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Just when you think visiting Australia can't be any stranger, the Brits turn up a new one by discovering the resting place of the first person to circumnavigate Australia while renovating a train station. Remember, kids, always use lead for your coffin plate so if you are lost for a few centuries, people who find you will know who you are.
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England Finds Matthew Flinders -- First Circumnavigator of Australia -- in a London Train Station
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The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Tax reform means "Don't tax you, don't tax me, tax that fellow behind
the tree."
-- Russell Long
(Score: 5, Funny) by Runaway1956 on Saturday January 26 2019, @02:29PM (14 children)
So this guy went to catch a train, and he's still waiting 205 years later? I'm glad I never took the train in England.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by fritsd on Saturday January 26 2019, @03:04PM (13 children)
Trains in the UK are quite a bit worse and more expensive than in the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Luxemburg, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.
We need a competent transport secretary. We’ve got Chris Grayling [theguardian.com]
I quote:
The Brits seem to prefer ideological approaches like deregulation and privatization over boring physical things like trains, rails, and timetables.
And there's about 400 000 people commuting into London every day, so they need their rail infrastructure badly.
The Tube [wikipedia.org], and London Overground, is OK though.
(Score: 2) by RandomFactor on Saturday January 26 2019, @03:28PM (12 children)
Hmmm, I've heard Italy got the trains running on time(*) nicely in early-mid last century :-p
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* - (-1 Overrated) it was more propaganda than reality.
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 26 2019, @03:42PM (7 children)
(Score: 2) by RandomFactor on Saturday January 26 2019, @04:09PM (6 children)
I suspect there is a cultural aspect involved there also. Hopefully the Japanese continue to retain these aspects of courtesy better than the US has.
After decades of riding trains and watching ridiculously privileged scum routinely stop an entire train full of hundreds of people, physically block a doors, and throw train schedules in the dumpster for hours rather than wait in order for the next train in 7 minutes I have come to the conclusion the solution is simply unpalatable.
Back in the 90s we went to Paris. The first time I rode a train we saw the doors SLAM shut, hard. Unsurprisingly -noone- was near them when they closed and I never once saw someone even think of trying to physically block the doors.
So there are two of the solutions.
1) have a culture that values respect and politeness in unfathomable ways unfathomable. That ship has sailed off a cliff into a black hole dumped out into an antimatter mirror universe and annihilated an entire star system.
2) make the trains obviously unforgiving. We don't have the stomach for that here.
Other solutions require more expense and infrastructure.
- more trains, more lines, mass euthenasia, man traps, active police presence
Long and short - plan on trains being late and give yourself an extra hour to get to the airport :-\
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 26 2019, @08:10PM (2 children)
Japanese values of courtesy are based on fuedalism, aka a systematic lack of respect for 99% of human life. We got rid of that bullshit for a reason. I will not present my neck for cutting or blindly follow the orders of the more powerful.
(Score: 2) by RandomFactor on Saturday January 26 2019, @09:18PM (1 child)
Ignoring fanciful/idealized visions of history and ancient life, disrespect for 99% of human life has been a fact of human life in societies pretty much everywhere for the majority of recorded history. Specifics, attempts at constraint, and how far back you have to go vary.
On much of the planet, it remains how things are today.
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 27 2019, @09:07AM
Not in all places. Some of us are doing what we can to create a civilised society.
Avoid muslim countries.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday January 26 2019, @11:25PM
Say... what?
The answer is: be practical, hire some train stuffers to squeeze as may passengers in as they can fit, before the train is scheduled to leave the station in time. Good for bottom line too.
Like they are doing... in Japan [youtube.com]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 27 2019, @09:04AM (1 child)
Dickwads in Melbourne who jump onto the tracks to spray paint graffiti along the walls destroy timetables. The trains have no choice but to slow down or stop.
I am guessing in the US they would run them down.
I was on a train that stopped in the middle of nowhere. The muttering of the regular commuters was along the lines of if they could jump out and deal with the problem themselves they would.
In some places the graffiti is terrible but given the length of track what do you do.
(Score: 2) by RandomFactor on Sunday January 27 2019, @04:43PM
I suppose in the long run it's one of the benefits of the surveillance society we are barreling towards.
At least idiots that pull that crap will eventually be assured of identification.
Still a horrible end state in other ways, but at least there's that.
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 3, Informative) by realDonaldTrump on Saturday January 26 2019, @03:56PM (2 children)
Italy, so incredible, the trains were on time, on schedule, and very importantly, on location. And the Italian Turnpike -- the Autostrada -- magnificent! You go to China, you go to Japan, they have fast trains all over the place. We don’t have one fast train. It’s the same thing with our airports. Our airports used to be the best. Now they’re at the bottom of the rung. Not for long. Next week is Infrastructure Week!!
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday January 26 2019, @10:56PM (1 child)
Unfuck San Diego's public transit and you'll be one popular, if not more slightly rich, dude.
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Sunday January 27 2019, @07:38AM
Oh please, God him(her?)self couldn't accomplish that!
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 27 2019, @05:44PM
That's what you thought you heard, but it's a widespread misunderstanding:
https://xkcd.com/282/ [xkcd.com]
:-)