Joe Biden: A Man And a Train

Vice President and former Delaware Sen. Joe Biden is still darkening the front cover of the current ish of Arrive, the sad-sack Amtrak mag that clutters Acela trains and Northeast regional service trains.

Here's a bit from his essay on "Why America Needs Trains":

One year, on my birthday, my daughter had planned a party for me. She really wanted to give me a gift and blow out candles. Senator Bob Dole was the Majority Leader at the time, and we were voting that night. I told him that I really had to be home for my daughter, which meant that I needed to catch the 5:54pm train. Senator Dole backed up the votes until 9pm. I boarded the train and, in Wilmington, my daughter was standing there on the middle platform. She and my wife sang "Happy Birthday," I blew out the candle, took a piece of cake, operned her gift, gave her a kiss, and caught the 7:23pm going south—and managed to be there for the 9pm vote.

Yes, that is exactly why America needs trains, especially as part of a system that costs taxpayers as much as $462 per rider on certain routes. What a heartwarming story.

Reason on Amtrak.

Comments

[kinnath]

Fuck Joe Biden.

Let's talk about the patent that was just awarded to Facebook that covers "news feeds" regarding social media users.

Got nothing better to do on Friday afternoon than argue about IP rights and wrongs.

[Johnny Longtorso]

F--k Joe Biden.

Not with Nancy Pelosi's d--k.

[Tulpa]

I'm an IP supporter, but even I think that's nonsense. Business model patents are one of the more blatant perversions of IP law that give ammo to the IP thieves.

[Pro Libertate]

Agreed.

[Nash]

As if the stupid stories from the health care summit weren't enough.

We really need to just ban anecdotes from American politics.

[Tim]

I thought that was Rex Harrison...

[Brian Sorgatz]

If I could talk to the animals, most would prove more intelligent than Biden.

[Jeff P]

Why American Politicians Need Trains

"One day Ted Kennedy, Tip O'Neill and myself trained a hooker up in Atlantic City. Tip had the idea of making her wear a Ross Perot mask..."

[Enough About Palin]

For some reason I read that as "a Rosa Parks mask".

[OGRE]

Oddly enough so did I. But I just sat down after moving a bunch of office equipment and my head is still swimming a little.

[Richard]

http://www.atr.org/trains-pain.....dies-a4464

[Richard]

damn . . . I meant to do this http://bit.ly/aG0LE8

[Hank]

I heard Biden's daughter had to borrow one of those candles from a dead relative. That sheds new light on the need for train reform, huh!?

[Aresen]

The "trains as public transport" idea is a sign of a mentality stuck in the last half of the 19th century. Either that, or the politicians' parents wouldn't let them have a train set when they were kids.

Let the railroads do what they do best: Long haul bulk transport and stop trying to keep them in the passenger business.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...and managed to be there for the 9pm vote.

That vote? A Senate non-binding resolution saluting our nation's hardworking bus drivers.

[too bad it wasn't HCR]

FOE, you can't have it both ways. Complain away anyway, you're all babies.

[A Train]

There's something about Joe Biden.

[Hair gel]

A train wants to bang Joe Biden?

[Independent]

OK, but we shouldn't bash the government subsidies for trains without putting it in context of the massive government subsidies for highways.

As a practical matter, which subsidy is a better use of our hard-earned taxpayer money?

[Jorgen]

The gas tax pays for the highways. On net, driving is pretty much unsubsidized, but certain stretches of highway may be producing way less in taxes than they cost. On the other hand, subsidies for trains can e seen as a way of cutting down on roadway congestion, which helps drivers. Again, some by not nearly enough.

[Greg]

Anyone kind of doubt his story in the first place? A 7:23 departure on the Acela would arrive back in DC around 8:45 it looks like. Even if everything was on time (hahaha), does anyone see him ready to vote at 9:00?