Re: [OT] Lazy Inefficient European Socialist Losers?

From: Charles Edmondson (edmondson_at_ieee.org)
Date: 08/20/04 

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2004 08:31:34 -0700

Jim Thompson wrote:

> On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 11:14:36 -0400, Keith <krw@att.bizzzz> wrote:
>
>
>>On Sun, 15 Aug 2004 13:16:39 +0200, Frank Bemelman wrote:
>>
>
> [snip]
>
>>Pay for roads out of user fees.
>>
>>
>>>I am not against tax at all. However, I don't always find it rationally
>>>how they are calculated and don't always agree with the name tags. And I
>>>hate it when they are spend on other issues, like road tax not being
>>>spend on new roads or maintenance of them.
>>
>>Agreed! Also, highway taxes spent on mass transportation.
>
>
> Mass transportation is not always the best solution for every locale.
>
> They're trying to do mass transit here in Phoenix, but Phoenix is so
> sprawling (we're not packed together like sardines as they are in
> Boston or New York) that the estimated tax-payer-paid subsidy, over
> and above the fare, would be $12.50 per "boarding".
>
> At that rate it would be cheaper to simply buy the poor people a car.
>
> One "successful" mass transit idea that *is* working here is
> "Dial-A-Ride". Call the bus company and they come pick you up in a
> small "bus" and take you wherever you want to go, for "free". Working
> great for the elderly poor.
>
> ...Jim Thompson
Hi Jim,
My wife is a big user of para-transit. Since she is blind, if I can't
give her a ride, that is what she is stuck with.

While neither of the two local systems she uses is free, they are a lot
cheaper than a cab ride (which she uses fairly often, too!) But the big
problem is always what hoops you have to go through to use them! The
city program requires a MINIMUM of 24 hours notice, which is practice is
actually 48 hours (you call, ask for a ride, and they will get back to
you TOMORROW if they can accomodate you!) which basically means cross
your fingers, and don't hold your breath. In practice, this means you
need to call 2 weeks in advance to have a 80% chance of actually using
the service.

The county system is more likely to get you a ride, but they require
that you give them a 40 minute window on pickups. So, if you need to go
to an appointment at 11, and it take you 20 minutes to get there, they
will schedule to pick you up between 9:50 and 10:30. Oh, and you have
to be AT THE CURB for that entire block of time, not waiting just
inside. Lots of fun in either the rain, or in the hot sunshine when you
are disabled and can't see that there is shade or shelter 10 feet to the
left. One of the reasons we have a bench on our porch...

But, it is a whole lot better than not being able to get there at all! 

-- 
Charlie
--
Edmondson Engineering
Unique Solutions to Unusual Problems
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