A quiet, mild-mannered, engineer at work has been dreading this weekend for over a month. After weeks of begging and pleading, he promised to take his son to Monster Jam. This was, however, not at all the way he wanted to spend the weekend.

WTF - Welcome to Florida

Yes, a third-rail approach (like some trains and subway cars) could work. Designated lanes with lower lines would also work, but they would need to be high enough not to be dangerous. Of course, someone standing in the back of a lifted pickup could probably grab the overhead lines (I live in Florida so this would be a…

I grew up near Reading, but moved away when I was 19.

I don’t know if the law has been changed but, growing up in Pennsylvania, it was possible to obtain a “learner’s permit” to ride motorcycles six months before your 16th birthday. You could not take passengers and you could not ride at night.

We don’t need ultra-expensive high-speed rail (although, that would be nice). Amtrak trains already operate at 90-115 mph in the NE on regular rail lines. Here are some screen captures from an Amtrak train:

My preference is something like a Subaru Baja with two doors and a slightly larger bed - definitely larger than the Brat.

Sorry, I overstated it. From a variety of sources, it appears that Cruise received about $5 billion in investments in 2018. I am not sure about 2019, but that is still far greater than the investment that we make in Amtrak.

Let’s put this in perspective. Amtrak’s capital spending for 2018 was $1.46 billion. Their total revenue was $3.39 billion, with a $171 million loss. Remember, this is a national rail system, not an R&D company.

Sorry, I sold it in 1983 with about 100,000 miles, and can’t find any pictures. It was still running great, but the Pennsylvania winters (salt) took a toll. The color was maroon, and it had a light gray side stripe along the entire length.

I had a 1972 Ford Ranchero with a 351 and a 4-speed. It was not capable of hauling heavy cargo, and it did not handle as well as a car, but it suited my purposes. I used it for camping, hauling a kayak, and transporting a bicycle. It was also great for moving items like kitchen appliances and furniture; and it was fun…

Neutral.

In 1977, I was working on a pipeline crew. Since we were constantly on the road, none of us had any knowledge about current events, and we had no idea what movies were popular. I was responsible for setting up equipment, so I would arrive several days ahead of the heavy machinery and the majority of workers. Since I…

Yes, and there is also a great railroad museum in Strasburg, PA - the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. It is just southeast of Lancaster.

I totally agree. It would be nice to have the different drive options. The naturally-aspirated, flat-six, however, is my first choice (if available).

Yes, this clearly looks like the work of Florida Man. We can’t let Virginia steal our favorite superhero. This calls for a “stupid and futile gesture” in retaliation. 

On an iPhone, you can activate “do not disturb while driving.” This feature detects when you are driving (I assume by monitoring your speed), temporarily blocks calls, and sends a message to the sender telling them that you are driving. If you are not driving (say, if you are a really fast runner), you can override…

We also need major improvements in the electrical delivery system. According to most estimates, the electrical grid in the United States is between 30% and 40% efficient. In other words, we lose about 2/3 of the electrical energy that we produce. With a more efficient electrical grid, we could greatly reduce the power…

I don’t need an escort.

Too bad, you would have liked it. Many years ago, I bought a 1972 Opel GT, and took it on a rambling, sixteen state, cross-country trip. It was reliable and fun to drive.