Perception of Trains

[BuzzKillington]

Has anyone ever seen the episode of Family guy where Peter tries to rob the train, but when he gets on, its empty and the conductor tells him... 'we havent had a customer in years.... nobody rides the train anymore"?

My wife gets a giggle at my expense every time that comes on...

Well it looks like Amtrak is proving Family Guy, public perception and my wife wrong again......

 

[sky12065]

Has anyone ever seen the episode of Family guy where Peter tries to rob the train, but when he gets on, its empty and the conductor tells him... 'we havent had a customer in years.... nobody rides the train anymore"?
My wife gets a giggle at my expense every time that comes on...

Well it looks like Amtrak is proving Family Guy, public perception and my wife wrong again......

I can understand nobody riding that particular train. Would you get on a train that totally looked like a cartoon and risk getting rubbed out by an eraser? :huh: If you would then I'd suggest you bring your own ink in case you need refreshment! :lol:

 

[Sam31452]

Well it looks like Amtrak is proving Family Guy, public perception and my wife wrong again......

Man, the German Railways (Deutsche Bahn) are transporting in a week more passengers than Amtrak does in an entire year.

 

[The Metropolitan]

The writers of Family Guy seem to all be on the young side, and limited in their exposure of the world at large. The result to me is that some of the their humor that tries to laugh at the world as it is, winds up being somewhat off the mark. Their ethnic "stereotypes" in particular tend to strike me as being invented by someone who has never been around people of that etnicity.

I saw that same "train robbery" episode, and found that joke to be the same way - it seems the writer flies everywhere and assumes everyone else does as well, probably having heard the anecdotal "no one takes trains anymore!" Considering the show "takes place" in Rhode Island, one would certainly expect the Regionals and Acelas passing through to be very well patronized! I seem to recall another episode where Chris had to go to New York and they all FLEW there! Dopey.

Another episode had a vignette involving a train, but it didn't show zero ridership.

This all said, Family Guy is probably my favorite show on TV right now, but the jibes that are supposed to be a slice of reality instead suggest to me a writing staff that grew up with silver spoons in their mouths.

 

[PetalumaLoco]

Family Guy robs a train.

 

[wayman]

Family Guy robs a train.

It's clear the creators of Family Guy are not studious Amtrak patrons: in the clip we see inside a "First Class" car, and the seating is 2-2 instead of 2-1! :lol:

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

That does look like a P-42 at the lead though...

Though I didn't know you could board a train by going through the P-42!

 

[PaulM]

I just finished reading two articles in the Wall Street Journal. The first described the hugh amount of excess capacity in the economy, including manufacturing and transportation, even mentioning Union Pacific's excess freight carrying capacity. The second described the sad state of the travel/tourisim industry and all the discount being offered by hotels, airlines, car rental, etc.

No mention of Amtrak.

Two questions:

Is Amtrak bucking this trend?

Is Amtrak's lack of visibility due to its lack of advertising, which in turn is due to a lack of capacity to handle an increase in business that advertising might bring in?

 

[Spokker]

That episode was aired in the middle of 2005 so it's a little outdated when it comes to accurately portraying passenger rail in the United States. With all the recent talk about passenger rail in this country Amtrak has been upgraded from, "What's Amtrak?" to, "Amtrak still exists?"

There's one thing that scene gets right, the fares.

 

[Spokker]

The writers of Family Guy seem to all be on the young side, and limited in their exposure of the world at large. The result to me is that some of the their humor that tries to laugh at the world as it is, winds up being somewhat off the mark. Their ethnic "stereotypes" in particular tend to strike me as being invented by someone who has never been around people of that etnicity.

They hit people of all ethnicities and colors. They make fun of stereotypes by exaggerating those stereotypes and then portraying the main character as an idiot for believing them. The Asiantown episode immediately comes to mind.

I saw that same "train robbery" episode, and found that joke to be the same way - it seems the writer flies everywhere and assumes everyone else does as well, probably having heard the anecdotal "no one takes trains anymore!"

