On 3 Jul 2001, at 8:46, David A. Bandel boldly uttered: > Years ago, I suggested to the Senate Transportation Committee in a > letter to them (they either didn't read it or cracked up laughing) that > what we needed was a true, non-nonsense mode of transportation. To wit: > > a system of overhead rails where speed would not endanger lives on the > ground (I envision 60 mph + in the city, up to 500 mph between cities) > > individual cars (4-6 place vehicles) that could be privately owned if > you so desired, or not (why bother except for the socially arrogant) > > totally computer controlled for maximum efficiency and safety (and no > need for humans to interfere and cause accidents) > > What would this buy you? > 1. almost 100% safety -- put your kids in one and they will arrive at > school (and only at school, no intermediate stops) > 2. no more pedestrians run over > 3. you could work (read, watch tv) on the way to home or work > 4. the speed (up to 500 mph) would preclude use of airplanes except for > trans-oceanic or trans-continental travel > 5. access for all > 6. no more car insurance payments (I paid $300/year full coverage in > the states and thought I was being abused, here I pay more than double > that). > 7. no more excuses for being late (OK, that's a disadvantage), because > it would always take exactly 12.5 minutes to get to work regardless of > traffic and route taken (computers would see to that) > 8. cargo could get shuttled off to holding areas during "rush hour" (I > hate fighting semis). > > We've had the technology to do this for over 10 years. But inertia and > interests (insurance companies, gas companies -- wouldn't use gas, would > use solar energy -- etc, would kill it before it could save lives and > fuel; no, better to guzzle gas and kill a 747 load of people a day in > the US than improve the transportation system). There is a company in Europe that is working on just such a system, although it doesn't go 500mph. It's a small electrical car that can travel locally short distances, and then connects with an overhead rail network to travel longer distances. Part of the economy is that when you connect to the rail network, you link up with a "train" of other cars and it all moves more efficiently and with less congestion. (and automatically, so you can kick back and read a book or whatever) -- Philip J. Koenig [EMAIL PROTECTED] Electric Kahuna Systems -- Computers & Communications for the New Millenium _______________________________________________ http://linux.nf -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives, Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, Etc ->http://linux.nf/mailman/listinfo/linux-users
