I think you’re misreading it. In the same way as there are people that need to ride on planes (for example for their job, or to move to where they have a job, etc), there are people that need to use social media.

For example, if you own an online store you really need to have a social media presence. Same if you are an artist, and live off of commissions. I’m sure there are plenty more examples.

I mostly agree with this but more than shorter code I value readability, I would rather take 3 lines to be clear to any developer than use some obscure or easy to misunderstand structure to write it in 1.

I just hope it works so that people can shut up with the high speed rail only works in other places garbage. Just tell them to go visit california and see how good it is… Only works if they finish it so I hope they do.

But without main population centres is it going to be done successfully? Imo they should have started with one of the ends, so that at least there is a big trip destination.

Too late for that now and I really hope it works out and we get a good example for north american high speed rail projects to point to despite everything.

People have been saying the Chinese economy is a year or two away from complete collapse for the past few decades, each time for a different reason. I’ll believe it when it actually happens.

The point that everyone in the comments is getting at is that it should not be required for people to spend 1000s of dollars a month on a personal vehicle. It’s not the transit thats forcing people to be stuck in cities, it’s the lack of it and the overreliance on cars that people can’t afford!

In Spain you can totally get the bus to most places, especially touristy places! AVE is expensive but there are budget high speed operators operating now and the bus is cheap. All these options are far cheaper than owning a car (and cheaper than owning a car in a car centric country as well!).

Also those towns that don’t have good connections it’s mostly poor people living there, so rather than being stuck in cities because they don’t own cars, they’re stuck in poor rural towns because there is no transit to other places!

You’re ignoring the thing car drivers complain about the most, traffic delays. To me real freedom is being able to get to the places I need to using my own two feet, without needing to spend thousands every year on a car, insurance, etc. Headphones also exist and let you enjoy your own music while outside of a car without disturbing anyone!

What we need everywhere is a people first policy that makes it so you don’t need a car to get around, especially in cities.

I’m not sure what you are talking about with Spain. People there are not “trapped” in cities, they have good public transit in most cities and one of the best high speed rail systems in the world to get between cities, on top of that an extensive bus system that is even cheaper and extensive than the trains.