Sasha Shtern
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Technologist, lover of Denver, passionate about education. Trying to help kids with executive functioning at getgoally.com
1.7K Following 446 Followers 871 Posts
Latest posts 5
I’m in SF and decided to take the train from SFO to my hotel in Union Square. Sitting a few chairs from me was a young man dressed in ANTIFA cadet costume (black boots, cap, covid mask). A fresh red luggage tag stood out as the only non-black item in his belonging. The red tag on his black Patagonia bag said United Priority. From this I inferred he sat in first class on his arrival flight.
When I looked around the train car, I saw only well-heeled travelers, many likely fresh from first-class flights. They, like me, had chosen the train not from necessity but for the experience. We all wanted that train lifestyle.
It occurred to me that I’ve been thinking about passenger trains all wrong. Trains have been sold to us as a public transit system. But observing my fellow travelers I realize the trains are actually something else.
Train systems, like the one in Denver, serve the same purpose as a symphony hall or an art museum. They are enjoyed by tourists and affluent patrons of the arts. The ChooChoo bois are the affluent patrons who wish to decorate the city. Trains and train stations are the ultimate art project.
When I shift my mindset to think of the train system as a decadent art project, I am more accepting of its cost. The light rail is a public monument that showcases the financial wealth of our community. It’s like a Gucci belt worn around the waist of Denver.
When I looked around the train car, I saw only well-heeled travelers, many likely fresh from first-class flights. They, like me, had chosen the train not from necessity but for the experience. We all wanted that train lifestyle.
It occurred to me that I’ve been thinking about passenger trains all wrong. Trains have been sold to us as a public transit system. But observing my fellow travelers I realize the trains are actually something else.
Train systems, like the one in Denver, serve the same purpose as a symphony hall or an art museum. They are enjoyed by tourists and affluent patrons of the arts. The ChooChoo bois are the affluent patrons who wish to decorate the city. Trains and train stations are the ultimate art project.
When I shift my mindset to think of the train system as a decadent art project, I am more accepting of its cost. The light rail is a public monument that showcases the financial wealth of our community. It’s like a Gucci belt worn around the waist of Denver.
My friends and I made a musical tutorial on 1031 exchanges. Follow me to get the Easement Conservation Tax Credit tutorial.
3:16
What have the Bene Gesserit cooked up for us?!
