A World Without Airplanes.

[Calvin19 0]

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You don't have to buy and develop a continuous air corridor between New York and California to fly an airplane there.

Not Yet...

[billvon 3,120]

>Not Yet...

True. Let's hope that airspace remains effectively socialistic.

[rhys 0]

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The one big financial reason is real estate. You don't have to buy and develop a continuous air corridor between New York and California to fly an airplane there.

And if yellowstone decided to blow its top...

...how much money would that cost your country.

i have flown over the united states before, there is a whole lot of empty space. if they 'can pull it off' in hevily populated areas in Europe, real estate prices in the USA are much less than elsewhere in the world.

You'll (the USA) spend a $trillion to destroy another country, how many times over could you have built a high speed rail network by now?

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[billvon 3,120]

>And if yellowstone decided to blow its top... ...how much money would that
>cost your country.

Quite a lot. Now just imagine how much money it would cost the US if the cross-country high speed rail lines were destroyed by the Mississippi flooding, or by an earthquake. We'd be shut down a lot longer than six days.

>You'll (the USA) spend a $trillion to destroy another country, how many
>times over could you have built a high speed rail network by now?

Several times. And everyone would still fly.

[rhys 0]

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Quite a lot. Now just imagine how much money it would cost the US if the cross-country high speed rail lines were destroyed by the Mississippi flooding, or by an earthquake. We'd be shut down a lot longer than six days.

Yes this is true, I suppose there is equal oportunity for a disaster to halt any public transportation system, I wouldn't think the mississippi would be a problem but earthquakes most defantely would.

I don't oppose aircraft obviously, I'll probably be buying one soon, but i don't think we should put all of our eggs in one basket. Having both would be the best option.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[rehmwa 2]

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>Now just imagine how much money it would cost the US if the cross-country high speed rail lines were destroyed by the Mississippi flooding, or by an earthquake.

or a volcano erupting

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[rhys 0]

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>Now just imagine how much money it would cost the US if the cross-country high speed rail lines were destroyed by the Mississippi flooding, or by an earthquake.

or a volcano erupting

If there was a rail network 1/50th of the size of the US air transport network, one volcano would be less devistating to rail transportation than it would be to aviation.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[billvon 3,120]

>If there was a rail network 1/50th of the size of the US air transport
>network, one volcano would be less devistating to rail transportation than
>it would be to aviation.

One volcano could take out a few tracks - and there are no alternative routes for trains. They can't just decide to go a bit more south.

[pirana 0]

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>If they'd just all charge what they need to as a base price and treat their
>workers with respect as well . . .

. . . then customers would get on Travelocity and buy tickets from the airline that doesn't do all those things, because they'd be $8 cheaper. 99% of the time that's all people care about.

I care about more than price. I do most all of my non-jumping flying out of an NWA hub (MSP), and used to gladly pay a small amount more to fly Delta instead. My direct experience is that Delta employees treated me much nicer, and the ones I know that worked for NWA almost all disliked their employer (wife used to be FA). I think it is bad karma to fly an airline that has such a disgruntled workforce.

My last bad experience with NWA was in 1987, and they have gotten none of my money ever since. I don't fly much anymore, but when I do it will be a dilemma since I'm not sure if the merger resulted in an NWA culture or a Delta culture.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[billvon 3,120]

>I care about more than price.

So do I, but I'm definitely in the minority.

[rhys 0]

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One volcano could take out a few tracks - and there are no alternative routes for trains. They can't just decide to go a bit more south.

Depends which way the wind blows I suppose, but a train could operare more safely in ash than an aircraft could.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[billvon 3,120]

>but a train could operare more safely in ash than an aircraft could.

And airplanes can fly over new lava and ejecta fields more easily than a train can plow through them.

All in all, if there is a major disaster between you and your destination, a plane is generally a better bet than a train. You can't easily destroy the "tracks" an airplane uses.

(Not to say that high speed trains don't work well - but I don't think that "they are better in times of crisis" is a good argument for them.)