half ton diesel - why?

[cerberusiam]

All that IGNORES the FACT that most of European population is concentrated in large central areas, where mass transit CAN operate efficiently, not like the far more far-flung and isolated populations in the US, where mass transit simply CAN'T operate efficiently or profitably.

And that ignores the fact that places that have mass transit it is inefficient and under utilized. Every major city that hit the top 5 list for traffic has mass transit and STILL people drive, 1 to a car a lot of times.

Why? Cheap cars, cheap fuel, AND the mindset.

You can tour Europe and see the sites from a train. Yes, out of way places require a bus or car rental. Try that in the US on a train and bus. You spend all your time getting there with no time for seeing.

We simply do not expect to pay 6 figures for a car, keep it 15 years and a million miles, and REQUIRE the vehicles to last that long with decent maintenance.

Three years and 50k andwe are chasy bright, shiny, new things. :-laf

 

[jhenderson]

You can tour Europe by train or drive the same distance in your own car in the US for less. Train travel in Europe is not cheap.

 

[cerberusiam]

You can tour Europe by train or drive the same distance in your own car in the US for less.

Apples to oranges comparisons. You cannot drive it for less in Europe in the same safety and comfort, fuel prices are too high.

 

[Regcabguy]

On our visits to national parks here we've met predominately Germans,who relish our cheap goods, cars and gasoline, lower taxes and wide open spaces. Europe's ancient compared to here,with much higher density and public transportation is a necessity.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

On our visits to national parks here we've met predominately Germans,who relish our cheap goods, cars and gasoline, lower taxes and wide open spaces. Europe's ancient compared to here,with much higher density and public transportation is a necessity.

YUP, my point - in a nutshell - exactly!

 

[BIGNASTY]

You can tour Europe by train or drive the same distance in your own car in the US for less. Train travel in Europe is not cheap.

Might want to rethink that equation
http://www.raileurope.com/rail-tickets-passes/eurail-select-pass/index.html

 

[Bonecollector34]

It's Ram's attempt to compete with the Cummins powered Nissan Titan that is due out next year or possibly later this year. Chevy and Ford have been kicking this Idea around for a while too, I think, they are just waiting to see if the market is there before they will put anything out. .

 

[BIGNASTY]

Might want to rethink that equation

http://www.raileurope.com/rail-tickets-passes/eurail-select-pass/index.html

When ever we or my In-law's went to Europe we used a travel agent girl that we knew she was a wife of a guy where I worked she made all the arrangements and SRUE she did it for a reduced rate for us, but if you book in advance you get such a better rate its not funny. Europe depends on the American Travel dollar just like we do others. I just asked the wife what some of the fee's were she's looking some of them up but we both agree that Europe wasnt as bad to visit as some think we NEVER stayed at major hotels the Band B is the way to go the food is better the service is better and your closer to the place you want to be, when we did the Tour de France the B and B's we stayed at were on the race course near the finish line we would see the start on TV go have breakfast , lunch and watch the race all day on the TV's around the town while shopping and be at the finish just outside our door to our B and B in the town. Jump a train and start all over again for the next day on the race. The Tour does NOT GO TO ALL THE BIG CITY'S for their finish lines.

 

[BIGNASTY]

On our visits to national parks here we've met predominately Germans,who relish our cheap goods, cars and gasoline, lower taxes and wide open spaces. Europe's ancient compared to here,with much higher density and public transportation is a necessity.

Maybe in Calif parks the Germans are predominant but on our trip to the Grand Canyon it was the Squints hoard's and hoard's of the inconsiderate bastar*s we go to Glacier Nat Park A BUNCH cause its only a short distance away most of what we see there are AMERICANS, Canadians not much different there, they are mostly from the south and north east it seems, the trips we took to Zion, Bryce, Arches again the squints were predominant Rocky Mountain Nat Park was again American and European and Squints so to say that only Germans or what ever visits where is ludicrous it depends on what they want to see when they book the tour on our bus lines that run the country and it aint Greyhound bus tours!!!!

And yes Europe is ancient compared to here because they have been around a LITTLE LONGER than we. Im NOT GOING TO GET INTO A FIGHT OVER THIS but you should go to Europe more than 1 time or watch Rick Steve's on TV or listen to others that have had a bad experience before you make a decision. Not everyone has the same mind set as to what is good and what is bad.

 

[HBarlow]

I don't want any part of European socialism or their mass transit systems.

