Columnist Divines Transit Solution

Enlightened P-I guest opinion columnist J. Craig Thorpe has discovered the solution to all our transportation woes: Sarcasm!

Last week, as I languished in Bellevue's I-405 traffic — and gas prices rose by the minute -- my mind began to wander. What would happen, I pondered, if the lines of snarled cars could perhaps be hitched together (even the trucks could be similarly joined) and the wheels modified to run on those little-used ribbons of steel in the corridor that parallels the interstate.

Maybe one vehicle with a larger power plant could pull the whole string. Then people would not have to drive and could actually enjoy the ride.

Why, such contraptions might actually be serviceable — be inviting, environmentally efficient and even contribute to our cityscapes and landscapes. (It appeared there would even be room for a trail for bikers and joggers to enjoy the same corridor ... a sort of linear park). Silly me — I realized the obvious. That contraption already exists, and it's called a "train." We don't see many trains here anymore.

Well duh, why didn't I think of that! It's simple, just build trains!

(J. Craig Thorpe, Seattle P-I, 05.15.2006)