You may believe differently, but this sentiment still very much exists in the United States. Sorry, but not everybody lives in the Northeast Corridor. When most Americans saw the episode they weren't thinking, "Huh? The train is awesome!" They were thinking, "Right on."

Considering the show "takes place" in Rhode Island, one would certainly expect the Regionals and Acelas passing through to be very well patronized! I seem to recall another episode where Chris had to go to New York and they all FLEW there! Dopey.

Well, the show is produced in Los Angeles.

but the jibes that are supposed to be a slice of reality instead suggest to me a writing staff that grew up with silver spoons in their mouths.

Taking the train isn't cheap and in some cases more expensive than flying.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

Taking the train isn't cheap and in some cases more expensive than flying.

taking the train IS CHEAPER when you go coach. and going first class in a plane your still cheaper in a amtrak roomette.

 

[Spokker]

taking the train IS CHEAPER when you go coach. and going first class in a plane your still cheaper in a amtrak roomette.

I said in some cases. And it still isn't cheap, not Greyhound cheap.

 

[Guest]

taking the train IS CHEAPER when you go coach. and going first class in a plane your still cheaper in a amtrak roomette.

Its pretty close for me.

While the local airline advertises $80 one way, they have only like 4 seats at the price. Most seats are $150. So a round trip for two is $600, plus walking fee, sitting fee, landing fee, waiting fee, O2 fee, water fee, not getting killed fee, strip down inspection fee, luggage vandalized fee, and the etc fee.

A roomette for two, is $701, and no additional fees.

 

[Spokker]

Southwest does LA-SF for ~$60 when you factor in all fees and purchase 14 days in advance. Not that I think those fares will last forever, but that's part of what gives the perception of the train being expensive. There are other concerns with flying that have been mentioned already. But when most people decide whether to take the train they also factor in the opportunity cost of all that time being wasted on the train. Remember, not everyone cherishes the time they spend on a train like we do.

Having said that, I think Amtrak should receive considerable funding to improve its strongest corridors and I'd like to see more rail of all types from light rail to high speed rail built in this country.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Well, the show is produced in Los Angeles.

But MacFarlane was born in Conn. and went to Rhode Island for college.

A little research before one speaks goes a long way... in fact if you compare the background behind the Griffin house to the Providence, RI skyline there is a striking similarity. Many of the show's settings about RI are in fact true, and they do capture the spirit of the East Coast.

 

[Spokker]

Well, the show is produced in Los Angeles.

But MacFarlane was born in Conn. and went to Rhode Island for college.

One has to wonder how involved McFarlane can be in two different shows when this episode was aired and three shows currently. I wouldn't be surprised if he had nothing to do with the episode besides providing the voices. The three names you see on the TV in the intro to the Simpsons hardly have anything to do with the show anymore. In fact, one of them, Sam Simon, has not worked on the show for over a decade.

Again, this episode was aired in 2005 and produced even earlier than that. I don't think the scene was wrong in any way, shape or form. Furthermore, I don't understand why anyone is arguing over a funny scene in a cartoon. You may not share the sentiment expressed in the scene, but the vast majority of Americans do.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Again, this episode was aired in 2005 and produced even earlier than that. I don't think the scene was wrong in any way, shape or form. Furthermore, I don't understand why anyone is arguing over a funny scene in a cartoon. You may not share the sentiment expressed in the scene, but the vast majority of Americans do.

Right... so Metra, MetroNorth, the LIRR, MARC, VRE, Sounder, and Metrolink all use, what... non-American customers?

 

[Upstate]

Again, this episode was aired in 2005 and produced even earlier than that.

Yeah, in 2005 I could get a ticket on the Crescent on the Hot Deals specials. I paid $30 for ATL-NOL that year. This past summer the Crescent was sold out a bunch. It may be the opposite of the way things are now, but when it aired it was poking fun at the current situation.

 

[AlanB]

Again, this episode was aired in 2005 and produced even earlier than that.

Yeah, in 2005 I could get a ticket on the Crescent on the Hot Deals specials. I paid $30 for ATL-NOL that year. This past summer the Crescent was sold out a bunch. It may be the opposite of the way things are now, but when it aired it was poking fun at the current situation.

