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May 13, 2015- By Steven E. Greer, MD
As you know, an Amtrak train from Washington to New York derailed and killed seven people, seriously injuring many more. The news is correctly pointing out that Amtrak trains run on very old track that is bumpy. The electric wires overhead are pre-WW2, etc.
It reminds me of a story: A few years ago, I took a date to The White House. She was a plastic surgeon from Texas unaccustomed to East Coast corridor trains. On the way back to New York, she asked me, somewhat appalled but trying to be polite, whether the train was the best way to travel. I explained that CEO’s and all walks of life use the Amtrak system because LaGuardia is even worse. It’s how “we roll” in the East, literally.
I was amused at how a Texan diva who had a snooty Park Avenue job, accustomed to her Rolls Royce ride to work, was shocked by us commoners who use the trains. But she was right. Amtrak is indeed crap, and so are our subways.
I am from Ohio, and like the Texan I also notice more than most East Coasters just how bad are our trains and subways. This is why Uber has been such a huge development for New Yorkers. Eventually, self-driving cars, Uber, or something Elon Musk dreams up will make Amtrak trains obsolete, hopefully.