…and the two women were taking calls about airport security and how it might’ve been different on 9/11 as opposed to any other day. a few people called in talking about how their elderly mother/grandmother in a wheelchair always got hassled, etc etc. then a flight attendant called in and mentioned how she ALWAYS got the full search when she was flying off-duty. the part that struck me odd is how she mentioned she takes the TRAIN whenever she can to travel, her and a few of her friends always do. the two talk show hosts were astounded to learn that a train went from chicago to Minn/st. paul as they recently flew to the same place.
moral of the story, a flight attendant pluggin amtrak on prime time radio and how un-informed the majority of the people are.
…That’s been my thinking right along…A large quanity of people in this country are not even aware {for lack of any evidence}, that railroads are still there to do business…freight and passenger…I’m aware Amtrak is slim on budget and can’t really get the word out like is needed so if some way could be devised to do so, I believe a quanity of passengers could be added to the roster…
People don’t think of the railroad in any context anymore, it really hasn’t been that long since, when someone learned I worked for the railroad, asked me if they still used steam. They were completely serious.
And some people in California still think Nebraska is on the other side of AZ and some New Yorkers can’t believe we have Native Americans and cowboys that drive a Lexus and are astute business people! I have heard them both!
On the same day they cleaned up and opened the NO airport to much media fanfare, NS ran it’s first interchange train to the UP, after an amazing, privately funded rebuilding of their 6 mile Lake Pontchartrain Bridge. Nary a peep.
When Mineta was talking about rebuilding transportation infrastructure after Katrina, he mentioned, highways, airports, the port and piplelines, but didn’t even think to say the word “rail”.
A friend of mine once said, “RRs are like sewers. Nobody notices them until something goes wrong.”
…Don’t depend on Sec. Mineta to say anything valuable about railroads…Further reflects on my point in earlier post…MANY of our population has no idea of functioning rail systems hauling mass tonnage in this country…Really don’t know how the secret is kept so much in the dark.
You mean someone calling into an am radio talk show actually knew what they were talking about?
Amtrak funding for FY 2006 has passed both houses. Not enough in the House bill, just barely enough in the Senate bill. Given all the other stuff going on, Congress will probably have to pass a Continuing Resolution which will keep the funds going at the FY2005 rate until there is a final resolution and passage of the spending bills. It is not an unusual situation.
And like that is Amtrak’s fault? Perhaps they should have someone standing right behind the dispatcher threatening dire consequences if the Amtrak train is not released.
I assume you have never sat on a plane for an hour waiting for clearance to take off. That’s a real good time.