Burst the cocoon!

[CHamilton]

As usual, Robert Reich has some thoughtful commentary. "One of the biggest problems in America today is most of us live in ideological cocoons surrounded by people who think like us. Yet there is no better way to learn than to talk to someone who disagrees with you." He's talking about the importance of having intelligent discussions with folks who have different political opinions. I agree wholeheartedly, but let's take that two steps further:

1. One of the reasons that some people don't like passenger rail is that it's a form of transportation where one must interact with people you don't know. That can be uncomfortable, certainly, but it can also be eye-opening. It's been said that travel, like education, broadens the mind. Some would prefer that people stay at home, where they can be fed lies and propaganda through controlled media, and be convinced to vote their way, or not vote at all. But when people start traveling, they can see "inconvenient truths" for themselves.
2. Until very recently, support for passenger rail was bipartisan. We need to make that happen again.

So marshal your facts, and spread the word, even to people with different political views. It's not easy, but it is possible to change people's minds.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Robert Reich would make an Excellent President, but of course he doesn't stand a chance, he's Intelligent, Liberal and works @ the University of Moscow in Berkley! He was Bill Clinton's best Cabinet Member(DOL) and his roommate when they were Rhodes Scholars! ( Another mark against him in the eyes of the ignorant hate mob!)

Excellent point Chatlie about travel broadening ones mind and the exposure to others and inconvienent truths!

 

[PRR 60]

...

• One of the reasons that some people don't like passenger rail is that it's a form of transportation where one must interact with people you don't know. That can be uncomfortable, certainly, but it can also be eye-opening. It's been said that travel, like education, broadens the mind. Some would prefer that people stay at home, where they can be fed lies and propaganda through controlled media, and be convinced to vote their way, or not vote at all. But when people start traveling, they can see "inconvenient truths" for themselves.
• ...
  
  
• 
  
  

I'm not sure I understand the "must interact with people you don't know" argument. I ride two types of Amtrak services. One, corridor trains: there is no more passenger interaction on a corridor train than a plane. You sit down, ride to your destination, and get off. You might nod or say hello to your seat mate (if you have one), but no more so than on a plane.
The other, long distance trains: Those actually permit little or no interaction if that is what a person wants. That is the draw for me. You can sit in your room, close the hallway and door curtains, and enjoy the view and the journey in nearly total privacy. Even meals can be served in your room, if you wish. I enjoy (to a degree) the dining car, and will make small talk with my table mates , but when that is over I retreat to my room and the privacy that, for me, is the draw of Amtrak travel.

Certainly one can be as social as one would like on an Amtrak train, but it is not a "must."

 

[jis]

I agree wholeheartedly, but let's take that two steps further:

• One of the reasons that some people don't like passenger rail is that it's a form of transportation where one must interact with people you don't know. That can be uncomfortable, certainly, but it can also be eye-opening. It's been said that travel, like education, broadens the mind. Some would prefer that people stay at home, where they can be fed lies and propaganda through controlled media, and be convinced to vote their way, or not vote at all. But when people start traveling, they can see "inconvenient truths" for themselves.

So marshal your facts, and spread the word, even to people with different political views. It's not easy, but it is possible to change people's minds.

After marshaling facts from my somewhat broad experience in transportation, I have come to the conclusion that the claim (1) is extremely dubious at best.
As a matter of fact this is the first time I heard anyone even try to claim that there is opposition to funding passenger trains because you "have" to interact with anyone. As PRR sys the nature of interaction is no different between trains and planes on busy corridors.

Now one could argue that some people hate traveling by Amtrak Coach because of the people that they have to sit next to. This of course is equally true for airline too specially given the extreme equalization that has taken place with super low fares, and of course buses even more so. So arguably then people would want to stop funding airlines and buses too, which is hardly the case AFAICT.

So bottom line is I believe that the claim that "One of the reasons that some people don't like passenger rail is that it's a form of transportation where one must interact with people you don't know." is just a "romantic" one, and it applies equally to any other mode of public group transportation or not. Indeed, ones in which you are in much closer proximity of others than on say Amtrak trains, namely commuter and subways are in general better funded with less opposition to funding than is intercity rail. This would be hard to explain using the principle mentioned above.

I think the bottom line is that the enthusiasm for funding something is related more to the perceived need for it more than anything else, and the thing to do is to try to change the perception instead of coming up with fancy other explanations involving interacting with others etc.

 

[CHamilton]

Several people have commented here and elsewhere that "one must interact" with others is an overstatement. You're right, of course.