[waps]

  I'm fairly sure if money were no object and transportation was near instant, 

It's 2013 ... why can't we have that ? Surely the technology for this exists. I've always had this dream of "turbolifts" from startrek, the ground-based version. They're basically single-wagon trains that can go horizontally and vertically so they function as elevators. So you get in at the end of the hallway (or even the front door of your room) and you step out at work, or in a public station, or ... The big difference is, of course, that it works like a car. You get in whereever and you get out at home, or vice versa. No trains, no swapping cars, no ... Make it cheap by mass producing small cars.

Why can't we build something like that ?

Heh, I've even programmed algorithms for routing these things. There are lots of problems of course, the cars need to be extremely reliable, or you need an extremely flexible mechanical design so you can pick broken ones up from rails. But a comfortable, large, elevator takes up much less space than a car, but of course needs much more infrastructure ... Oh well, dreams ...

[lilsunnybee]

It would also cost an insane amount of money, as well as inevitably only being for the very wealthy. You might make things better for yourself but definitely not all of mankind.

[onlyup]

Talk about taking the discussion in a different direction..