First Class Duck

BFF and his coworkers would hunt you down for this.

I'm admittedly biased as I can just get an Uber within about 5 to 10 minutes to take me to the LIRR if I wanted to stay overnight in DC.

Better local MARC and MBTA service would make the idea of taking regional railways to transfer to Acela a bit more palatable. Ideally, slightly more liberal parking regs for those who have to stay overnight or more accessible local transit and Uber would help too...

This is what I get for not riding Amtrak NEC for several years.

I completely forgot that Acela bypasses New Carrolton.

There's a part of me that wonders how many people are transferring from the commuter rail network to Amtrak in the NEC...

My use case for Amtrak has been LIRR to Amtrak at Penn, and interestingly, if you're a LI resident, you pass by JFK and LGA on the way to Penn...

FWIW, if you're creative, it's also the closest Amtrak stop for Staten Island and a sizable chunk of suburban NJ with the bonus of a park and ride. It's the closest thing we have to New Carrolton or MA 128.

*But also, a big reason for it is relieving the existing Tokaido line.*

As much as one wants to argue that the solution is a 4 track Tokaido, when you see the relatively narrow ROW for the line, you can see why a new route was *very* appealing to JR Central.

I’ve jokingly said that the location of ring roads is the implied exurban area of the late 1940s.

It only works if you limit exits and basically NIMBY anything away from said exits.

Fun fact: Mazda lists HP/torque for both types of fuel

FWIW, given that Canada managed to build urban freeways in Toronto and Montreal with nowhere near the same level of upper tier support, and NYC managed to build out nearly half of their network pre-interstate, I would argue that even without the feds, urban freeways were coming to US cities.

It's interesting that you mention that as Dubai was has been the liberal place in the region where you can fool around, and unlike Saudi Arabia, was far more open to Westerners and their habits.

Now that Saudi Arabia is opening up for business & tourism, Dubai isn't as needed, so you have a point.

The problem is that Spain is where you go on vacation or for retirement, or if you're looking for slightly cheaper than France assembly.

And it's certainly not your "we don't ask questions" financial hub either.

Hence why they're the alternative destination for anybody that can't afford to move to the Caribbean banking hubs, but also can't secure visas for the Anglo settler states.

I think some people don't want to mess with China, and IIRC, Dubai was easier for securing residency. The other bonus is that Dubai is closer to Europe to the point that it's served with *narrow* body flights.

In my drunker moments, I've said that Las Vegas or Scottsdale Arizona could fill that niche, but if you can't easily secure a permanent visa to the US or think the US is too much of a Wild West, Dubai seemed to be the alternative option.

For the richest, I think it's an option.

For the emigres who wanted to live quietly outside of Russia or Europeans looking for the Sunbelt, I think it may not be an option. Unless they're willing to learn Spanish and move to Panama or the Dominican Republic. We'll see if Argentina becomes viable...

So it's purely just tax advantages, cheap maids, and perma sun?

Because some people are going to seek to minimize their taxes and maximize their access to warm weather. And living in the US is *not* an option for some of them.

IIRC, isn't Dubai considered to be cheaper than London?

Same region, NATO protection, passable infrastructure, one of the best connected global hubs in the world but would one trust Ergodan versus the House of Al Maktoum?

Dubai may simply be the magical place for now in spite of this war.

…and has excellent global connectivity.

Somebody at the Bird App tried to float the Caribbean, but the islands are either too small, too expensive, and lack global connectivity.

Singapore asks too many questions. Cyprus has EU regulations.

The fun question becomes what’s the substitute for Dubai?

You need somewhere that doesn’t ask too many questions when it comes to visas for those coming from developed and near developed countries, has low cost of living and low taxes, offers a first world lifestyle with the potential for servants…

This won’t last long enough to get to that point…at least I hope.

People do that in the West?

I completely expect that from the East.

If untaxed heating oil is competitive with electricity…

One of my old online religious mom friends lives in small village. IIRC, she’s noted that people were using wood for heating to save money, so I wouldn’t be surprised if somebody is burning oil if there’s no gas line nearby…

I suspect the ideal use case is somebody that lives in a rural area with cold winters and a high potential for power outages.

You can start an oil burner from a generator.

That scene just screams Germany.

"It looks like houses, but it's just all rentals."

I need to return to the Bundesrepublik. :-)

www.nyc.gov/html/dot/dow...

Per that map, trucks are permitted on the BQE, but trucks with trailers over 53ft are prohibited from using the BQE.

Policy Capture Ruins SEPTA's Suburban Trolleys One reason often overlooked reason CBTC is problematic is that it provides management, lawyers and politicians the ability to reach forward ...

The Position Light: Policy Capture Ruins SEPTA's Suburban Trolleys position-light.blogspot.com/2026/02/poli...

#CBTC #SuburbanTrolley