[PRCo] Re: Gas Prices

Mon Dec 29 13:54:27 EST 2008

Some have a better chance of survival long term.

On Dec 29, 2008, at 1:44 PM, Schneider Fred wrote:

> Our people used to have a concept that minutes were lost seconds at a
> time.   The Japanese apparently worry that they absolutely need to
> recover 15 lost seconds.
>
> Think of that culture.   Americans have no clue what it means to
> board and leave a train in haste to keep it moving on time but in
> Japan they too have to be part of a culture that keeps the railroad
> moving on time.   Can you imagine how a few American tourists could
> screw up the railroad for a whole day???????   And how the engineer
> could end up being disciplined because he could not recover the lost
> couple of minutes?
>
> These people make the Swiss look like slackers.
>
> On Dec 29, 2008, at 1:19 PM, Bill Robb wrote:
>
>> A couple of examples of Japanese on time railway culture.
>> An article from Japan Times in the aftermath of the April 2005
>> train crash at Amagasaki.  Management is facing potential criminal
>> charges (professional negiligence) for what they considered, but
>> did not do:  install ATS on that curve.
>>
>> http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20050526f2.html
>>
>> http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ed20070109a1.html
>>
>> Here's a You Tube video inside a Shinkenshen cab with Mr. Sato. (To
>> read the caption, click the triangle icon on the right of seek bar
>> then press CC button.).
>>
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF1HhJM7EkM
>>
>>
>> An article on hand gestures on JR
>>
>> http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ek20081021wh.html
>>
>> Bill
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>>  Fred Schneider wrote:
>>
>> Ah but it isn't just Japan where we focus on doing things right.  We
>> have a quality of furniture called "early marriage."  It is low
>> grade, plywood and pine crap furniture.  The Germans, on the other
>> hand, believed that you put your money in the bank and accumulated it
>> until you could buy something good.  As I remember, they didn't have
>> that inferior grade of merchandise.  It's us always trying to get
>> something for less.  It is also an American dream that everything
>> has to be new ... new camera ... new cell phone ... new car ... new
>> furniture.
>>
>> Bill, I remember Russ Jackson commenting on JNR time keeping.  He
>> recalled looking down a ruler straight piece of two track railroad
>> and watching perhaps three locals pull into three different station
>> platforms simultaneously while the express trains flew by on the
>> center tracks.  It would all fall apart if one train was just a few
>> seconds late.  His description of the Japanese railroad people is
>> simple, "We simply do not allow imperfections."    I've never been
>> there but I get the feeling that carries through into a lot of
>> aspects of Japanese life.  Example, my high school friend who told
>> me he had just taken Camy (his Toyota Camry) in for her first tuneup
>> at 300,030 miles.  My old '59 Ford would have quit running at at
>> 40,000.
>>
>> On Dec 29, 2008, at 12:24 PM, Bill Robb wrote:
>>
>>> The preoccupation with getting everything cheap is what puts us at
>>> an economic disadvantage against Asian economies like Japan.
>>> Japanese consumers reject low quality products. It's part of the
>>> culture. Many day to day products were once hand made by artisans.
>>> If fact at one time producing cheap items could get you killed.
>>>
>>> Asian governments focus on the strength of their national economy
>>> instead of on the consumer. Japan has no fossil fuels of its own,
>>> so anything involving energy other than electricity has to be
>>> imported.
>>>
>>> You also find a much greater focus on service in Japan that in the
>>> west.  Trains are routinely expected to be within 3 seconds, plus
>>> or minus, of arrival time.
>>>
>>> I think the sole focus on the consumer is one of weaknesses of the
>>> Western system.
>>>
>>> Bill
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ________________________________
>>>   Edward H. Lybarger wrote:
>>>
>>> It's not just about money.  Wanting everything cheap is part of
>>> what got us
>>> into the economic pickle we're in right now.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
>>> [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of
>>> John
>>> Swindler
>>> Sent: Monday, December 29, 2008 9:38 AM
>>> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org; Bruce Bente; Al Schneider;
>>> Philip
>>> Craig
>>> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Gas Prices
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I'm disappointed in you, Fred, for quoting a $854 price for round
>>> trip to
>>> west coast.  Trying to scare people away from traveling so you can
>>> get a
>>> better rate?
>>> Phil's problem was that a specific holiday and specific travel days
>>> got in
>>> the way of finding a good price.  (and these are nice problems to
>>> have,
>>> particularly given Phil's current employment situation - plus
>>> visiting
>>> family)  Delta has a $187.99 price for round trip to San Diego with
>>> 14-day
>>> advance purchase from White Plains airport.  Change in Detroit
>>> outbound and
>>> change in Atlanta inbound.  And it is a real airplane west of the
>>> Mississippi.  The quote is from Travelocity.
>>>
>>> For a real airport, probably looking at around $300 round trip.
>>>
>>> And as for driving, I'd like to sleep in a comfortable room a few
>>> times and
>>> have a few meals while heading west.  That has to be factored in.
>>> And my
>>> car would be due another oil change upon return.  Don't forget that
>>> cost,
>>> because maintenance is factored into the airline ticket price.  And
>>> I don't
>>> think the airlines get their planes for free - yet.
>>>
>>> We were in New York over the weekend, and paid $1.45 per gallon for
>>> gas in
>>> New Jersey. The traffic was incredible until we got to
>>> Pennsylvania.  Enjoy
>>> these gas prices while they last, because these rates are not good
>>> news for
>>> those who advocate alternate energy sources.  I would not be
>>> surprised if
>>> government policy will try to raise energy costs during 2009.  Make
>>> us feel
>>> more pain in the wallet.
>>>
>>> And how about those Steelers?  Great games yesterday to sort out the
>>> playoffs.  Pittsburgh probably has the best backup quarterback in
>>> the NFL.
>>> Scored 24 unanswered points after Ben suffered his concussion.
>>> There are
>>> some very good 'wild card' teams this year.  (just to struggle for
>>> at least
>>> a Pittsburgh connection)
>>>
>>> Cheers
>>> John
>>>
>>>
>>>> To: bbente at bellsouth.net; pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org;
>>>> alschneider2 at juno.com; philgcraig204 at yahoo.com> From:
>>>> fwschneider at comcast.net> Subject: [PRCo] Gas Prices> Date: Sun, 28
>>>> Dec
>>>> 2008 13:40:45 -0500> > Now I'm really getting scared by this
>>>> "recession."> > Gasoline in Lancaster is now down to $1.54, the
>>>> lowest
>>>> price, > adjusted for inflation by any means (including the CPI)
>>>> in my
>>>>> lifetime or even my father's lifetime. If we were to adjust the  
>>>>> 8 >
>>>> gallons for a dollar from the middle of the Depression, today's
>>>> price
>>>>> is still almost 25% under that once adjusted to the Consumer
>>>>> Price >
>>>> Index. If adjusted to wholesale prices, the drop since the 1930s
>>>> is >
>>>> far greater.> > Phil Craig was telling me that the best price he
>>>> could
>>>> find to visit > his daughter from Newark airport to San Diego for
>>>> Hanukkah holiday > was $854. I figure the cost of gasoline for a
>>>> round
>>>> trip to the > west coast is now an unprecedented low of $300. > >
>>> _________________________________________________________________
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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