Comments on: Beijing: The Ride In http://www.daveswagon.com/2006/09/27/beijing-the-ride-in/ The People's Blog Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:13:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Dave http://www.daveswagon.com/2006/09/27/beijing-the-ride-in/#comment-169 Wed, 27 Sep 2006 10:45:19 +0000 http://www.daveswagon.com/2006/09/27/beijing-the-ride-in/#comment-169 We rode in sleeper cars, so there were no seats, just assigned cabins and beds. None of the cars between ours and the diner had seats, so I really can't report on their condition. I'm sure what you heard was correct. I would say that the difference between subsidizing trains and subsidizing airlines is that there are viable alternatives to trains. If trains were to fail, my life would not be directly affected. If the airlines fail, I'd probably be riding an oil tanker back to the U.S. That said, I'm not sure how <em>all</em> the airlines could possibly collapse. People still want to travel by air, so I don't quite understand the need for the government bailouts. We rode in sleeper cars, so there were no seats, just assigned cabins and beds. None of the cars between ours and the diner had seats, so I really can’t report on their condition. I’m sure what you heard was correct.
I would say that the difference between subsidizing trains and subsidizing airlines is that there are viable alternatives to trains. If trains were to fail, my life would not be directly affected. If the airlines fail, I’d probably be riding an oil tanker back to the U.S. That said, I’m not sure how all the airlines could possibly collapse. People still want to travel by air, so I don’t quite understand the need for the government bailouts.

]]> by: Shaun http://www.daveswagon.com/2006/09/27/beijing-the-ride-in/#comment-168 Wed, 27 Sep 2006 10:32:49 +0000 http://www.daveswagon.com/2006/09/27/beijing-the-ride-in/#comment-168 I've heard that trains in China are generally over loaded and it's difficult to find seating. Move from you seat to relieve yourself and you're likely to be left standing. How crowded was your train? You talk about not putting money to bail out Amtrak, but what about the airlines? The amount of money in government subsidies given to airlines greatly overshadows the amount given to Amtrak. Without the subsidies given to support air travel, it just wouldn't work. BTW I'm not a big Amtrak fan myself. They are grossly inefficient. 6 hours to travel the same distance I can drive in less than 3 hours. Backing up an entire train full of people to the previous stop because some idiot didn't get off? I’ve heard that trains in China are generally over loaded and it’s difficult to find seating. Move from you seat to relieve yourself and you’re likely to be left standing. How crowded was your train?

You talk about not putting money to bail out Amtrak, but what about the airlines? The amount of money in government subsidies given to airlines greatly overshadows the amount given to Amtrak. Without the subsidies given to support air travel, it just wouldn’t work.

BTW I’m not a big Amtrak fan myself. They are grossly inefficient. 6 hours to travel the same distance I can drive in less than 3 hours. Backing up an entire train full of people to the previous stop because some idiot didn’t get off?

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