Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Reductio ad absurdum

Not so much the logical fault as much as the concept of reducing workers, and government workers to boot, to an absurdity.

Transport for London (TfL, the entity formerly known as London Transport) has denied trials of driverless trains after  the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) accused it of a "secret agenda" to introduce the technology.

RMT union says it has an internal document outlining a plan to introduce the trains on the Jubilee Line in three years. It claims the trains are unsafe.

But TfL denied that tests of driverless trains were taking place.

Conservatives called for the technology to be introduced, saying 25 cities already had driverless trains. Did someone say that tories were sensible?  Well, maybe not all the time.

Actually, the concept of driverless tub trains has been discussed for at least a year now, but I would trust them about as much as a driverless bus.

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8 comments:

  1. places for you to avoid the train systems: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_driverless_trains

    ReplyDelete
  2. Driverless bus for you to avoid as well :P.

    http://www.nbc33tv.com/news/caught-on-camera/police-dashcam-footage-shows-driver-less-bus-plowing-into-traffic

    ReplyDelete
  3. You can certainly take a driverless train if you want, but I would prefer that there is a human in case something get on the track which shouldn't be.

    ReplyDelete
  4. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-15450710

    The driver stated he could not stop the train in time because he needed 1/2 mile to stop the train and could only see 15 feet ahead of him.... not sure what you expect a human driver to do if something is on the tracks that should not be there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, it beats NOT having a driver!

      The driver could have slowed down had he known there was danger.

      The problem is, Jim, that isn't a good example for not having a driver. ANd it'salso not a good statement for privatising the railways either:

      He said an automatic braking system was triggered within seconds of the derailment, which happened on the West Coast Main Line near Kendal at 20:21 GMT on 23 February.

      A Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) inquiry ruled the "immediate cause" of the crash was the train had gone over a "degraded and unsafe" set of points, known as Lambrigg 2B.

      RAIB accident investigator Simon Kay told the inquest an inspection of the track where the crash happened was due to take place five days before the crash but never took place.

      He said four faults with the Lambrigg 2B points built up anytime between 7 January and 23 February, the day of the crash.


      If the railways won't ensure the safety of their passengers, it's idiotic to argue that not having drivers also makes sense.

      Delete
  5. Ok, then how about this - http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/9157603/perth-train-drivers-falling-asleep/

    or this - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8528842.stm

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jim, you are a fuckwit supreme.

      How could you propose that I should leave the planet to leave it to human pieces of refuse such as yourself?

      Do you have such a low opinion of yourself that you have to come around here and have it pounded into your pathetic brain that you are a moronic piece of shit?

      Isn't it bad enough that the only job you could get was through your father in law because I'm sure that your engineering solutions are as moronic as your opinions. Any other engineering firm would see that you were a lawsuit waiting to happen.

      Instead, you have a job where you can fuck off on the computer all day because your father in law isn't going to make you redundant the way any regular employer would have long ago.

      Delete
    2. Jim, do you repeat to yourself "I (Jim) am a fuckwit"?

      If not, you need to do that.

      Let's begin with your first article:

      The report was the first part of a three-stage inquiry by the PTA into its operations.

      "WA's trains have devices in them and processes in place to make them the safest in Australia," Mr Buswell said. "For example, there are devices to ensure that the drivers are active. Vigilance devices that sit in the trains mean that if the driver is inactive for a period of time then the brakes are automatically engaged.

      "If a train goes through a red light at speed the brakes are automatically applied. Physically, our trains have some of the world's best safety equipment on board."


      I doubt that you have been to Oz, but I have many a time. The state of Western Australia is like Death Valley on a massive scale (as is most of the interior of the country.

      It's best described as flat and boring with not much there. The occasional wombat will get on the tracks, but not much else.

      Let's see one Scottish train driver is drunk for work--and that's an excuse to get rid of drivers?

      Jim, how fuckwitted are you that you defend gunowners who have caused more blood to be shed in the USA, while one drunk train driver is enough to get rid of them all?

      Jim, I want to to think of someone shouting that:

      YOU ARE A FUCKWIT

      YOU ARE A WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT


      With every character you type in your comments from now on.

      That will save me having to keep repeating this.

      Otherwise, I wonder why you even bother with your moronic bullshit.

      Now, here is your official fuckwit card, Jim:
      ______________________________________
      Thank you for making your contribution

      After having wasted a valuable part of
      my life reading it again I am now most
      delighted to reward your thoughtful or
      dare I say 'inspired' efforts toward a
      most worthy world by awarding you your

      OFFICIAL F U C K W I T CARD
      See: http://www.fuckwit.info
      _______________________________________

      Now, piss off and die.

      Delete