Public Transportation is Freedom

[@enmorot]

Couldn't agree more with your views on public transportation vs. cars. Building a society where everyone needs to own a car or they're screwed certainly isn't as good as having different options to get around. But the good news is that, while not easy, the US (and Canada) can become less car-centric! It once was! The US was once famous for having the best train network in the world and trains were central to expanding the country westward. I recommend Citynerd's video "The Sad and Awful Way We Destroyed the World's Greatest Passenger Rail" if you're interested.

[@Token_Nerd]

The US already has a train system: If you're in the Northeast (Boston-New Haven-New York City-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Harrisburg), the Train is the preferred way of getting around. There are also a bunch of corridors where the train is a truly competitive option (Sacramento-San Francisco, San Francisco-San Jose-Gilroy, Los Angeles-San Diego, Detroit-Chicago, Chicago-Milwaukee, Chicago-St Louis, Chicago-South Bend, DC-Richmond, Orlando-Miami, Hartford-NYC, NYC-Montauk, Portland-Boston, Buffalo-NYC) Additionally, a lot of stuff is either in planning or under construction for competitive service (Pittsburgh-Philadelphia, Pittsburgh-Cleveland, Cleveland-Detroit, Cleveland-Cincinnati via Columbus, San Francisco/San Jose/Sacramento-LA/Burbank/San Diego, LA-Phoenix/Tucson, Houston-Dallas, Cheyenne-Denver-Colorado Springs, Vancouver-Seattle-Portland, Toronto/Buffalo-NYC, Buffalo-Boston, Chicago-Indianapolis-Cincinnati, Port Huron/Flint-Lansing-Chicago, Saginaw-Flint-Detroit, Grand Rapids-Chicago, New Orleans-Mobile, LA-Las Vegas). All that for about as much as we spend on NASA in a year or 2. It really isn't that much of an investment to get something started, and once something is and its proven viable, the addition of additional infrastructure (better stations, electrification, new rolling stock, more frequent service) is truly not that difficult.

[@rw4578]

I live in Europe and absolutely love training around, i find it very relaxing to just sit, read my books or gawk out of the window. I find it such a nice way to travel.

[@HollowRick]

Same

[@baraclude]

After coming back from Japan, I took the train from EWR to Penn Station in NY. The moment I walked into the Penn Station, I instantly felt depressed.

[@broly259]

I think its vice versa feeling about the public transportation vs car situation. When you lived one way for so long and tried the alternate path it feels different and more freeing. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, people that been living off public transportation for so long might feel the same way about cars and how nice it would be to just hop in and drive. Im personally indifferent, I have my moods lol.

[@ffenixrising]

That's why we need a balance here in the US, we're too car dependent and there aren't enough trains or buses. There are a lot of car owners and drivers that's clogging up the freeways. Plus, some people can't even afford a new car, much less a used car, due to maintenance and gas. And in the near future, cars are only going to be more expensive when states begin banning gas engine cars and electric cars aren't cheap to own. Having more public transportation options will help alleviate all of these problems.

[@broly259]

@@ffenixrising agreed, balance is needed

[@karkroth5123]

Great vlog today! Everything you said made perfect sense to me. A very well informed opinion to have.

[@bobtronic73]

Nice suitcase. Also love the thoughts on differences between countries. As for smartphones, I use mine a lot but not really stuff that needs the latest and best. The only thing that actually intrigues me about the iPhone 15 is the video log profile and ACES support (and the USB-C port 😄)

[@willb1242]

Ugh Robby I took the Amtrack today in America, to Connecticut ... it worked all fine and I chose it over flying, but the seat wasn't fastened right and it jiggled fore and back in a most nauseating fashion ... But I was definitely not gonna do the 4 hr drive instead!

[@BMassey1987]

That’s awesome that you went to Japan again! Was just watching your Japan blogs again! Will we be getting more Japan videos soon?

[@AJKPenguin]

Yeah, that's a Cat Bird. : ) It has a lot of vocalization, yet I believe it mimics a lot of other birds as the Mocking Bird. The suitcase is quite nice. Love the Highway Shield, NZ, and Pope stickers. Public transportation has its place but NYC subways are not what they used to be. I can't car camp in a city bus. ; )

[@EdinburgMSify]

I have been missing you!! Glad to see you're posting again! You are a busy guy!! ♥️

[@jill6694]

Public transportation like in Japan would be nice. We are older and don't like to drive on the highway anymore. We feel like we miss out on fun.

[@thomasmontoya7279]

thats why when people are out in the adventure areas, they dont say hi back when they pass on trail, they are pissed

[@C_M_R]

(11:00) Am I an oddball for primarily watching KZbin videos on a television?

