tracks fixed so that people out here in the REAL county could ride in to the city instead of driving (unless they had to haul seed or livestock). Pretty much like a "light rail" system like Dallas' DART. I love the DART. Unfortunately they failed and the track was pulled for farmers, ranchers, and new homes.

In my opinion, riding the rails is the best form of travel.

[gill066]

I definitely agree with Unkle... as long as the train's electric. Actually, no, I favor just about any train over private automobiles... especially SUVs... :bawl: Anybody here seen Festival Express? That whole concept is so cool... too bad nobody does stuff like that these days...

[toman]

There's a pretty good reason people don't do things like that these days, and it's the same reason they didn't back then either. That festival lost massive amounts of money, got a lot of people hurt, and caused a considerable amount of tension between government, law enforcement, and the entertainment promotion industry. I'm not saying it wasn't a cool idea, but in almost every aspect it was a complete failure.

[gill066]

The festival was never meant to make a lot of money. I'm talking about the concept of free (or near free) concerts to see legendary bands. I'm a socialist, so the concept really appealed to me. As for the violence, screw the kids who bust in cops heads back then. Additionally, screw the cops who bust in kids heads. Violence sucks, and I'm with you on that point. As for tension, tension is the only thing that can bring around change. Sure, change can be bad in some cases, but if it weren't for tension, nobody but white catholic males would have suffrage rights. If it weren't for tension, America would be a colony of England still (though with our current executive branch, that doesn't seem so bad right now :) ).

The Festival Express combined the themes of Woodstock and Jack Kerouac's On The Road... a westward movement of music and motion. Although I do admit, the negative tension was a flaw of the tour. And with the alleged vitality of gun culture in today's society, and the fact that it is almost impossible to escape violence these days, it would be nearly impossible to have a peaceful concert across a country in todays society... I only wish it were different.

[toman]

First issue: Nobody promotes a concert or festival without the prospect of making money, or at the very least not losing money. Festival express may not have been intended to make a fortune, I don't know the exact details, but I do know it was supposed to make a profit on top of covering the enormous expense of mounting such an operation. They ended up losing massive amounts of money.

Second issue: You're right about tension creating change. But tension is not going to make business people suddely want to spend all their money to give counter culture kids free rock concerts. And I don't know where that little jab at 'gun culture' came from, but it's exactly that kind of thinking that is causing American citizens to loose our civil liberties every day. As an enthusiast of freedom, self defense, and *gasp* firearms, I'm tired of people using the gun as a scapegoat for violence in negative situations created primarily by a backfiring system of government and a skewed sense of public perception toward social and political issues.

[Unkle_John]

Not to get this topic off subject or highjack it.... i totally agree with Toman.