“All trains cancelled due to Amtrak signal problems.” “Flight delays.”  Notices like this are becoming way too common. In an age where we are worried about conserving fuel and want to encourage mass transit, why is it that all our mass transit has so many issues?  The cost of travel seems to have sky-rocketed but where is that money going?  It doesn’t seem like they are doing enough to maintain and upgrade.

How is it that the pace of our other technological advancements so far exceeds any advancements in making mass transit more efficient?  We have come such a long way from 20 years ago in methods of communication and computers.  Everything seems faster, smaller and in 3D now but are there just less people interested in or motivated to work on faster and more reliable transportation?  I have heard of cool concept cars being created but what about air travel and high speed trains.  These things have not improved since I was a child.  They have actually gotten worse since we pay more and gave up on the service aspect.  

I watch the show “Pan Am” and see how pampering it was to fly on a commercial flight.  Even when I was young we at least got a meal and a smile.  I understand that somehow the airlines are not making money so they are cutting out the food and charging for bags but shouldn’t someone out there be figuring out how to make flying more affordable?  It seems more people are motivated to invent Apps about killing pigs or drawing pictures than using their creative minds to help the transit industry.  It also seems that our government is really not focused on this problem either.  I hear of nice, clean, high speed trains in other countries so I guess someone out there thinks this is important.  Why not us?  I mean if we can’t get to work reliably then doesn’t that reduce productivity and hurt our economy?  I don’t think it is fair that we should all have to wait for delayed trains and then stand for an hour since there are not enough seats.  This certainly can’t be the way to cultivate the best workers.  Frustration and fatigue on a daily basis because of a commute and then doing the work of 2 employees in this economy can’t be healthy….don’t you agree??