Overheard at work
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@blakeyrat said:
When you say "USA", are you referring to "hicksville, deep south?" Tons of the USA has effective, popular mass transit. (And lots of it doesn't.)
Though even in the places where there is a lot of mass transit, a lot of people don't use it. I've commuted via mass transit. I would now consider having to commute using mass transit to be a major downside to a job. Frankly, it's difficult to imagine any opportunity presenting itself to me at this point that would justify the awfulness of mass transit.
@blakeyrat said:
The POTUS is driven because the Secret Service demands it. He doesn't get a choice.
Well, he also basically works from home. Also, in addition to Secret Service, sometimes the Marines or the Air Force takes over his transportation needs.
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@fterfi secure said:
Oh, well done. There hasn't been enough one-black-swan pedantic dickweedery around here lately.
I've had, like, one tech job where they expected me to be in on a precise schedule. Just because every job you've had is shitty doesn't mean the rest of us suffer.
@fterfi secure said:
No, I'm just assuming that you're not one of the unfortunate 5% of the world's population who live in the USA and therefore have no public transport to speak of, or that you drive to work.
There's plenty of public transport in the US. Actually, there's probably too much since it has to be so highly subsidized because people prefer not to ride it. Regardless, lots of people use public transport. The real question is why the fuck you'd want to. Because, hey, there's nothing better than being crammed onto a train with a bunch of sick people. Or, hell, being crammed onto a train with a bunch of healthy people. Fuck public transport.
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@boomzilla said:
Also, in addition to Secret Service, sometimes the Marines or the Air Force takes over his transportation needs.
Or sometimes even the Navy.
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@morbiuswilters said:
There's plenty of public transport in the US. Actually, there's probably too much since it has to be so highly subsidized because people prefer not to ride it. Regardless, lots of people use public transport. The real question is why the fuck you'd want to. Because, hey, there's nothing better than being crammed onto a train with a bunch of sick people. Or, hell, being crammed onto a train with a bunch of healthy people. Fuck public transport.
Because you're a one-income household with one car and outrageous parking costs at your place of employment and walking to the train gets you exercise and your employer subsidizes the public transportation cost so that it's only about one quarter of what you would pay normally.
If everything falls into place, I can be to work in the same or less time than it would take to drive. Plus I get to read on the way instead of getting stressed out by idiot drivers.
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@nonpartisan said:
Because you're a one-income household with one car and outrageous parking costs at your place of employment and walking to the train gets you exercise and your employer subsidizes the public transportation cost so that it's only about one quarter of what you would pay normally.
Yeah, I'm not saying there's not a reason to take public transit. I've done it before when parking was too expensive (hell, I even went car-less for a couple of years). But it sucks. I would never want to live in a situation like that. I drive in Manhattan because I hate taking the train so fucking much.
@nonpartisan said:
Plus I get to read on the way instead of getting stressed out by idiot drivers.
Screaming at idiot drivers is, like, 90% of the fun of driving the first place. Sometimes you can even pull a gun on them!
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I don't even have a car.
I try to bike as often as possible.
The point is control. Don't have to catch a goddamn bus that you subsequently miss and then it's another depressing 30 minutes on a windy stop.
Biking is better, but of course has its own drawbacks.
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@dhromed said:
The point is control. Don't have to catch a goddamn bus that you subsequently miss and then it's another depressing 30 minutes on a windy stop.
That's what Starbucks is for.
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@dhromed said:
The point is control. Don't have to catch a goddamn bus that you subsequently miss and then it's another depressing 30 minutes on a windy stop.
If only there was some kind of bike that could power itself so I wouldn't show up to work exhausted and sweaty (and I wouldn't have to wear gay shorts, either). Oh, and it should have four wheels for added stability and some kind of enclosure to keep the elements out. And if we're closing it in it better have climate control. 400hp and a 7-speed transmission would also be nice.
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@nonpartisan said:
Because you're a one-income household with one car and walking to the train gets you exercise
Sounds like me! I live in a suburb of ~700m² blocks and only ~600m from the train station (that was the reason we bought that house). My wife is currently pregnant with twins so we have cut costs everywhere.
@nonpartisan said:
and your employer subsidizes the public transportation cost so that it's only about one quarter of what you would pay normally.
.. oh I need some of that action! Fares have sky-rocketed recently. Like from under $4/trip to over $6 in a few short years. :( Still cheaper than getting a second car.
@morbiuswilters said:
Because, hey, there's nothing better than being crammed onto a train with a bunch of sick people. Or, hell, being crammed onto a train with a bunch of healthy people. Fuck public transport.
