Elon Musk admits that he actively tried to sabotage High Speed Rail projects

[matrixman124]

 

[scoobdog]

That asshole is on the precipice of complete and utter collapse.

[1pooh4u]

Why do we have such a hard time with HSR anyway. It’s all over Europe and Asia. Wtf is our problem and why did Musk want to be a walking turd and sabotage it?

[matrixman124]

3 minutes ago, 1pooh4u said:

Why do we have such a hard time with HSR anyway. It’s all over Europe and Asia. Wtf is our problem and why did Musk want to be a walking turd and sabotage it?

He's actively competing with it as a car company owner. So sabotaging HSR would get people to buy more of his cars.

[scoobdog]

FWIW, no one believed his hyperloop idea was serious.

[matrixman124]

1 minute ago, scoobdog said:

FWIW, no one believed his hyperloop idea was serious.

I don't know, man. People have done some very stupid shit in Silicon Valley and somehow making a private subway for cars is not the stupidest.

[stilgar]

14 minutes ago, 1pooh4u said:

Why do we have such a hard time with HSR anyway. 

Oil and automotive lobby.

[scoobdog]

4 minutes ago, matrixman124 said:

I don't know, man. People have done some very stupid shit in Silicon Valley and somehow making a private subway for cars is not the stupidest.

It was entirely theoretical.  

[matrixman124]

2 minutes ago, scoobdog said:

It was entirely theoretical.  

Theranos's blood test machine was theoretical and they sold it to commercial retailers even though the product didn't actually exist. I would say that is stupider because they actually tried to make it even though phlebotomists told Elizabeth Holmes that it was literally impossible.

Edited August 11, 2022 by matrixman124

[scoobdog]

1 minute ago, matrixman124 said:

Theranos's blood test machine was theoretical and they sold it to commercial retailers even though the product didn't actually exist. I would say that is stupider because they actually tried to make it even though phlebotomists told Elizabeth Holmes that it was literally impossible.

You're selling that particular fraud short.  They actually falsified test data for that. 

Hyperloop has never been anything other than the musing of another fraud.

[matrixman124]

1 minute ago, scoobdog said:

You're selling that particular fraud short.  They actually falsified test data for that. 

Hyperloop has never been anything other than the musing of another fraud.

Yeah but they wasted the money on that bullshit hence why they had to falsify data - to make it look like all that money wasn't being wasted.

Musk didn't need to spend a cent on his bullshit.

[1pooh4u]

14 minutes ago, stilgar said:

Oil and automotive lobby.

I fuckin hate our country 

[1pooh4u]

27 minutes ago, matrixman124 said:

He's actively competing with it as a car company owner. So sabotaging HSR would get people to buy more of his cars.

I hope his business goes bankrupt. No one should by his rare metal mining rodent buffet of a car 

[cyberbully]

2 hours ago, 1pooh4u said:

I hope his business goes bankrupt. No one should by his rare metal mining rodent buffet of a car 

I wonder how much it is to repair one of those...Because the transmission went out on the Hybrid I had a while ago and they were like about 4 stacks.  I only paid 2400 for the car (which I know why now) So I scrapped it.....So I imagine something fucks up in a Tesla, you are royally fucked.

[1pooh4u]

9 hours ago, cyberbully said:

I wonder how much it is to repair one of those...Because the transmission went out on the Hybrid I had a while ago and they were like about 4 stacks.  I only paid 2400 for the car (which I know why now) So I scrapped it.....So I imagine something fucks up in a Tesla, you are royally fucked.

Yup especially since you have to go through Tesla for parts and maintenance. Idt you can drive to any mechanic and say “fix my Tesla” I think it’s an expensive pia from what I heard.  The mechanic has to be Tesla certified that probably means if you go just anywhere some warranties are gonna probably be voided. Idk that as fact but Musk is such a dick I can see his company  doing that 

https://chrisamatosbodywerks.com/tesla-repair/

[Sawdy]

Autistic CEOs are hilarious

[matrixman124]

10 minutes ago, Sawdy said:

Autistic CEOs are hilarious

I imagine the autistic community despises him

[Sawdy]

14 minutes ago, matrixman124 said:

I imagine the autistic community despises him

I would hope so… because he believe his seed can cure the earth

[1pooh4u]

37 minutes ago, Sawdy said:

Autistic CEOs are hilarious

Is he legit autistic or is that some sort of diagnosis he gave himself so he can have an excuse to be a narcissistic piece of trash?

