[idont]

I have mixed feelings... does the US know that many big cities in developping countries have better subways (automated, brand new, clean, without pee smell, ?). Officials should at least be motivated to fix the minimum: like digital display in wagons displaying the right stations... ;)

[speeder]

More or less. I live near the most high tech subway in Brazil, yes it is clean, has no smell, the seats are comfy, it has doors that prevent people from falling on the tracks, and whatnot. But it still really, really suck

Want to know why? It is because it is missing a hundred year ( or more ) old feature: double rails. Thus there is no.express.line, it is slow, and every time something breaks, even if it is really small and.simple, it fucks up.the whole city because all.other trains must wait the track to clear.

And why it does.not have double rails but have all.the bells and whistles? Because the bells impress investors and stakeholder, and are cheaper than double rails.

[tnuc]

The dual use elevator/toilets are a highlight of the New York subway.

The trash strewn tracks are worth a look, while the total lack of electronic signage as to when the next train is like stepping back in time 40 years.

[endian]

> ...total lack of electronic signage as to when the next train is...

NYC has this in most stations now.

[warfangle]

Some stations. It depends on the line. Lines that haven't been updated to newer switch technology (like the A/C/E) still don't have it, and probably won't for quite a while.

[coldtea]

>I have mixed feelings... does the US know that many big cities in developping countries have better subways (automated, brand new, clean, without pee smell, ?).

Yes, but those countries also believe in public works.

[mcnees287]

We believe in defense.

[coldtea]

You mean in offence and grabbing other countries resources at gun point. True.

But it's beside the point. It's not like you are a nation of "spartans" that spend all they money in "defence" and live in relative poorness.

More like a nation of couch potatoes, which has relegated their defence to paid specialists (like in feudal times), and which spends more on pet food, Netflix and similar BS than they do in public works and infrastructure. Especially in areas where poor and/or black are living.

[muench]

We believe the best defense is a good offense. (fixed that for you!)

[mcnees287]

That's defense; it's purely semantics.

[coldtea]

Semantics plus dead people plus losing the moral high ground.

[johnpmayer]

I think there's a fair amount of "sorry that we were the first adopters, and sorry but it would ruin commuters to make these upgrades all at once"