My work is the opposite way from the peak, so rarely is my train anywhere near full. Sometimes I even have the whole carriage all to myself. I got a 3G netbook so I could do my Internet browsing during the commute, which is only 30 minutes each way. And some trains have free wifi (actually uses the same cell network as my netbook but since their antennas can be outside the metal shell it is generally faster). It's nice to sit and relax instead of having to drive. I used to love driving but now I don't really.
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@Zemm said:
@nonpartisan said:
Because you're a one-income household with one car and walking to the train gets you exercise
Sounds like me! I live in a suburb of ~700m² blocks and only ~600m from the train station (that was the reason we bought that house). My wife is currently pregnant with twins so we have cut costs everywhere.
Hey, congrats. :) Somewhat similar for me - one income, one car, longer commute though - I catch a bus to the train station, it's about half an hour on each. I have three school-age children so my wife uses the car for ferrying them around, shopping, etc. and I just use public transport.@Zemm said:
@nonpartisan said:
I'm paying $4/trip currently.and your employer subsidizes the public transportation cost so that it's only about one quarter of what you would pay normally.
.. oh I need some of that action! Fares have sky-rocketed recently. Like from under $4/trip to over $6 in a few short years. :(@Zemm said:
My work is the opposite way from the peak, so rarely is my train anywhere near full.
That must be nice. I don't usually have too much problem with the peak as I start late and finish late most days (instead of 8:30 to 5, usually 9 or 9:30 to 6), so by the time I catch the train it's usually empty enough to get a seat, and beyond that I usually don't care. Gets a bit awkward when I have to leave a bit earlier and get the peak hour traffic, admittedly. But I get more of a problem from Transperth screwing up, delaying or cancelling their services unexpectedly. Wouldn't be so bad if it was just the train, but it tends to make me miss my bus connection on the way back (and because I go after the peak period, the bus services are further apart).
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@morbiuswilters said:
If only there was some kind of bike that could power itself so I wouldn't show up to work exhausted and sweaty (and I wouldn't have to wear gay shorts, either). Oh, and it should have four wheels for added stability and some kind of enclosure to keep the elements out. And if we're closing it in it better have climate control. 400hp and a 7-speed transmission would also be nice.
And of course, cupholders.
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@morbiuswilters said:
@dhromed said:
The point is control. Don't have to catch a goddamn bus that you subsequently miss and then it's another depressing 30 minutes on a windy stop.
If only there was some kind of bike that could power itself so I wouldn't show up to work exhausted and sweaty (and I wouldn't have to wear gay shorts, either). Oh, and it should have four wheels for added stability and some kind of enclosure to keep the elements out. And if we're closing it in it better have climate control. 400hp and a 7-speed transmission would also be nice.
That would be so cool.
If only it didn't consume any fossil fuels and spit out noxious gases.
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@blakeyrat said:
@dhromed said:
The point is control. Don't have to catch a goddamn bus that you subsequently miss and then it's another depressing 30 minutes on a windy stop.
That's what Starbucks is for.
So that your karma balances out between underpaying for a ride and overpaying for coffee?
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@blakeyrat said:
@dhromed said:
The point is control. Don't have to catch a goddamn bus that you subsequently miss and then it's another depressing 30 minutes on a windy stop.
That's what Starbucks is for.
I hate coffee.
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@dhromed said:
@blakeyrat said:
@dhromed said:
The point is control. Don't have to catch a goddamn bus that you subsequently miss and then it's another depressing 30 minutes on a windy stop.
That's what Starbucks is for.I hate coffee.
I don't hate it but I have never understood its appeal
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@dhromed said:
@blakeyrat said:
@dhromed said:
I hate coffee.The point is control. Don't have to catch a goddamn bus that you subsequently miss and then it's another depressing 30 minutes on a windy stop.
That's what Starbucks is for.
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I hate coffee too.
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@Zemm said:
Sounds like me! I live in a suburb of ~700m² blocks and only ~600m from the train station (that was the reason we bought that house). My wife is currently pregnant with twins so we have cut costs everywhere.
Congratulations! I have no idea what I would've done if I'd found out we were having twins. One was more than enough work, especially for someone who never went through the traditional babysitting-as-a-teenager-for-a-little-spending-money thing. I am also the youngest, so I didn't see any younger siblings grow up.
@Zemm said:
.. oh I need some of that action! Fares have sky-rocketed recently. Like from under $4/trip to over $6 in a few short years. :( Still cheaper than getting a second car.
