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The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 9:53 am
by DaveInSeattle
because who would have thought the Department of Transportation would be such a hot topic?

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 9:59 am
by Brontoburglar
wow the topic got transported to another thread

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:05 am
by rass
Just like cross-thread traffic, so hard to get through to you

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:07 am
by brian
This is what will sink the Biden Administration.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:14 am
by DaveInSeattle
And...for the record...I think Mayor Pete will do a decent-to-good job at this gig, because he's the kind of ass-kissing/try-hard who will take it seriously and listen to the right people, and because he totally sees it as a stepping stone to something bigger/better.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 11:08 am
by Rex
TIGER grants baby!

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 11:11 am
by brian
You're all gonna feel pretty stupid when there's like 34 in-air collisions on Jan. 21.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 11:13 am
by P.D.X.
If only we had someone with a larger bus system experience to prevent it.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 11:16 am
by mister d
brian wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 11:11 am You're all gonna feel pretty stupid when there's like 34 in-air collisions on Jan. 21.
"Oh stop, its his first month on the job. Wait and see how many in-air collisions there are in Q2 before you start complaining."

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 11:46 am
by Ryan
There are 1,000 issues that Cabinet Departments handle where we need drastic change whether you think it will pass or not. Get better at messaging, hit the ground running and fucking do it. I want the Sec'y of Transportion, for example, to realize and care that this country would benefit greatly from an efficient high-speed rail network and that's not an initiative, then we don't get one. If you also care about that and don't think Pete Buttigieg's track record means this will happen, you are allowed to be skeptical. What the fuck.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 11:50 am
by The Sybian
Ryan wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 11:46 am There are 1,000 issues that Cabinet Departments handle where we need drastic change whether you think it will pass or not. Get better at messaging, hit the ground running and fucking do it. I want the Sec'y of Transportion, for example, to realize and care that this country would benefit greatly from an efficient high-speed rail network and that's not an initiative, then we don't get one. If you also care about that and don't think Pete Buttigieg's track record means this will happen, you are allowed to be skeptical. What the fuck.
I’d accept that as a legit complaint. Sec sets the agenda, and if his policy is different than you’d like to see, absolutely legit complaint. But saying he isn’t qualified is a completely different argument.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 11:54 am
by P.D.X.
If congress approves funding for national high speed rail and it doesn't happen because of Pete, yeah that would suck.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 12:29 pm
by HaulCitgo
473,800,000,000,000,000

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 12:36 pm
by sancarlos
We can't even get consensus on high speed rail in the most progressive state in the union. So...

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 1:25 pm
by Steve of phpBB
I’m one of the bigger train fans on here, and I don’t know if a big high-speed rail network is really that great of an idea. I don’t think it makes sense for the West except for a few specific routes. Things are just too far apart out here.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 1:35 pm
by DSafetyGuy

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 1:59 pm
by Giff
They've been talking about this for years here to connect Dallas and Houston.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 1:59 pm
by The Sybian
Steve of phpBB wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 1:25 pm I’m one of the bigger train fans on here, and I don’t know if a big high-speed rail network is really that great of an idea. I don’t think it makes sense for the West except for a few specific routes. Things are just too far apart out here.
That's probably true. I'm a fan of Amtrak Acela (as close to a high speed train as we have). If I'm going to Boston or Washington, it's a much better option than flying or driving. When you factor in security and boarding time, the travel time is about the same, but the train drops you off in the middle of the city, and Boston even gives you stops in the city to choose from. It's way more comfortable and convenient, especially when I lived walking distance to an Acela stop. That was the best. I wonder how much of an appetite there is for rail travel in the US. Americans are much more accustomed to driving everywhere in than Europeans and Asians. And even with a high speed train, cross country trips probably aren't going to be worth it, because flying is so much faster.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 3:06 pm
by Shirley
Yeah, high speed rail just really isn't a practical solution for a lot of the US. Out west, everything's too far apart. And in the east, unless you can reuse existing lines, it's just too expensive to put in. They've run a number of studies here in the Triangle (and spent a ton of money studying) and came up with a cost that was WAY out of proportion with the potential benefit.

I'd much rather see us put in major incentives to get to true automated driving and electric vehicles. Then, we could make MUCH more efficient use of the roads we already have.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 4:05 pm
by Nonlinear FC
The Sybian wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 1:59 pm
Steve of phpBB wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 1:25 pm I’m one of the bigger train fans on here, and I don’t know if a big high-speed rail network is really that great of an idea. I don’t think it makes sense for the West except for a few specific routes. Things are just too far apart out here.
That's probably true. I'm a fan of Amtrak Acela (as close to a high speed train as we have). If I'm going to Boston or Washington, it's a much better option than flying or driving. When you factor in security and boarding time, the travel time is about the same, but the train drops you off in the middle of the city, and Boston even gives you stops in the city to choose from. It's way more comfortable and convenient, especially when I lived walking distance to an Acela stop. That was the best. I wonder how much of an appetite there is for rail travel in the US. Americans are much more accustomed to driving everywhere in than Europeans and Asians. And even with a high speed train, cross country trips probably aren't going to be worth it, because flying is so much faster.

