BIKE: Re: Las Vegas monorail shut down

[Mike Dahmus]

Michael Bluejay wrote:

>
> On Sep 7, 2004, at 8:34 AM, Mike Dahmus wrote:
>
>> The point is that the entire LRT system in Houston isn't shut down 
>> when some bonehead crashes into a train. The entire LRT system in 
>> (pick your city) isn't shut down when one vehicle derails. That ONE 
>> train is removed from service fairly quickly, and the rest of the 
>> trains continue to operate.
>
>
>
> This so completely fails to acknowledge my point that I'm going to do 
> something I've never done before: repeat what I actually said verbatim 
> without additional comment.


That so completely failed to acknowledge my point that I'm going to post 
a third time.

>> By the way, you're *really* not being fair by harping on how the 
>> whole system was shut down over this problem.  You know as well as 
>> anyone why they shut the whole thing down:  It's a BRAND-NEW system, 
>> and when there's a problem in a brand-new system, especially in Vegas 
>> where the whole world is watching, they want to make damn sure that 
>> everything is working perfectly.  Anyone who DIDN'T shut the whole 
>> thing down to investigate an early failure should probably be fired.
>>
>> So not only *SO WHAT* that they had a problem during the first two 
>> months of operation, but also
>>
>> *so FREAKING what* that they shut the whole thing down to investigate 
>> that problem.
>

The BRAND-NEW Minneapolis LRT system did not shut down when a car 
crashed into the crossing gate. The BRAND-NEW Houston LRT system did not 
shut down when cars hit trains. Both of those things happened during the 
first two months.

If you mean that monorail ITSELF is 'brand-new', then you're arguing 
with Patrick's previous contentions that the technology is well-proven. 
If you mean that the SYSTEM is 'brand-new', then you have to explain why 
failure incidents in LRT systems during their first two months do not 
seem to result in catastrophic shutdowns as they have in both Las Vegas 
and Seattle.

Hint: It has something to do with the possible consequence of another 
failure of this kind. If that tire came down in a different place, 
people would have died ON THE GROUND.

- MD