[1pooh4u]

39 minutes ago, Sawdy said:

Autistic CEOs are hilarious

His seed isn’t compromised with autism?

[Sawdy]

16 minutes ago, 1pooh4u said:

Is he legit autistic or is that some sort of diagnosis he gave himself so he can have an excuse to be a narcissistic piece of trash?

Who knows, he self identifies… but he’s also a psychopath… so who knows

[Sawdy]

15 minutes ago, 1pooh4u said:

His seed isn’t compromised with autism?

I’d imagine… but maybe Grimes can answer that

[1pooh4u]

14 minutes ago, Sawdy said:

I’d imagine… but maybe Grimes can answer that

I bet she would spill all the tea too she already said he had her and their kids living in a dilapidated tiny home.  She should have no problems telling us his sperm is full of apartheid and lies 

[1pooh4u]

16 minutes ago, Sawdy said:

Who knows, he self identifies… but he’s also a psychopath… so who knows

So he’s not autistic and used the illness as an excuse because he thinks individuals suffering from autism all act like uncaring jack offs. He’s an insult to the neuro-divergent  

[Sawdy]

Just now, 1pooh4u said:

So he’s not autistic and used the illness as an excuse because he thinks individuals suffering from autism all act like uncaring jack offs. He’s an insult to the neuro-divergent  

I’m not a doctor, I just play one on tv

[1pooh4u]

1 minute ago, Sawdy said:

I’m not a doctor, I just play one on tv

Me too. Pay ain’t great but the assumptions are delicious 

[Master-Debater131]

14 hours ago, scoobdog said:

FWIW, no one believed his hyperloop idea was serious.

Not entirely true. I took the concept seriously, but not because of him. There is another company in my area that is not connected to Musk that has leased land from a toll road to build a segment of test track.

 

So while Musk may have pushed it to spike HSR, there are others out there who are actually trying to pursue the technology.

[Master-Debater131]

14 hours ago, 1pooh4u said:

Why do we have such a hard time with HSR anyway.

A lot of reasons really.  Theres intense lobbying from the Airline industry to kill any HSR projects because its a direct threat to their business model. The US is far more spread out than other countries, and our population density shows it. The few routes where HSR would really work also include some of the highest land prices in the country. So that drives cost way up. Then theres the other costs of building HSR. For added fun, a lot of the places that make the most sense for HSR also have the most NIMBYs. So they get super active for HSR, just not where they live.

Culturally, rail doesnt have a great history in modern America. Even though the transcontinental railroad is iconic in our history, modern rail isnt looked on as highly. So that depresses the public demand for big expensive HSR projects.

Logistics and scale also matter. A few HSR lines scattered throughout the country, and that dont really get into the heart of big cities, doesnt make a lot of sense. Theres plenty of places that make sense for HSR, but they have to all be built and connected for it to really make sense. If you are trying to get from LA to NY you would need a full network of lines. It doesnt make sense to take HSR to Vegas, then fly from Vegas to somewhere like Chicago, then take HSR from Chicago to NY. You would just hop on a plane and fly at that point.

 

Im all for a true national network of HSR, but the logistics and challenges of it really make it a tough build. It also requires political will, and accountability, that just doesnt exist at a Federal level anymore.

[1pooh4u]

1 minute ago, Master-Debater131 said:

A lot of reasons really.  Theres intense lobbying from the Airline industry to kill any HSR projects because its a direct threat to their business model. The US is far more spread out than other countries, and our population density shows it. The few routes where HSR would really work also include some of the highest land prices in the country. So that drives cost way up. Then theres the other costs of building HSR. For added fun, a lot of the places that make the most sense for HSR also have the most NIMBYs. So they get super active for HSR, just not where they live.

Culturally, rail doesnt have a great history in modern America. Even though the transcontinental railroad is iconic in our history, modern rail isnt looked on as highly. So that depresses the public demand for big expensive HSR projects.

Logistics and scale also matter. A few HSR lines scattered throughout the country, and that dont really get into the heart of big cities, doesnt make a lot of sense. Theres plenty of places that make sense for HSR, but they have to all be built and connected for it to really make sense. If you are trying to get from LA to NY you would need a full network of lines. It doesnt make sense to take HSR to Vegas, then fly from Vegas to somewhere like Chicago, then take HSR from Chicago to NY. You would just hop on a plane and fly at that point.

 

Im all for a true national network of HSR, but the logistics and challenges of it really make it a tough build. It also requires political will, and accountability, that just doesnt exist at a Federal level anymore.