Wow! $4 Australian is around $4.30 American right now. A yearly pass is $1,000+. My pass through work is around $250 for the year. If I didn't have a subsidized pass, it would be $4.80/day ($2.40 each direction). I would be less likely to use public transportation for non-commute trips if I didn't have it.
Rush hour trips are fine since most people are going to or from work, but riding it outside rush hour is when all the weirdos show up. It's quite scary. But if everything fits together (I catch optimal connections), I can be to work or home from work in about 40 - 45 minutes, which would be pretty comparable to driving during that time (maybe even a little shorter). If I don't get the connections right, it can take upwards of 60 - 90 minutes.
@Zemm said:
My work is the opposite way from the peak, so rarely is my train anywhere near full. Sometimes I even have the whole carriage all to myself. I got a 3G netbook so I could do my Internet browsing during the commute, which is only 30 minutes each way. And some trains have free wifi (actually uses the same cell network as my netbook but since their antennas can be outside the metal shell it is generally faster). It's nice to sit and relax instead of having to drive. I used to love driving but now I don't really.
I wish our light rail system had free wi-fi. I've been tempted to turn my phone's hot spot functionality on with an SSID of TM-FREE-WIFI-BETA while in the tunnel where they have no cell service. I would hope people would call in and ask about it, perhaps stimulating some interest in doing it for real. (But with the way our transit agency is bitching about budget problems, not likely.)
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@blakeyrat said:
@fterfi secure said:
You're, what, one of the three people in the USA who doesn't drive to work - including the POTUS? Congratulations, have another black-swan award.
When you say "USA", are you referring to "hicksville, deep south?" Tons of the USA has effective, popular mass transit. (And lots of it doesn't.) That's why I hate when people shove stereotype "USA" as a single entity-- each State is different. Hell, even within my State, the western half has effective mass transit while the eastern half doesn't, so even by State you're casting too wide a net.
I am one of the three people in the USA who doesn't drive to work - at least, not most of the time. I would be glad to accept a black swan award. However, unlike several of my compatriots such as blakeyrat, I'm not deluded and racist enough to think of the country as a partition between "quasi-functional public transit such as that found in the northeast corridor, portland, seattle, and parts of the san francisco bay area" and "hicksville, deep south".
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@morbiuswilters said:
I wouldn't have to wear gay shorts
You still could if you wanted to, but people might wonder.@morbiuswilters said:
so I wouldn't show up to work exhausted and sweaty
You still could if you wanted to....
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@fennec said:
I am one of the three people in the USA who doesn't drive to work - at least, not most of the time. I would be glad to accept a black swan award. However, unlike several of my compatriots such as blakeyrat, I'm not deluded and racist enough to think of the country as a partition between "quasi-functional public transit such as that found in the northeast corridor, portland, seattle, and parts of the san francisco bay area" and "hicksville, deep south".
Well that's just a side-effect of completely discarding everything not on a coast as being unworthy of any attention whatsoever.
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@nonpartisan said:
I've been tempted to turn my phone's hot spot functionality on with an SSID of TM-FREE-WIFI-BETA while in the tunnel where they have no cell service.
Can you turn data off but enable the hotspot? Or just get a separate device on a pre-paid plan without putting any data on it? Or just use Windows XP. (My netbook is now pre-paid which is much cheaper than alternatives)
@nonpartisan said:
I can be to work or home from work in about 40 - 45 minutes
Yeah it's only 30 minutes for me to/from work, whether driving or on the train (plus walking between station and work/home so about 50 minutes total for train). But it would be about an hour if I had to go into the City, which coincidently is the same number of zones as my current commute. But then driving into the City could be over $70 (!!!) per day parking (most people would pay less though). The few times I've had to go into the city I've either had a reserved park for the day or caught the train.
@nonpartisan said:
If I didn't have a subsidized pass, it would be $4.80/day ($2.40 each direction)
Our fares are ridiculous. And they are not the most reliable. But peak trains are packed so people are paying.
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@nonpartisan said:
I wish our light rail system had free wi-fi. I've been tempted to turn my phone's hot spot functionality on with an SSID of TM-FREE-WIFI-BETA while in the tunnel where they have no cell service. I would hope people would call in and ask about it, perhaps stimulating some interest in doing it for real.
Neat idea! Go for it, if only to see just how many phone in. Is there any way to gather metrics of connection attempts?
@Kittemon said:
@morbiuswilters said:
I wouldn't have to wear gay shorts
You still could if you wanted to, but people might wonder.@morbiuswilters said:
so I wouldn't show up to work exhausted and sweaty
You still could if you wanted to....