It's not like the Crescent was all that much busier last year than it was in 2005. In fact, averaged out, each train in 2008 carried about 38 more passengers than did the trains in 2005. Total ridership in 2005 was 263,080 and in 2008 it was 291,222.

 

[BuzzKillington]

Thats more than one car of sleeping car passengers and almost a coach car of passengers, so in 3 years, thats not all that bad.

This thread was meant to be more of a light hearted joking topic, but interesting comments nonetheless....

 

[Spokker]

Again, this episode was aired in 2005 and produced even earlier than that. I don't think the scene was wrong in any way, shape or form. Furthermore, I don't understand why anyone is arguing over a funny scene in a cartoon. You may not share the sentiment expressed in the scene, but the vast majority of Americans do.

Right... so Metra, MetroNorth, the LIRR, MARC, VRE, Sounder, and Metrolink all use, what... non-American customers?

Buddy, not everybody lives in the Northeast Corridor. And while I am a Metrolink rider and will actually be using it later today, the vast majority of people drive.

The situation has improved since last Summer and many people who tried the train are sticking with it. But when I grew up I had very little awareness of Metrolink, the Surfliner or Metro Rail in Los Angeles. I saw Metrolink trains in my youth but they fled my mind as soon as the crossing gates ascended. Few people I knew ever talked about taking the train. I think my experience is very much the experience of the vast majority of Americans, especially those who live outside the Northeast Corridor.

The vast majority grew up with a perception of trains as if they were an ancient relic or a theme park ride, not an actual mode of transportation they could use. All that's changing but it will take some time and investment to facilitate that change. When this episode aired, it exaggerated the point, of course, but it's accurate for the most part. I'm not saying the trains are empty. I'm saying that people think they are.

 

[Tony]

Well it looks like Amtrak is proving Family Guy, public perception and my wife wrong again......

Well, I guess one could assume it was Amtrak if...

• The exteriors of Amtrak cars are always ultra-clean white
  
• Likewise, the windows are crystal clear clean
  
• Conductors are very polite and accommodating
  
• Seats are always available
  

Hum, come to think of it, the episode is kind-of pretty flattering to Amtrak.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

taking the train IS CHEAPER when you go coach. and going first class in a plane your still cheaper in a amtrak roomette.

I said in some cases. And it still isn't cheap, not Greyhound cheap.

As a dog rider, I gotta tell you that for longer-distance runs, Greyhound aint that cheap.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

But MacFarlane was born in Conn. and went to Rhode Island for college.

Where in Rhode Island?

A little research before one speaks goes a long way... in fact if you compare the background behind the Griffin house to the Providence, RI skyline there is a striking similarity. Many of the show's settings about RI are in fact true, and they do capture the spirit of the East Coast.

I think different parts of the East Coast vary a lot in transportation options. From Providence, it tends to seem like the most useful place to take a train would be Boston, and the typical Providence resident probably has a car which isn't any slower than the MBTA Commuter Rail train. RIPTA, the bus system, tends to run on one hour headways, which tend to make it not an especially desireable way to get around (though I have ridden a RIPTA bus on at least one or two occasions).

 

[nr272]

But MacFarlane was born in Conn. and went to Rhode Island for college.

Where in Rhode Island?

A little research before one speaks goes a long way... in fact if you compare the background behind the Griffin house to the Providence, RI skyline there is a striking similarity. Many of the show's settings about RI are in fact true, and they do capture the spirit of the East Coast.

I think different parts of the East Coast vary a lot in transportation options. From Providence, it tends to seem like the most useful place to take a train would be Boston, and the typical Providence resident probably has a car which isn't any slower than the MBTA Commuter Rail train. RIPTA, the bus system, tends to run on one hour headways, which tend to make it not an especially desireable way to get around (though I have ridden a RIPTA bus on at least one or two occasions).

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

It actually runs every 15-30 minutes during peak hours (most lines), but it still certainly leaves a lot to be desired. They recently cut back the schedule on most of the routes and even eliminated a few - at a time when RIPTA is seeing its highest ridership levels. Don't expect to see the state helping out at all.