[@SamanthaFl]

I watch on my tv all the time. Oddballs unite✊

[@bethanydueweke7492]

My husband is traveling in Germany, he called me while I was watching this and told me he was accosted for jay walking 😆 no ticket tho 😏

[@festeCanuck]

2:12 Everything is so much safer in Japan (or the Orient generally) Try your public transportation is safer hypothesis in Calgary or Toronto or New York. Good luck with that.

[@lallanuit2984]

From a swiss/european perspective, it's quite terrifiying to see the extent to which the car ''enslaves'' people in the US! In Switzerland, we have trains, bus, subways and trams that take you anywhere at almost anytime of the day/night (not as effective as in Japan though)

[@sago6803]

Love your videos, but I have to disagree about getting the best phone every time. For my latest upgrade I got the Samsung A53 (the budget Samsung phone that they don't even advertise) and it's amazing. The screen is slightly smaller, the resolution is a little bit lower and the cameras are definitely not as good as the flagship phones, but everything else is exactly the same (I actually think it gets more battery life too because it's not using as much power), and this phone is less than half the cost. Unless you are using your phone to record and post videos all the time, I see no reason to get the flagship phone.

[@gyropp]

awesome video, awesome suitcase

[@kreestuh4367]

As someone who lived in Indiana for a couple years: I'd also submit that part of why driving from Ohio to Indiana feels terrible is because there's not much to look at. >_> I would love better trains though for sure. I wouldn't be able to make much use of them as someone who lives in a rural area, but for trips to cities and towns, that would be incredible.

[@КузяКапут]

О как ты прав! Но на машине ты больше увидишь, ты свободен в разных направлениях, у тебя интимная обстановка без чужаков. А в остальном ты прав.

[@tommybewick]

Freedom is not responding to my phone that is just responding to your videos!

[@Norfirio]

Robby Huang, welcome to the War on Cars (look up that phrase if you're confused 😀)

[@KREPTiiK_]

Not me watching this on my iPhone and I’ve been thinking about upgrading to the new one that just came out. Lol

[@thomasmontoya7279]

so true

[@JJomoro]

I have the same feeling about trains but for Africa. We will never experience it too.

[@mr.badpita]

Based take! I agree that the USA has horrific transportation. Sadly, profit is what moves the USA.

[@ZXD318]

Sponsored by Shoddy Public Transportation & Apple

[@esgee3829]

Europe says hi - we have that freedom. Come visit!

[@MilesDeep]

There is a lot of NotJustBikes energy coming from this video. I think that you have taken the orange pill my friend.

[@gmonteith]

Another reason that 3 hours seems so long is because there's NOTHING to see between Indy and C-bus.

[@theonlynikki27]

I’ve made the drive from Columbus to Indianapolis so many times. It’s brutally boring because it’s the least interesting parts of both states.

[@dominiqueroy1495]

I live in Ottawa. Home of the OCTranspo LRT. That is NOT freedom. When it started, and started breaking down, with not enough buses to cover the shortfall, giving you over 2-hour commutes home when it should have been 45 minutes, in the dead of winter at -30 Celcius, you do NOT feel freed.

[@dominiqueroy1495]

@@niebieskaniania I certainly wasn't implying that at all. There's a bigger picture here. Our light rail plan is now an international joke. The chose a system that breaks down when temperatures go under -20C, and stuck it in the national capital of CANADA, of all places. If you lean on the doors, they break. The cabins where the driver sit are not heated. The train has derailed, several times, since the system was implemented in 2019. I meant that a system that is not implemented correctly, that causes anxiety to the commuters who are forced to use it because they have no choice, is not freedom. I would absolutely love to have one that works! Japan takes great prides in its public transit system, deservedly so! I wish ours was just as efficient, just as safe, just as successful. That's all. Maybe I should have put the emphasis elsewhere, as in "THAT is not freedom". I was complaining about the OCTranspo LRT specifically, not public transit as a whole. Hope that answers your question!

[@manuelku6337]

and yet lots of japanese drive every day

[@manuelku6337]

japanese in kansai jaywalk all the time

[@jhuang9806]

Duh multiply 100 times

[@austindale5548]

Give the u.s. another two decades and every car will be a self-driving. Just use your app to call a driverless Uber and your on your way.

[@tommybewick]

Obviously you do all the driving. All your complaints about travel and wanting to take a train are related to the fact that you're doing all the driving!!! You need to enlist other people in your party like Andrew, Brian and Thomas to drive!!