Wrong -- I'd much rather average 120+ mph than 90 mph AND be able to get up to take a leak, eat something, whatever. i.e. I sometimes take the train between NYC and Virginia even through the car may be slightly faster. Driving is more of a hassle whereas I can do other things on the train.

If only ... the majority of the "spendy" types are either "borrow from the slanteyes and spend" or "spend and inflate."

Lets face the facts kids, we've all driven over 100mph at one time or another and lived to tell about it. If we didn't have a speed limit on divided highways we wouldn't even be thinking about high speed rail. If we're going to kill off high speed rail lets also kill off speed limits. Its the moral thing to do.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

100 mph ... pbbbbbt. Proper high-speed rail is 120+ mph, and just try averaging 100 mph on an Interstate, regardless of police presence. Traffic, curves, stops for fuel and other things. Not gonna happen on a consistent basis.

And yeah, I've done 110 in a rental car between Phoenix and LA. Passed a trooper -- the guy didn't even blink. Must have been asleep

I disagree. While I dislike the anal speed limits here in the US having no limits in this country is a recipe for disaster. The roads are not engineered for them and American drivers are too immature to handle them, from what I've seen. Try implementing the German laws that facilitate driving with no limits on the Autobahns here and see what happens.

Even if there were no limits here I don't think that removes the rationale behind high speed rail. Bear in mind though I'm takling about "real high speed" not just a crawling along at 120mph for example.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

X2.


I made it to LA from Sacramento in my car, faster than a friend who flew...

Seriously - it took him longer to get checked in, get through security, fly, and wait for his baggage, than it did for me to make the trip via car!

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-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

But can you do it consistantly? Besides, on most European (except for Spain and the Chunnel) and American (read: Northeast Corridor) high-speed trains, there is little security. You can show up at the station 10 min before the train leaves and it would work fine.

Well, when it is billed as a self financing profit making endeavor, that is what we expect it to be. If you want to bill it as otherwise, you should show the math and show us where exactly the money to finance it will come from. When I tell the wife that I can buy this 2012 Vette and it can make us money, she will expect it to do so. When it doesn't, she will throw a hissy fit. Now if I want to buy it and say "It will cost us $X.", I also will need to show how we will pay for it and not with some magic numbers that include winning the lottery or some rich sugar-mama paying it for me.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

An EXCELLENT idea but works IN THEORY only. Now, lets look at what happens to pools of money collected by the govt. Lets see how they have been spending what they currently have into the ground. From that, I believe if we honestly project what will happen to the money, we will see that it becomes a new money pit from which to "borrow" money to do this, that or the other and in the end, it becomes like SS. It will need a few "tweaks" or it will go bankrupt and leave us a bigger mess.

I don't mind if we invest money but lets not throw money away by asking the fox to watch the henhouse and expect that when you come to check it in the morning, there will be eggs and hens there instead of a bloody mess and the fox has left the building. If Madoff were out today, would you ask him to handle your portfolio? If not, why?

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

You're not trying hard enough. Besides its not like they're going to build the train station in your garage or go non stop to your destination. Get real.
i5 on that stretch is pretty easy to get carried away. I just try to find the fastest expensive car on the road (probably has a radar detector) and hang back about 1/8 mile. Saved me from more speeding tickets than I can count.

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Actually works fine in the better-run European countries e.g. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It's not a failing of government as a concept. It's a failing of our government, and our present political climate.

But if you have noticed, this is NOT Europe nor are we adopting their ENTIRE system. You cannot pick one system you like and ignore the rest. In real life, it isn't that simple. You can't cherry pick the best of everything and simply install it here and expect it to perform as well as what you saw it do over there.

Whether you blame the politicians or the people, etc, etc, the simple fact is that every dollar that we give into the govt simply becomes the target of a "steal from Peter to pay Paul" risk. If you are incompetent and I cannot fire you because you are the brother of my GF and she would cut me off sexually, you bet I will not give you any more assignments than you already have. You don't ask the druggie to watch the pharmacy or Madoff to watch your investments. It is that simple. Limit the damage you can do.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

No, but there's no reason why this country can't work quite well with taxes raised to '90s, or even '60s levels. I'm not talking about adopting Europe's entire system. I'm talking about rolling things back to a time where taxes were paid, and things got done.

I hope that the Occupy Wall Street movement gains traction for that reason alone, even if it leads to a revolution and the streets burning.

But that is the point. People want to get only the good parts of Europe but not wanting the whole thing. Kinda of the "I want to marry this hot girl but I don't want her kids to come with."

That is a long time ago and in a different world. We were less global then. The world has since changed and we can't go back anymore to the "Leave it to Beaver" days.

You want to burn down the house to get rid of the spider? Do you honestly believe that revolutions will make things better? I believe they thought that a while back in China and Nam and Russia. Till those policies were enacted that is. Once they started rolling communism back, things got better. Remember, it is easy to fire an employee. MUCH, MUCH harder to find a better one. If the revolution works, great. What will you replace it with? If you fail to find a better replacement, you will be wishing for the Good Old pre-revolution days.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

The tax rates of 10 years ago weren't the "Leave it to Beaver" days. They were equitable and allowed for a more-or-less balanced budget without high inflation. I'm talking about going back to the Clinton days, not the 50s!

Nah, just fumigate the house with cyanide to get rid of an infestation of venomous scorpions.