10-10-15 Hodgepodge

A Bus for Thee, a Car for Me

Apparently, most people who vote for government transit don't use it:

Every transit advocate knows this timeless Onion headline: "98 Percent of U.S. Commuters Favor Public Transportation for Others." But the underlying truth that makes this line so funny also makes it a little concerning: enthusiasm for public transportation far, far outweighs the actual use of it. Last week, for instance, the American Public Transportation Association reported that 74 percent of people support more mass transit spending. But only 5 percent of commuters travel by mass transit. This support, in other words, is largely for others. [format edits, links omitted]

The article proposes a hideous remedy to this situation, by the way.

I will probably end up using commuter rail after our upcoming move, but I wish public transit systems were still privately run for profit. I am the opposite of most voters: I eagerly use trains when I can, but oppose government ownership or control.

Weekend Reading

"People are often afraid to face their emotions, so instead of doing something about it, they escape into the fleeting distraction of addictive pleasure." -- Michael Hurd, in "When Moderation Does Not Work With Addiction" at The Delaware Wave

"There's no point diagnosing someone with a problem if they're unwilling to do anything about it." -- Michael Hurd, in "'I Can't Live This Way': Rediscovering The Power of No" at The Delaware Coast Press

"The 97 percent claim is a deliberate misrepresentation designed to intimidate the public -- and numerous scientists whose papers were [counted] protested." -- Alex Epstein, in "'97% of Climate Scientists Agree' Is 100% Wrong" at Forbes

Psychological Projection Meets "Empathy"

The below caused an expensive network outage:

I saw this cable lying there, and no one was using it. I saw two free ports and put it in them, so it wouldn't feel useless.

You can't make up stuff like this...

-- CAV