Obviously, I love trains. I would not have started this blog or my Asian one if that was the case. However, I am disturbed by the attitude exhibited by some train supporters in the US, particularly the way some people look down on bus riders. A good transit system serves walkers, people who take the bus, bikers, and people who take the train. In fact, some people do all four.
In most successful transit systems, buses carry many more people than trains. Buses are more flexible and can be used to carry people to and from dispersed locations. Trains are a cost effective way to carry large numbers of people who want to along the same route.
It is especially interesting that some Americans think that trains are inherently more classy than buses because in Korea the opposite is the case. The chattering classes take buses, especially the intercity kind, while trains are for people trying to save money, the disabled, and environmentalists. The truly rich drive.
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