Microblog Memes

High speed rail would make such a difference. If you tried to make the same trip as pictured with Amtrak, you'd probably be looking at double the travel time at least.

Reminds me of researchers on the ISS getting "hot singles in your area" ads

If you say you're willing to relocate it basically starts giving you job listings on the opposite side of the planet. Usually in a country where the national language doesn't even use the same alphabet.

The Midwest is so flat, it's basically gagging for some tracks all over it.

I imagine the main concern was if there's enough population to use it effectively but that's surely not an issue now.

Lived there, can confirm. Then I visited actual modern countries and they look at a distance like that and are baffled that there hasn't been built a high speed train already. Why would you drive 10 hours when you could sleep, read, or watch TV on a train for 6 hours instead?

Bingo. Especially if you have a group of 3-4 that help split fuel, it's immensely cheaper and arguably more fun. Plus, you're not restricted what you can bring with you, you can stop to eat wherever you like, and you already have personal transport when you arrive. But, like you said, it's really only worth it if you're staying a few days. If you're just going somewhere for a night and need to get back the next day, flight all the way.

People tend to underestimate the scale of the US. The distance from (what appears to be) Oklahoma City to Cincinnati, is roughly the same distance as driving from Brussels to Warsaw.

No way! i did a similar trip but from Paris to Nice. I actually kinda enjoyed it. But that's probably because i enjoy driving.

Sorry but I had an image in my head of you driving wearing a cosplay for more of twelve hours

Midwesterners don't just drive 12 hours for a weekend trip. 8 hours is the max for that

And anyone who thinks otherwise clearly hasn't driven in London

If you want a game that's possibly within driving distance, you're looking at Liverpool v Everton

There is a certain minimum threshold before bothering to take a flight becomes viable, and that's if your flight is about 3 hours long or more. Otherwise you may as well drive if you can, because the amount of time you spend getting to the airport, getting fondled by the TSA, checking in, waiting to board, standing around in lines, waiting for your bags to show up, renting a car at your destination, etc. all adds up to be the same as just driving. It's not actually any faster to fly when it still takes all damn day.

And then you can bring all your knives or weed or liquid bottles more than two ounces or whatever it is you're into without getting thrown into Gitmo and when you arrive you already have your car (or motorcycle).

I need to travel from the east coast to Denver and the only reason I’m flying is because work wouldn’t let me file a mileage expense for a couple thousand dollars.

If it takes 4 hours to drive, I rather take a plane

After 12 hours of driving a car you're exhausted and could've gotten in an accident

If the plane tickets were cheap enough, I wouldn't even think twice.

The key is to split it into two or three days of driving.
One 12 hour stretch of driving is miserable, but I've taken a few days to drive to some remote destinations and when your goal is 4 hours for the day you don't feel any pressure to skip a detour to see something interesting, take a longer lunch or do an extra rest stop just to shake your legs. You just need to set your expectations that the drive is part of the trip and not just the preamble.

In the us: zero passenger train noises

If it was train trips, I think I’d really enjoy them, even if they were 1.5x as long. Legroom, card games with travel mates, traveling to the drinks car, etc.