 

[JR]

Yet you never have anything good to say about the US either

Is there anything in life you enjoy, Harvey?

 

[BIGNASTY]

i don't want any part of european socialism or their mass transit systems.

I can bet the party is going on in Europe now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #ad

 

[BIGNASTY]

yet you never have anything good to say about the us either
Is there anything in life you enjoy, harvey?

... ... ..... It's HIS life!!!! Such as it is THE KENYAN,DUMOCRAPS DID THIS TO ME!!!!!

 

[jhenderson]

My wife and her friend spent 8 days in France last year. A 345 mile train ride cost them $130 each. They could drive 345 miles in her 400 HP 06 GTO on 14 gals of high test. At $4. 00 per gal. that's $56. 00 for 2. where am I going wrong?

 

[JR]

... ... ..... It's HIS life!!!! Such as it is THE KENYAN,DUMOCRAPS DID THIS TO ME!!!!!

:-laf:-laf
Im not one to put anyone down weve all got our own faults but come on Harv turn that frown upside down once in a while! Maybe a tour through DisneyLand would perk ya up a little!

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

My wife and her friend spent 8 days in France last year. A 345 mile train ride cost them $130 each. They could drive 345 miles in her 400 HP 06 GTO on 14 gals of high test. At $4. 00 per gal. that's $56. 00 for 2. where am I going wrong?

OOOOOPPPppssss, BIG mistake - you have posted FACTS into a debate thread - a big nono...

 

[BIGNASTY]

My wife and her friend spent 8 days in France last year. A 345 mile train ride cost them $130 each. They could drive 345 miles in her 400 HP 06 GTO on 14 gals of high test. At $4. 00 per gal. that's $56. 00 for 2. where am I going wrong?

Might want to rethink that equation
http://www.raileurope.com/rail-tickets-passes/eurail-select-pass/index.html

I dont know but using the WRONG train pass comes to mind
we followed the race it cost us around $665. 00 for the entire race and had to buy a second rail pass because after the 3 week race,we went to the South of Spain to bask in the sun at the beach. The cost was each!!!!!

Tour de France will be made up of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,360 ...
This is the milage for the 2013 Race but they are very close to the same distance each race.


GEE WHERE DID WE GO WRONG???

 

[cerberusiam]

My wife and her friend spent 8 days in France last year. A 345 mile train ride cost them $130 each. They could drive 345 miles in her 400 HP 06 GTO on 14 gals of high test. At $4. 00 per gal. that's $56. 00 for 2. where am I going wrong?

First, double the price for gasoline. How about tolls, parking, insurance, costs per mile, etc? It is easy to forget ALL the costs of keeping a car but it still counts when comparing to a train ticket.

Did they have meals included? Nicer accomodations? Lots of things to factor in when comparing.

 

[BIGNASTY]

First, double the price for gasoline. How about tolls, parking, insurance, costs per mile, etc? It is easy to forget ALL the costs of keeping a car but it still counts when comparing to a train ticket.



Did they have meals included? Nicer accomodations? Lots of things to factor in when comparing.

Well your partly right Cerb it was the cost of the gas $7. 9? I didnt do the money conversion the tolls were ASTONOMICAL I asked the wife how much was that? she just smiled and said happy retirement honey and gave me a kiss ( I felt like a who*e and just been used) the insurance was included in the cost of the rental cars that we used for a few days, It was a smart car so I said to just forgo the the auto insurance and put it down as a burial expence if we got into a crash. People drive like ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, well lets just say they DRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!! The BandB provided breakfast but we usually just picked up some wine and cheese,bread,lunch meat and found a tree for lunch dinner was really expensive but it wasn't BILLY MAC'S either. Its fun to travel and see things but you have to figure it's expensive in both countries

 

[AHarris]

Diesel powered cars and light trucks are less popular in this country than in Europe because of tree huggers, their political party which many TDR members vote for, and the policies established and enforced by them.

American policy penalizes diesel use with higher fuel taxes at the pump and foolish restrictive rules on manufacturers established by the tree hugger's power agency, the EPA better described as the Economy Punishment Agency. The goal of the EPA is to continue demanding less and less emissions until manufacturers give it up and quit building them. Our new ISB6. 7 engines produce about half the power and fuel efficiency they are capable of because of EPA regulations.

Save this crap for the political forum, Seaman Grumpy Chumpy Barlow.