California's Prop 1A --- Impending Doom

[Caliga]

As well as the 95% of other taxpayers that don't ride the train.

So explain to me why that means passengers trains should be lower priority than freight trains.

My line of reasoning is basically that Breyers is going to pay CSX for corn syrup delivery even if it's late (though they may demand some sort of credit).  OTOH, if passenger commuter trains are consistently late, it's going to drive customers away and eventually drive the MBTA out of business.  Although it's government subsidized, it is (or at least when I lived there) under constant pressure to be profitable, like Amtrak, under threat of closure... and the commuter lines HAVE been shut down before (in the 1970s) due to continual operating losses.

Also, I think it's less of an issue if a load of corn syrup is late for the ice cream factory than if 5,000 people are late for work.  I know from having been to that place that they stockpile corn syrup anyways, so what gets shipped in probably ends up not even being used for a while.

[alfred russel]

As well as the 95% of other taxpayers that don't ride the train.

So explain to me why that means passengers trains should be lower priority than freight trains.

My line of reasoning is basically that Breyers is going to pay CSX for corn syrup delivery even if it's late (though they may demand some sort of credit).  OTOH, if passenger commuter trains are consistently late, it's going to drive customers away and eventually drive the MBTA out of business.  Although it's government subsidized, it is (or at least when I lived there) under constant pressure to be profitable, like Amtrak, under threat of closure... and the commuter lines HAVE been shut down before (in the 1970s) due to continual operating losses.

Also, I think it's less of an issue if a load of corn syrup is late for the ice cream factory than if 5,000 people are late for work.  I know from having been to that place that they stockpile corn syrup anyways, so what gets shipped in probably ends up not even being used for a while.

It sounds as though you've had a lot of time to think on this. Maybe while you were watching the corn syrup train ramble by  one morning?

[Caliga]

Yes, and getting VERY angry.  Me = more important than corn syrup.