News and notes from around the interweb:
- California high speed rail continues to be a joke.
Lmao 15 years into this project and they are bragging about hopefully finishing the environmental approvals within the next two years. Bring back Robert Moses. https://t.co/MRvIlJz5jY
— Quantian (@quantian1) July 1, 2023
- Thai Airways plans to double its fleet, growing narrowbodies to serve India
- Hilton Readies For Grand Opening At 150 West 48th Street In Times Square “the 418-foot-tall, 320,000-square-foot structure will yield 1,046 hotel rooms across the Hampton Inn, Home 2 Suites, and Motto Hotel, Hilton’s newest brand of micro-hotels.”
- The Points Guy sister company CNet goes all-in on AI-generated content according to the CEO of its parent company. He’s not wrong by the way, in the future success is going to mean being good at leveraging AI tools (those who are will not be ‘replaced by’ AI).
“Today is day one of AI in our company,” Elias told Red Ventures staffers. “Today is the day that we will look back on, hopefully five to ten years from now, and realize that this was not just an opportunity for us to open up a new revenue source or our new business source, but to truly reinvent everything we do as a company.”
“AI will change everything,” the CEO added, “and I believe, for the most part, in a good way.”
- Another day, another poorly maintained Delta Air Lines interior. They’re getting their on-time act together (though they still don’t operate as reliably as they did pre-pandemic) but they don’t seem to have their product together.
I’m honestly not sure why people rant and rave about @Delta airlines. I had multiple flight delays, we were asked to switch planes after finding out an engine was leaking oil, and on my flight home we landed so heard it broke a panel. Never been more uncomfortable flying. pic.twitter.com/D2ZBYP4bdR
— DEV (@hourdrive) July 2, 2023
- Aside from damaged checked bags, this is the number one airline complaint I see on social media.
@AmericanAir flight 2607 out of Cincinnati forcing people to check their bags at the gate because they "ran out of space" for bags on the plane. Funny how much space we found onboard. Have to do better American. pic.twitter.com/FFBHGcribL
— Gabriel Aviles (@gabeaviles) July 3, 2023
- Women Lose Lawsuit Against American Airlines For Negligence Because Pilot Didn’t Explain What Was Happening When Oxygen Masks Dropped
- And Detroit is a reasonably good airport as these things go.
CA high speed rail – The grift that keeps on grifting
This is the biggest waste of money in the history of California. Whatever it costs to build will be nothing compared to the loss it will incur every year it is in operation. They can’t get enough riders to pay a fare that will cover the cost of operating the train and maintaining the track and equipment, forget paying off the bonds to finance building the line. I’ll be shocked if they are able to sell half of the bonds needed to finance the construction; not even including the equipment.
The cost of the high-speed rail system from LA to San Francisco is estimated to be between $88 billion and $128 billion. The 2022 business plan estimates that the full, 500-mile high-speed system between Los Angeles and San Francisco will cost as much as $105 billion. The original estimate in 2008 was $33 billion. The current base cost estimate is $77.3 billion.
Is the state of CA going to increase the state income tax to offset the loss of money running this train. I would love to see a P&L just showing the estimated cost to operate and maintain this line.
The CA High Speed Rail flaws were known well before the project was approved but they went ahead anyway. California voters are getting exactly what they voted for. Enjoy!
And, Brightline opens September 1 from Miami through Ft Lauderdale and West Palm Beach to Orlando Airport. Fares will start at $79 each way. Speeds in open areas will be as high as 120 mph. It’s certainly an option for travel through the four airports linked.
Private industry and capital gets it done far better than government.
The California Rail Project and all the wasted billions of dollars is brought to you by Democrats.
They own that pile of manure.
The California rail boondoggle is fulfilling its intended purpose—shoveling billions of taxpayer dollars to Democrat politically connected lawyers, environmental groups, unions, and on and on. Whether or not the project is ever completed is beside the point.
California voters are responsible for electing fools or otherwise mentally incompetent individuals to the General Assembly in Sacramento. It’s not all that easy to understand why. (1) Voters aren’t being paid (bribed) to vote for such Democrats. (2) Voters don’t derive many worthwhile benefits from the actions of those whom they elect (3) Voters are often harmed by the measures turned into laws in Sacramento.
Can it be that California voters lack the ability to reason?
Do they vote as they do because of habit, irrespective of being rewarded or punished like an animal in a lab experiment?
To borrow an expression, but for the grace of G-d, I might live in California.
You’re telling me an anti-train travel industry blogger is lobbing shots against dumb librul California high speed rail?? Finally some originality! Elon did it better, you hack.
I will never get tired of the
Green & Fazio ad.
Thanks!
I know that this rail is a big waste of money but 100 of billions are wasted yearly in the military with no oversight or criticism. This one project gets all the criticism but military can waste trillions and all we can do is shrug our shoulders and say feeedom
The joke will eventually be on you when people ride rail instead of dealing with hours of airport hassle, parking fees, plane delays and cancellations, and all the air and noise pollution.
