My brother tried to leave work early today. Unfortunately NJ Transit shares tracks with Amtrak. 1st train canceled. 2nd train canceled. 3rd train boarded but then it went the wrong way and took him to Queens. I think he ended up going back to Penn and going to the Rangers game with a friend.

Major snowstorm my ass. Five inches. Five goddamn-date-ending-weather-channel-farking-bullshiat-dusting inches.

11am: "Yep, it'll start snowing around noon today."
Noon: "We're expecting snow to start around 3 today, with the first few hours of snow being 1"-2" per hour."
5pm: "We're not sure what is happening right now. Half of us are drunk on tequila and farking Professor Bobo the gorilla from MST3K wearing nothing but leopard-print spandex. Check back soon."
9pm: "Well, Tim threw up on the computers, so right now we're having some problems with the radar. Expect the night temperatures to hit a low of 800 Kelvin with low visability due to what appears to be Leonardo DiCaprio riding a dog who just happens to be having sex with a Furby."

I have personally coined an expression to that effect:

"Don't push fate. Fate will push back"

I was supposed to be on Train 48 lakeshore limited from Chicago to NYC last night. Instead the car that my cabin was in didn't have heat. So they said, "well you can go coach". Yeah right, 18 hours with two young kids in coach.

So I took a full refund, and got a hotel and flight out the next morning for less money.

The point was, they didn't even say sorry, or do anything nice like comp me a meal or a hotel.

The airlines know they have to take care of their top 10% travelers who provide them with most of their profits.

Now, I'm not rich so I am not a first class plane traveler, but I love the train and the adventures with my kids, so I am quite sure I am one of Amtrak's most profitable customers.

But, they just don't care. That's government for you, and it's coming to health care.

You folks can keep your snow and your commuter trains and your crowded cities. But you keep right on laughing at us stupid Floridians because we aren't smart enough to appreciate your wonderful way of life.

skwerl: You folks can keep your snow and your commuter trains and your crowded cities. But you keep right on laughing at us stupid Floridians because we aren't smart enough to appreciate your wonderful way of life.



/lived in Florida for 12 years
//every state has its ups and downs in weather

The answer is to dissolve Amtrak.

If you don't tempt fate then you'll remain a pussy the rest of your life. Take a chance.

BiffDangler:

But, they just don't care. That's government for you, and it's coming to health care.

I know I shouldn't feed the fauna, but what the hell.
I don't believe hospitals offer rewards or frequent visitor programs like the airline industry.
Your comparison is a bit of a stretch.

/SOSHULISM IS COMING FOR YUR FREEDOMS!

I did it ironically, so I think I'm okay . . .


/ later that day . . .

It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!




/not obscure, but goddamn I'm getting old

moondo: If you don't tempt fate then you'll remain a pussy the rest of your life. Take a chance.

Normally I wear protection, but then I thought, "When am I gonna make it back to Haiti?"

Lyn Hunt and four family members had been traveling since Saturday - or trying to. Their trip to New York from England had to be rerouted through Chicago because of the snowstorm that swept up the East Coast over the weekend, and was further delayed by the Amtrak delays.

Being rerouted halfway across the country and put on a train kind of sucks. Besides they have to deal with O'Hare.

Stop funding Amtrak!

Yeah, tons of cancellations before, during, and after the storm. Brag about that.

/dnrtfa

Amtrak made the VT/NH papers a few days ago when one of its trains hit a car, killing both passengers. My brother was supposed to be on that train but instead waited around for hours before eventually being put on a bus.

Sketch Artist: Amtrak made the VT/NH papers a few days ago when one of its trains hit a car, killing both passengers. My brother was supposed to be on that train but instead waited around for hours before eventually being put on a bus.

The train only had two passengers on it? No wonder Amtrack is losing money.

Good show indeed - an excellent point. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Amtrak is losing money for that reason.

Panty Sniffer: Sketch Artist: Amtrak made the VT/NH papers a few days ago when one of its trains hit a car, killing both passengers. My brother was supposed to be on that train but instead waited around for hours before eventually being put on a bus.

The train only had two passengers on it? No wonder Amtrack is losing money.

Win.

006andahalf: The answer is to dissolve Amtrak.

In battery acid.

As a person who took an Amtrak train yesterday from NYC to Greensboro, NC, I'm getting a kick out of this article.

/3 hours late

006andahalf: The answer is to dissolve Amtrak.

And replace it with what, though?

I was only stuck an hour before they finally brought us back to Newark to catch the path trains.
/3 hr. commute
/aveage for NJTransitandgonowhere

Phone_Answering_Monkey: 006andahalf: The answer is to dissolve Amtrak.

And replace it with what, though?

Freight trains + paragliders + cab ride from the rail yard to the hotel = bugmn99 is rich. Where are my VC's?

006andahalf: The answer is to dissolveprivatize Amtrak.

The power outage only lasted 3 hours and all trains are back on schedule per Amtrak.

Amtrak >>>>>> private airlines, highways

I take Amtrak daily. This week has been pathetic. My usual train has been cancelled every single day this week. Other trains I could take are at least an hour late. Power outage today caused
me to get to work 3 hours late. They blame the weather. It snowed four days ago, you see. NJ transit trains that run over the same tracks are fine (except for today's clusterfark, courtesy of Amtrak) Amtrak is incredibly mismanaged. They need to be split into smaller private companies. Either that or pave over the tracks and run express buses over them.

Damnnit all to hell, Amtrak, I just need you to work for my trip from Boston to NJ - stop thumbing your nose at fate!

Phone_Answering_Monkey: 006andahalf: The answer is to dissolve Amtrak.

And replace it with what, though?

Nothing, if the market doesn't demand it, and clearly it doesn't. It's a big-government boondoggle. Don't even bother with 'compelling national interests' -- that's all just obfuscation of the real purpose of it all.

toosleepy: NJ transit trains that run over the same tracks are fine


You lost it there. All NJ Transit trains have to wait for AmCrak Buttfarkers on the NorEast corridor into the tunnel

toosleepy: They need to be split into smaller private companies.

That's what Amtrak is. Amtrak is a culmination of all the unprofitable routes from private industry. Thus, by definiton, Amtrak is a money pit.

ijustam: toosleepy: They need to be split into smaller private companies.

That's what Amtrak is. Amtrak is a culmination of all the unprofitable routes from private industry. Thus, by definiton, Amtrak is a money pit.

Worse than that, they also absorb liabilities that freight train companies incur in lawsuits and such.

Normally, I'm pro-amtrak, but now that they're trying to f' up the ski train (privately owned) by demanding terrorism insurance, I think Amtrak can just go to hell.

moondo: If you don't tempt fate then you'll remain a pussy the rest of your life. Take a chance.

MMMMMM mmmmm...
Now that's good Pussy...



/hotlinked for freshness

I took a train to Iowa from Va (getting a kick....) and I think it was a fine way to travel. Kinda long but still cheeper than flying and less TSAness.

Sketch Artist: Amtrak made the VT/NH papers a few days ago when one of its trains hit a car, killing both passengers.

You mean when a car got in the way of the train. It's not hard to figure out where those things are going to be.

I just missed this by taking an earlier train. A colleague didn't make it in until 12:30.

Amtrak - quit taking all our money, but more importantly - quit taking my farking time.

/assholes

I was stuck just seCAUCus nj for 90 mim before they backed the train up and left everyone off to take njtransit to bohoken and ride the path into nyc. This was after my original train from Baltimore was delayed so I upgraded to the accela. WasNt delivered to my destination. Got in quite late. First bad exp with Amtrak. Aside from bolt bus what other options are there?