Posted on 08/24/2010 7:21:33 PM PDT by KevinDavis
WASHINGTON - Even as frustrated Amtrak and commuter rail passengers wondered for hours where their delayed trains were, the rail company chose to return media phone calls, rather than update its Twitter or website about the massive power failure that stopped trains in its busy Northeast Corridor.
"We apologize if anyone felt inconvenienced. We responded as quickly as we could," Amtrak spokesperson Karina Romero told WTOP.
"We were returning media calls as quickly as we could," says Romero. "Unfortunately when this happens during a rush hour, the number of phone calls can be overwhelming."
(Excerpt) Read more at wtop.com ...
Ping.
Since I won’t suffer the indignities of flying anymore, I guess I’ll just stick with driving from now on.
BTW, used to be when they had some problem like this every single passenger didn't have a cellphone! It's no wonder their information lines got bogged down!
WillieGreen unavailable for comment...
We have our priorities, y'know.
The system was installed between New York and Wilmington in 1933, Wilmington to Washington in 1935, and Philadelphia to Harrisburg in 1938. It's in need of moderization, like the new wire and system installed between New Haven and Boston in 1999.
It won't be cheap.
Big deal, this happens to airplanes all the time. A plane will stall and get stuck in an air corridor and just hang there for hours until a crew can climb up to the aircraft and tow it out of the way.
Besides, it's not like aircraft can just go around an obstacle, like track bound trains! The coolest thing about trains is that you can divert them to other train stations! In fact, in an emergency you can clear a nearby highway and park them there!
/SARC
Me too. That's why I drive. Unlike train passengers, I can alter my rout.
I'll ping him....
No problem. We'll use other people's money (OPM)! Here's Willie to tell us how!
Since 1972, Amtrak, an agency of the United States Government, has owned the line. The government, in its own way, issues bonds to cover everything it does. So no matter who owns the Northeast Corridor, it will take other people's money to upgrade it.
Obama’s stash.
1 - Race Card. If you don't agree with his imbecile AMTRAK boondoggles you're a racist.
2 - “Shut up, Noob!” I've seen him use this within the last four months against a FReeper with a 2003 sign up date.
3 - “I've posted more articles than you!” This is reminiscent of the elephant arguing it is more intelligent than the dolphin because it produces a higher volume of excrement. To be fair, Willie certainly posts a lot of crap.
4 - “The Teresa Heinz Kerry.” When John Kerry ran for the presidency, Teresa argued that if you disagreed with her husband's health care plan you were “stupid.” Willie says, you're stupid if you don't like railroad boondoggles.
5 - Baloney. Oddly enough, this is the closest thing Willie has to a coherent argument.
I agree. Choo-Choo trains are where it’s at!
Don’t give the govt any ideas! They will come up with one powered by ethanol!
Why not ox drawn wagon trains? What have you got against hoofed mammals?
>Even if the Pennsylvania Railroad still existed, the cost of renewing the caternary and AC electric system would be so great that the Pennsy would have to issue bonds to cover the costs. This would require other people’s money as filtered through Wall Street.
>Since 1972, Amtrak, an agency of the United States Government, has owned the line. The government, in its own way, issues bonds to cover everything it does. So no matter who owns the Northeast Corridor, it will take other people’s money to upgrade it.
Wow, what an amazingly shallow analysis. I mean, I’d like to hope this was sarcasm, but I don’t see any traces of it.
Those investors in the private railroad are voluntarily making that investment, and will only do it if they expect to make a return on it. The taxpayers (who will pay off those bonds, it’s not like Amtrack runs at a profit) do not have a choice in the matter, and do not get a return on the money they are forced to put in.
You might want to check out the word ‘coercion’ in the dictionary.
I’d rather hear a train go “choo-choo”, than “moo-moo”.
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