source:
A seven-car Amtrak train traveling from Washington, D.C., to New York City derailed in Philadelphia while taking a sharp turn at 106 mph, more than twice the speed limit on that stretch of track. Several cars flipped over, throwing riders and luggage against the walls; 8 people were killed and more than 200 of the train’s 238 passengers were injured. “It was like being in the dryer,” said one passenger. The FBI investigated the possibility that the train had been struck by a grapefruit-size projectile, and friends of the train’s engineer said he was an “unabashed nerd” who “loved everything about trains.” “I’m not inferring that this accident happened because he was gay,” said a right-wing radio host, “but I do think it’s an interesting part of the story.” A member of the National Transportation Safety Board said that positive train control, an automatic speed-control system installed on certain sections of track, could have prevented the derailment; Amtrak reported that it had not implemented P.T.C. on the curve involved in the accident because of budget constraints; and the House Appropriations Committee voted to decrease Amtrak funding by $252 million. “When you give them money, they squander it,” said John Mica (R., Fla.), who called the rail agency a “Soviet-style operation.” In Russia...
This isn't important or anything but it'd be cool if the thing that catches resubmitted posts was a little "smarter" -- witness the url above and the url veen submitted last month. His has some trash on the end, so mine slid through. EDIT: and while we're here I just tried to do the fancy new embed thing with a super-long comment not a post and it was a bit messy.
Thanks flag. It was a fun one to write and experience.
And zeppelins too dammit! I'd totally buy a cross-country zeppelin ticket.
Around 20,000 I believe. The Grand Canyon would be amazing. The Empire State Building was supposed to be a midair dock right? Too cool.
The mooring at the Empire State Building turned out too be to unpredictable based on updrafts from the canyons of buildings in Manhattan.