Country Discussion: USA

[SerenityNigh]

Yeah, very similar to Atlanta in my experience. The public transportation was better in Atlanta though iirc. Maybe due to hosting the Olympics?

starting to ride a bicycle regularly (mrs nigh still won't allow me to ride to work) has nearly transformed me into a transit radical. I am not sure what the solutions are but do know it is not more lanes and I am open to some very wild ideas.

 

[Martin Alvito]

Yeah, very similar to Atlanta in my experience. The public transportation was better in Atlanta though iirc. Maybe due to hosting the Olympics?

Atlanta received a massive public transportation upgrade as a result of the Olympics. It's still a gridlocked mess an hour before and after what we would call "rush hour" most places, due to the sprawl. Driving through to and from Florida was always a problem, and required picking the correct start time for the drive.

It still doesn't hold a candle to New York. A couple decades ago, circumstances were such that I was in a van with a bunch of other people, driven by a kid from Kansas. He took a wrong turn, and we ended up in northern Manhattan. It took him an hour to take the next exit, cross the bridge over the interstate, get back on and resume the trek up the NJ Turnpike. This was at 11 AM.

ahh, well jobs for academics is a different sort of thing. it's a grind even in the best of situations and you will probably never be well paid unless you sell a few books. then again, a good friend has tenure and if he gets his 2nd R01 he'll earn enough to be and not have to worry (more than usual) about most things.

The pay has improved quite a bit in recent years, from back when I was working for the bank and seeing what they all made on the regular, at the university I ended up at. Some of the full prof salaries were depressing, for a university as prestigious as it is. Positions have become harder to fill, which has led to more job-hopping than ever in pursuit of better pay.

 

[wm02]

Atlanta received a massive public transportation upgrade as a result of the Olympics. It's still a gridlocked mess an hour before and after what we would call "rush hour" most places, due to the sprawl. Driving through to and from Florida was always a problem, and required picking the correct start time for the drive.

It still doesn't hold a candle to New York. A couple decades ago, circumstances were such that I was in a van with a bunch of other people, driven by a kid from Kansas. He took a wrong turn, and we ended up in northern Manhattan. It took him an hour to take the next exit, cross the bridge over the interstate, get back on and resume the trek up the NJ Turnpike. This was at 11 AM.


The pay has improved quite a bit in recent years, from back when I was working for the bank and seeing what they all made on the regular, at the university I ended up at. Some of the full prof salaries were depressing, for a university as prestigious as it is. Positions have become harder to fill, which has led to more job-hopping than ever in pursuit of better pay.

Please tell me at some point a “Carry on Wayward Son” reference was made

 

[Martin Alvito]

Please tell me at some point a “Carry on Wayward Son” reference was made

Sadly, no. We started at the Newark airport. Poor kid had never driven a van like this, and pulled out onto the Turnpike. It took about ten seconds for someone to take exception to the speed he was driving, and honk. I yelled out, "Welcome to New York!" in a Brooklyn accent.

Best I had, that day.

 

[wm02]

Sadly, no. We started at the Newark airport. Poor kid had never driven a van like this, and pulled out onto the Turnpike. It took about ten seconds for someone to take exception to the speed he was driving, and honk. I yelled out, "Welcome to New York!" in a Brooklyn accent.

Best I had, that day.

Ran the rapids through midtown Manhattan last week…my nerves are still a little frayed

 

[Martin Alvito]

Ran the rapids through midtown Manhattan last week…my nerves are still a little frayed

I refuse to do that. I'll kill a pedestrian, 100%. Mass transit and shanks' mare for me, when there. Cab if it's that far off the beaten path, and I'm that determined to go.

 

[wm02]

I refuse to do that. I'll kill a pedestrian, 100%. Mass transit and shanks' mare for me, when there. Cab if it's that far off the beaten path, and I'm that determined to go.

We were heading back to DC from Long Island—figured it would make a more interesting ride for the kids. They got to see a MacLaren and their father white-knuckle it through a couple intersections.

What’s not to like?

 

[ForestBlue]

I really like the vast majority of the Americans I personally know or have worked with yet I dont like America as a Country

They must have a surplus of US Everton flags there though as everytime I go Goodison there seems to be more on display

 

[Acrobat]

I'm English. I moved here in 2008. Like every country, it has its good and bad. Yes they have a real issue with guns, and their constitutional rights.....(among many other things) but I have a wonderful American wife and my two sons were born here. If I listened to you all on here, my family is some psychopathic cult, who I should bin off and move back to England to save my sanity.

 

[Mutzo Nutzo]

I once spent a week in Monroe, Louisiana. Apart from the oppressive humidity it was incredibly dull.

Deffo a week of my life wasted

 

[Chewbacca]

starting to ride a bicycle regularly (mrs nigh still won't allow me to ride to work) has nearly transformed me into a transit radical. I am not sure what the solutions are but do know it is not more lanes and I am open to some very wild ideas.

There is a strange young chap with a YouTube channel called RM Transit who does some great videos on North American urban transit issues and solutions

 

[mezzrow]

Yup. Definitely an underrated city. Lots to do and some great parks in the surrounding area.
They did a fantastic job with the Pirates stadium. Some view you get of the skyline and river.

My favorite place to see my Cubs outside Wrigley. A great place to be.

 

[mezzrow]

Yeah that was my experience too. Just an unending sprawl.

I’ve had some good meals in Houston though—Viet Cajun, Tex Mex, kolaches, etc and the Astros ballpark was a good time

Houston is a mess to work through if you're not local, but my God the variety and quality of food is mind boggling. I'm used to the humidity, so that helps.

 

[mezzrow]

I once spent a week in Monroe, Louisiana. Apart from the oppressive humidity it was incredibly dull.

Deffo a week of my life wasted

 

[SerenityNigh]

There is a strange young chap with a YouTube channel called RM Transit who does some great videos on North American urban transit issues and solutions

I follow him on twitter but haven't dived into his YouTube. is it worth it? I would like to learn more about transit, it overlaps some with work, but he gives the feel of Trainspotting for nerds (which is fine with me, tbh).