Re: The stupidity of passengers.

[mstrutt@newsmail.tafensw.edu.au]

In article <36babf88.25460393@news.magna.com.au>, billbolton.REMOVE-To-EMAIL@computer.org (Bill Bolton) writes:
> On 12 Jan 99 11:23:11 +1000, mstrutt@newsmail.tafensw.edu.au wrote:
> 
>>	Five years in India travelling largely on trains.
>>	Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam (the only one worse value 
>>	for money than here).
> 
> ROFL.  Must have been different railways systems than the ones I've
> travelled on in India!

	Lets examine this.

	The two Indian systems I'm most familiar with are Bombay
	urban (say comparable to CR) and the national network
	(comp to CountryLink).

	I must admit that I haven't used the BB urban network
	since the mid-80s and I'm told the Shiv Sena has since
	let it run down a lot, but for cents you can get a ticket
	to anywhere in a city almost as spread out as Sydney.
	When I used it, the rush hour was ridiculously overcrowded,
	but the rest of the day was fine. Ladies and kids had
	special carriages which were less crowded.

	But where it craps on Sydney, is that at any station,
	presuming you can find the right platform (that's as
	bad as here), you will be able to get a train going to
	your destination within minutes and although I'm sure
	it happens at times, I've never had to wait in a motionless
	train *between* stations and only rarely at stations.
	In Sydney this happens every week.

	The national network is far more comfortable and far
	cheaper than CountryLink, with similar reliability
	although much slower of course.

	2nd class reserved sleepers are at least as comfortable
	as NSW trains to sit in, but they're cheaper than NSW
	seats and they're sleepers to boot. There are more
	expensive AC Chair and 1st class seats, but these are
	still much cheaper than economy here. AC chair is
	very similar in comfort to the XPT.

	And you don't have the problems of disgusting, overpriced
	Countrylink food.

	And even with the cultural/language barriers, Indian
	rail staff are far more helpful and informative than
	their Aus counterparts.

	Many travel writers have waxed lyrical about the Indian
	rail system over the years, it's considered one of the
	world's great travel experiences.

	Reckon anyone will ever write that way about Countrylink?

> 
>>	Singapore, though not third world, is a good example
>>	of how an urban rail system should be run.
> 
> That's fine if you are prepared to accept the other attributes that go
> with living under a virtual dictatorship in a police state.
> 

	In spite of the mythology, I don't think Mussolini was
	really a better train man.

	If you can demonstrate a relationship between oppressive
	dictatorships and efficient rail travel you might have
	a point worth making, but considering the service in
	Vietnam & Burma (forgot that one before) I don't think so.

> Cheers,
> 
> Bill
> 
> Bill Bolton
> Sydney, Australia
-- 
							- michael

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