Micah brings up a question about trains in the US. Micah likes trains, K Sera dislikes planes, and Phillip is perpetually confused on how fast they go.
Show Notes:
And older article, but Trains versus Planes
K Sera’s Afterthoughts:
- We’re geniuses! Tube trains powered by vacuum? Brilliant!
- Here is a neat graphic map of a possible high speed rail system in the USA created by Alfred Twu. I’d want to tweak this a bit, but overall, it’s a great visual concept. I would probably have two or three different train speeds on each major artery. Express, Limited Express, and All Stops, ideally. There would also be designated cars for different ticket prices, like first class and coach, and probably one or two smoking cars.
- Fun fact about the origins of the word “gymnasium” - the Latin, “gym” comes from the Greek word “gumnos,” which means “naked” then “gumnazein” (naked exercise) - so gymnasium sorta means to exercise naked. Yep. Weird how our train talk goes off the rails so quickly.
- Also. Shut up, me. Ugh. How far was I into my cups this episode? Apologies. Dear listeners and hosts.
Phillip’s Afterthoughts
-I still stand by my reasoning that trains, albeit getting faster, are still much slower than commercial airplanes today. Also, commercial airplanes will sometimes ship goods too, depending on their volume and cargo capacity as well.
-One thing I wish we talked about more is that trains are super-efficient compared to airplanes, and that the carbon footprint of trains are much less impactful compared to the gas guzzling airplanes today
-Also, another thing about this episode: working from a plane is not very fun (especially in the “non-business class” and “non-first-class” experience. For most travelers, working and typing on a laptop in a cramped folding seat is akin to typing up a TPS report while being a human pretzel.
-I also will like to state I am still uncomfortable with locker rooms to this day.