I used to have to travel from DC to NYC (and back, of course) for bidness about 4 times a year and I always took the train. Even if it wasn't Acela, I'd rather have taken the train (express version, which skipped multiple stops in Philly and a number of other stops.)

Like you said, once you factor in getting to/from the airport and security, it's almost a wash. And when you factor in the relative comfort/ability to do work, it's a no brainer.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 4:19 pm
by Ryan
Never casually include an example of anything in the Swamp.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 8:15 pm
by Johnnie
When I was 8 my family moved to California from Boston via Amtrak. Boston to Chicago. Chicago to LA. LA to Salinas. When we moved back to Boston, we did the same thing. As a kid, it was awesome as hell to me. Sure, it wasn't as fast as a plane, but that isn't the point.

As an adult living in Europe, getting to Paris in a few hours from Germany was also pretty awesome.

The fact that cities are far apart is precisely why you want a high speed rail to connect them. At least in my opinion. Sure it'll cost money, but so does everything. The problem people have is that it isn't an immediate dopamine hit that "fixes" anything. It would take a long time.

So do I get to be Secretary of Transportation yet?

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 9:28 pm
by duff
Sure! You have training in logistics with the air force. Served the country. I imagine you would do a fine job. Plus you would only report to one person, so no more insubordination from you!

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:06 pm
by TT2.0
i almost reposted the train joke i made in the other thread but I decided everyone but Chedda just politely ignored it. I was trying to see if it was good enough to try on stage and i'm leaning no. I appreciate you' guys involunatary participation in my makeshift focus group. You will not be compensated.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:20 pm
by Johnnie
TT2.0 wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:06 pm i almost reposted the train joke i made in the other thread but I decided everyone but Chedda just politely ignored it. I was trying to see if it was good enough to try on stage and i'm leaning no. I appreciate you' guys involunatary participation in my makeshift focus group. You will not be compensated.
I saw it and liked it. I was just preoccupied trying to argue a very specific point and getting chastised for being hysterical.

It was a nice alternate to the Rhodes Scholar ones.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:24 pm
by duff
TT2.0 wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:06 pm i almost reposted the train joke i made in the other thread but I decided everyone but Chedda just politely ignored it. I was trying to see if it was good enough to try on stage and i'm leaning no. I appreciate you' guys involunatary participation in my makeshift focus group. You will not be compensated.
It is a good one. You should try to incorporate it into your act.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:33 pm
by P.D.X.
Johnnie wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 8:15 pm The fact that cities are far apart is precisely why you want a high speed rail to connect them.
Word. It's still cultural hurdle though.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:34 pm
by EnochRoot
DSafetyGuy wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 1:35 pm
“You dare to rip the X-Man” is the line I remember most from that movie.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:47 pm
by mister d
Ignoring that I’m not even sure the train joke makes sense relative to Pete, it’s pretty simple. This is the 3rd place I’ve seen a variation of it.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 4:41 am
by TT2.0
mister d wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:47 pm Ignoring that I’m not even sure the train joke makes sense relative to Pete, it’s pretty simple. This is the 3rd place I’ve seen a variation of it.
That was also a question. I live in a bubble sometimes and get hit by parallel thoughts

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 7:45 am
by Steve of phpBB
duff wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:24 pm
TT2.0 wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:06 pm i almost reposted the train joke i made in the other thread but I decided everyone but Chedda just politely ignored it. I was trying to see if it was good enough to try on stage and i'm leaning no. I appreciate you' guys involunatary participation in my makeshift focus group. You will not be compensated.
It is a good one. You should try to incorporate it into your act.
This

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 2:17 pm
by brian
I wasn’t sure if this was true but learned today it is that Mayor Pete will be the first LBGTQ Cabinet member in history which is another good reason to have him be Secretary of Transportation.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 2:21 pm
by HaulCitgo
For real? It's a good pick because he's gay? How about knowledge of transportation? Besides almost certainly not the only gay secretary just the first out one.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 3:34 pm
by brian
Representation matters. Symbolism matters.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 5:25 pm
by mister d
And where are you going to find someone who both has transportation experience AND is a member of the LGBTQ community?

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 5:31 pm
by duff
With name recognition?

It is all optics.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 6:22 pm
by A_B
mister d wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:47 pm Ignoring that I’m not even sure the train joke makes sense relative to Pete, it’s pretty simple. This is the 3rd place I’ve seen a variation of it.
I hate the whole idea of the joke, to be honest. I know it's the schtick and all, but just not my jam.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 6:32 pm
by rass
A_B wrote: Sat Dec 19, 2020 6:22 pm
mister d wrote: Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:47 pm Ignoring that I’m not even sure the train joke makes sense relative to Pete, it’s pretty simple. This is the 3rd place I’ve seen a variation of it.
I hate the whole idea of the joke, to be honest. I know it's the schtick and all, but just not my jam.
Not spicy enough?

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 6:35 pm
by Nonlinear FC
I'm not, like, upset by the train joke, I just don't think it makes a lot of sense. If running a train was a gay-specific thing, sure... But it's really not.

Re: The Official Mayor Pete/Dept of Transportation thread

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2020 7:13 pm
by mister d
Right. Like maybe I have different weekends than you guys, but I default to straight with that term.