Everything about California’s “High Speed Rail” was a duplicitous farce from the moment it appeared on the ballot. Nothing the proponents claimed will ever come to pass and everything critics warned about is true.
Every one of the corrupt bureaucrats and politicians who conceived and continue to support this obscenity should be in prison.
Don’t let Democrats do to your state what they’ve done to mine…
Thanks for keeping us up to date with cheap shots. Stay in your lane, maybe up in the air somewhere?
@Bob, you say that “this is the biggest waste of money in the history of California.” But this is only true if you think the goal is constructing a useful transportation system. If your real goal is actually to create a mechanism by which to funnel money from productive people to politically connected people, California High Speed Rail is a very worthwhile project. Seen through that prism, it is anything but a failure, but has already accomplished much of what it was designed to do.
@Gary – Is DTW more like ATL or DEN for transit between terminals? DEN has a train. ATL has a train and biiiig corridors.
When the train breaks down in DEN (happens more often than anyone would like), you’re screwed, especially at night. When it breaks down at ATL… you walk. A long walk, but at least you’re allowed to get there.
We just passed July 4th, where we not only celebrate independence, but also the fact that we consider ourselves “the greatest country in the world”.
Does anyone wonder why we spend so much effort to contain the one country that has built more high speed rail in the last 10 years than the world combined?
We say things like genocide, human rights abuses, IP theft, but they still build more HSR, have more modern airports, have more modern public transport, etc.
Does anyone wonder are we just using things like “genocide” to justify our economic policies rather than really trying to stop the alleged “genocide”. After all, we seem to love telling ourselves how wonderful we are, regardless of how poorly we do.
We certainly aren’t beating them in high speed rail. But if we cripple them economically (think semiconductors) then maybe we have a chance.
In other words, we make ourselves better by making everyone else worse.
The baggage topic is getting really annoying. I was flying a very delayed Air Canada flight – delayed 2 hrs before we could board – and then the gate agent said the flight attendant requested that all carry on bags be gate checked since its a small plane (it was a CRJ 900).
No joke – every carry on bag that had wheels – no matter how small – was forced to be checked to the final destination. Not gate checked to Toronto – to the final destination. It was not a pretty sight on board, or after we deplaned at YYZ when bags were being brought out but we couldn’t get them. Several passengers yelling at the flight attendant on board and then the unsuspecting ramp agents at YYZ who had no idea.
I’m sick of the FA’s wielding their fake power to try and save 5 minutes of boarding when they’re delayed by inconveniencing everyone.
Good luck getting high speed rail built between Burbank and the Antelope Valley (Lancaster/Palmdale). The big hold up? Residents of Santa Clarita, specifically the exclusive Sand Canyon Ranch area. Lawsuits abound and no resolution in sight. Whether this specific section of the boondoggle high-speed rail is underground or over ground, this “thing” will be tied up in the courts for decades.
Why former L.A. County Supervisor Antonovich caved to his AV constituency for supposed “high-paying” jobs this boondoggle supposedly will bring to the Antelope Valley is a farce. Other than the limited aerospace and military-related factory jobs, the AV is primarily comprised of low-skilled, low-paying jobs in warehousing, let alone clogging-up the 14 freeway with added traffic!
Antonovich should have lobbied for the damn thing to tunnel through and along the I-5 freeway. More direct and probably much less expensive considering the unnecessary diversion over and through the Antelope Valley and costly litigation. Screw the taxpayers, landowners and homeowners!
Reminds me of the dumbos who proposed Palmdale as the “third” airport for Los Angeles. We see how far that got off the ground…big thud
Who in the hell wants to be in the Antelope Valley unless you have no other choice?
Other than a geographic boundary, the AV really has no correlation with Los Angeles and Los Angeles County.
SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT
@jamesb2147:
Regarding Detroit Metro (DTW):
Transfer between gates on the A concourse in the McNamara Terminal is by moving sidewalk or by overhead tram.
Transit between the A concourse and the B/C concourses in the McNamara Terminal (DL/AF/AM/WS) is by underground tunnel with moving sidewalks. That is the only way between the concourses.
Transit between the McNamara Terminal (DL/AF/AM/WS) (A/B/C Concourses) and the Evans Terminal (UA/AA/AC/AS/F9/FI/LH/RJ/B6/NK/WN/SY) (D concourse) is by Terminal-to-Terminal shuttle bus that leaves from the Ground Transportation centers at each terminal. Allow about 30 minutes plus time to clear TSA at the other terminal. I don’t think the shuttle operates 0000-0600. There is no possible way to walk between terminals. There is no possible way to transfer between terminals without needing to go through TSA again.
Transfer between gates on the D concourse is by moving sidewalk or by walking.