Why can’t we convert Amtrak and other existing interstate rails to HSR?  We have existing tracks of course I suspect that would be labor intensive and require stopping service for a time, but the pains might be worth it in the end. If I can go from Paris to London in 90 minutes than why not get from NYC to Boston or DC in an hour

[Master-Debater131]

1 minute ago, 1pooh4u said:

Why can’t we convert Amtrak and other existing interstate rails to HSR?  We have existing tracks of course I suspect that would be labor intensive and require stopping service for a time, but the pains might be worth it in the end. If I can go from Paris to London in 90 minutes than why not get from NYC to Boston or DC in an hour

Thats a problem with construction, engineering, and the materials required. HSR requires ultra-precise engineering and more expensive and precise materials. Your standard rail that Amtrak uses doesnt require that same level of engineering. So you would basically be completely removing current Amtrak rail and converting it to HSR rail. That could work, but then you are taking that rail out of service for non-HSR uses.

Amtrak also leases some rail from the freight companies. And there is no chance in hell they will give up their lines. Those old rail companies are some of the most powerful in the country. Probably behind only water boards in terms of raw "we dont care what you say, we are doing it this way" power. We wanted to lease some of the existing freight rails out here for some light rail and were told that we could, but the freight companies would not alter their schedule to make room for any light rail passenger trains. Theres absolutely nothing that we can do to force the issue because of how powerful those companies, and the laws behind them, are.

[1pooh4u]

And yet we can bulldoze entire neighborhoods if they’re in a location where we all would benefit from a highway 🙄

[Insipid]

Just now, 1pooh4u said:

And yet we can bulldoze entire neighborhoods if they’re in a location where we all would benefit from a highway 🙄

It's all about cars here. It's such a shame. There are many old train towns here in PA, and the nice thing about them is that they are very centralized and walkable.

I don't think car-dependent suburbia is sustainable, especially in a country as vast as the US, but I suppose that's another topic.

[Master-Debater131]

1 minute ago, 1pooh4u said:

And yet we can bulldoze entire neighborhoods if they’re in a location where we all would benefit from a highway 🙄

Theres a lot more political will to add lanes to a highway than to build HSR from scratch. Its also a lot cheaper to add lanes to a highway than to build HSR.

[1pooh4u]

14 minutes ago, Master-Debater131 said:

Theres a lot more political will to add lanes to a highway than to build HSR from scratch. Its also a lot cheaper to add lanes to a highway than to build HSR.

It’s not more expensive in the long term however and less cars and less planes would be better for the environment. HSR is cleaner and can carry more people than most other forms of transit maybe even more than ALL OTHER transportation 

[1pooh4u]

17 minutes ago, Insipid said:

It's all about cars here. It's such a shame. There are many old train towns here in PA, and the nice thing about them is that they are very centralized and walkable.

I don't think car-dependent suburbia is sustainable, especially in a country as vast as the US, but I suppose that's another topic.

Don’t even get me started on the blight that is the suburbs. Unsustainable lawns unsafe pedestrian pathways and boring af with its lack of diversity 

[Master-Debater131]

3 minutes ago, 1pooh4u said:

It’s not more expensive in the long term however and less cars and less planes would be better for the environment. HSR is cleaner and can carry more people than most other forms of transit maybe even more than ALL OTHER transportation 

That assumes that anyone in government cares about the long-term.  I totally get it. HSR absolutely is a better form of transportation, but its a long-term thing that our elected leaders just dont have the will for anymore.  If we tried to launch NASA and get to the Moon today it would be laughed off and never go anywhere.

I would absolutely love it if I could hop on a train and be in Vegas a couple hours later. A current flight is 90 minutes, but its like a 5 hour ordeal when you count all of the BS that goes into flying.  Do you know how much more often I, and likely many others, would travel and vacation if we had true HSR? The economic benefits radically outweigh the costs. But its all in abstract terms, and those terms dont sell when your trying to convince people that the initial cost makes sense.

 

Im all for trains.  I want more of them from local, to commuter, to national HSR.  Theres just no real will to think big anymore. Its really depressing honestly.

[1pooh4u]

This is what happens when, what is it? 10% of the people control 90% of the wealth.  Maybe it’s even worse than that. I hate it here. 

[Raptorpat]

There was a politico magazine article back during the Scott Walker days about how Wisconsin was willing to spend like $3b on a mega interchange to save commuters 3 minutes in travel time, but was unwilling to invest $500k in a basic downtown light rail system where the residents don't own cars. I'ma have to find it because it's exactly what you're talking about.

[Insipid]

8 minutes ago, 1pooh4u said:

This is what happens when, what is it? 10% of the people control 90% of the wealth.  Maybe it’s even worse than that. I hate it here. 

I believe there are countries with worse inequalities that still have much better public transportation than us. It's also that our economy is highly dependent on oil.

[1pooh4u]

18 minutes ago, Insipid said:

I believe there are countries with worse inequalities that still have much better public transportation than us. It's also that our economy is highly dependent on oil.

Don’t you think that’s because in nations with more income inequality they are usually run by despots that want to leave a lasting legacy to their rule?   Maybe curry favor of the people?  No one gaf over here if it means someone with everything is gonna make a little less. 

[1pooh4u]

Musk should be forced to pay for HSR in any state where he killed it with promises of a hyper loop he was never gonna construct.  That should learn him. 

[stilgar]

2 hours ago, 1pooh4u said:

And yet we can bulldoze entire neighborhoods if they’re in a location where we all would benefit from a highway 🙄

Especially if they are minority neighborhoods.

[stilgar]

2 hours ago, Master-Debater131 said:

Theres a lot more political will to add lanes to a highway than to build HSR from scratch. Its also a lot cheaper to add lanes to a highway than to build HSR.

Adding lanes to highways only cause more traffic. 

[Sawdy]

1 minute ago, stilgar said:

Especially if they are minority neighborhoods.

But the plans were on display…”
“On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them.”
“That’s the display department.”
“With a flashlight.”
“Ah, well, the lights had probably gone.”
“So had the stairs.”
“But look, you found the notice, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” said Arthur, “yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.

[katt_goddess]

3 hours ago, 1pooh4u said:

Why can’t we convert Amtrak and other existing interstate rails to HSR?  We have existing tracks of course I suspect that would be labor intensive and require stopping service for a time, but the pains might be worth it in the end. If I can go from Paris to London in 90 minutes than why not get from NYC to Boston or DC in an hour

If you tried to grease and fire Amtrak to HSR standards, they'd have to legally change their name to YeetTrak. 

Survivors get a free t-shirt at the end of every trip that makes it.

[scoobdog]

4 hours ago, Master-Debater131 said:

Thats a problem with construction, engineering, and the materials required. HSR requires ultra-precise engineering and more expensive and precise materials. Your standard rail that Amtrak uses doesnt require that same level of engineering. So you would basically be completely removing current Amtrak rail and converting it to HSR rail. That could work, but then you are taking that rail out of service for non-HSR uses.

Amtrak also leases some rail from the freight companies. And there is no chance in hell they will give up their lines. Those old rail companies are some of the most powerful in the country. Probably behind only water boards in terms of raw "we dont care what you say, we are doing it this way" power. We wanted to lease some of the existing freight rails out here for some light rail and were told that we could, but the freight companies would not alter their schedule to make room for any light rail passenger trains. Theres absolutely nothing that we can do to force the issue because of how powerful those companies, and the laws behind them, are.

If i recall correctly, Amtrak doesn't own any track.  They frequently have issues with being on-schedule for this reason.

More importantly, freight traffic tends to take up 70-80% of the traffic on those lines, especially the closer  you get to a major terminal, like a port.  Traffic in the Los Angeles area is heavily congested just by the sheer number of cargo containers that are being shipped out from the Port of LA and Long Beach.

[Top Gun]

I know some of the issues on the Northeast Corridor (the highest-traffic route Amtrak runs) are not only the age of the tracks they run on, but the fact that there are too many and too narrow curves for them to go nearly as fast as the Acela trains are physically capable of going at many parts. Plus after doing a bit of digging there's a stretch of the line from New York to Connecticut that isn't directly controlled by Amtrak, so they're basically at the mercy of the freight company that owns it as far as scheduling and speed limits go.

[scoobdog]

Just from watching what California is doing for as far as tracks, it's kind of easy to see why it would be impossible to repurpose existing track lines.  Even in the wide open expanses of the Central Valley the existing rail lines are anything but straight.

[scoobdog]

Fun watch....

https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2022/08/11/nightcap-inflation-electric-cars-elon-musk-full-orig.cnn

Another of his "great ideas" isn't quite living up to the hype.  In case anyone wonders, there is a working test tunnel near SpaceX headquarters in Hawethorne.

[discolé monade]

here's a naive idea, how about big gas companies turn over their profits (even just one quarter earnings) a year, and put that towards high speed rail?