Via rail

[Dengler Avenue]

Then what about the Western Canada Commuter Rail thread... There are 3 in total right now.

[Urban_Sky]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Then what about the Western Canada Commuter Rail thread... There are 3 in total right now.

I created one specifically for him (“Could daily intercity passenger rail service be revived across Western Canada?”), but he insists that the thread he created is his thread and that nobody tells him to post elesewhere, so why not leave him there with whoever is not fed up yet with arguing with him?

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I guess swimmer_spe couldn’t find it. Did you guys know that sometimes a thread can be hidden? For instance, sometimes I couldn’t find the Atlantic Highway Thread and had to go through my list of subscribed threads.

I think the big problem is that the SSP forum's search tool ignores words with fewer than letters, so you can't search for "VIA"

Edit: Even then I don’t think this is the original one. There must be a much older one.

Yup. Ignoring the regional threads, the following threads exist:

• VIA Discussion Thread, created Jul 15, 2015 by MasterG,
• VIA rail seemed weird when I used it, created Aug 26, 2018 by kool maudit,
• Via rail, created Jan 23, 2019 by Ottawaresident,
• VIA Rail, created Nov 24, 2019 by swimmer_spe, and
• Could daily intercity passenger rail service be revived across Western Canada?, created Apr 2, 2020 by Urban_Sky.

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Then what about the Western Canada Commuter Rail thread... There are 3 in total right now.

I assume you mean the Could daily intercity passenger rail service be revived across Western Canada? (commuter rail is different from intercity rail).

I would actually like to see the threads renamed to something similar to the following (based on the subject of the first post):

• VIA Rail News and Discussion,
• VIA Rail Boarding Process,
• VIA Rail Dedicated Tracks Plan (HFR),
• VIA Rail Fantasies, and
• Intercity Rail in Western Canada.

Any thoughts (The last two could possibly be merged)? Does anyone know if there is a moderator who could do this (they seem few and far between)?

[Urban_Sky]

Originally Posted by roger1818

I think the big problem is that the SSP forum's search tool ignores words with fewer than letters, so you can't search for "VIA"



Yup. Ignoring the regional threads, the following threads exist:

• VIA Discussion Thread, created Jul 15, 2015 by MasterG,
• VIA rail seemed weird when I used it, created Aug 26, 2018 by kool maudit,
• Via rail, created Jan 23, 2019 by Ottawaresident,
• VIA Rail, created Nov 24, 2019 by swimmer_spe, and
• Could daily intercity passenger rail service be revived across Western Canada?, created Apr 2, 2020 by Urban_Sky.

[...]

I would actually like to see the threads renamed to something similar to the following (based on the subject of the first post):

• VIA Rail News and Discussion,
• VIA Rail Boarding Process,
• VIA Rail Dedicated Tracks Plan (HFR),
• VIA Rail Fantasies, and
• Intercity Rail in Western Canada.

Any thoughts (The last two could possibly be merged)? Does anyone know if there is a moderator who could do this (they seem few and far between)?

The only thread which requires a rename is the one that was created by swimmer_spe, as visitors should have some warning that regardless of what they post, he will jump on them sooner rather than later and try to convert them into believing that daily intercity passenger rail ought to return to Western Canada. Given how much he has frustrated for months and scared away most posters by monopolizing the discussions in "his" thread, we should first try to revive (in this thread) any discussions before pondering about how to split up these discussions.

The only mod/admin action I've ever whitnessed was when they finally closed the "So terrorists have shutdown via rail how is this not getting more attention?" thread, so maybe Xelebes is your man...

[GoTrans]

Originally Posted by Urban_Sky

The [swimmer_spe] will jump on them sooner rather than later try to convert them into believing that daily intercity passenger rail ought to return to Western Canada.

That is not fair comment. What you are saying is stooping low and you are no better than what you claim swimmer-she is. The goal for all rail improvement regardless of what part of the country you are referring to should be to have daily service or 6 times a week, whether you think it is a pipe dream or not.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by GoTrans

That is not fair comment. What you are saying is stooping low and you are no better than what you claim swimmer-she is. The goal for all rail improvement regardless of what part of the country you are referring to should be to have daily service or 6 times a week, whether you think it is a pipe dream or not.

Please. There's no value in banging the same damn drum incessantly. And this forum is vastly degraded when people with actual knowledge and experience (like Urban_Sky) don't participate. Let's be clear. Not all posts have equal value.

[GoTrans]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Please. There's no value in banging the same damn drum incessantly. And this forum is vastly degraded when people with actual knowledge and experience (like Urban_Sky) don't participate. Let's be clear. Not all posts have equal value.

I don't doubt Urban_Sky's knowledge but I do doubt his experience as he discounts much of the historical data that is presented. While he has not been rude to me I do not believe that all contributors have been treated the same. We have to remember that he has access to Via's record's that the rest of us cannot access so easily.

My problem is that there have not been any recent origin/destination studies to actually determine the ridership that could be generated under different scenarios or at least made available by Via. The current routing, schedules and on-time performance data using existing equipment do not produce revenue and cost estimates that are very useable for examining new schedules. Urban_Sky is unlikely to present ideas that would be critical of Via's current services as he is an employee of Via.

Let's keep an open dialog for all contributors whether you agree or not. There is nothing wrong with a difference of opinion. There is nothing wrong with other people supporting their point of view even if it is different to your own.

This website is for all people who submit their view respectfully

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by GoTrans

That is not fair comment. What you are saying is stooping low and you are no better than what you claim swimmer-she is. The goal for all rail improvement regardless of what part of the country you are referring to should be to have daily service or 6 times a week, whether you think it is a pipe dream or not.

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Please. There's no value in banging the same damn drum incessantly. And this forum is vastly degraded when people with actual knowledge and experience (like Urban_Sky) don't participate. Let's be clear. Not all posts have equal value.

Towing the company line is just as bad as someone saying we should HFR or nothing.

Posting stuff and then having someone point out something that you do not want to believe because of your own bias is not meaningful dialogue.

Pointing out other reasons besides money as a reason to do things is an important thing. For example, why did Toronto build a subway to York Region? Money was not the only reason.

As soon as you block those that are narrow minded, the conversations seem to change.

No one on here has yet to give a valid reason why the 4th largest city in Canada is still without intercity rail. I would fade into the background if that ever was given. Fact is, it would mean that certain people would need to break away from the company line.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Towing the company line is just as bad as someone saying we should HFR or nothing.

This is your strawman argument. Nobody has said this. We have said the business case for anything else is lacking.

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

For example, why did Toronto build a subway to York Region? Money was not the only reason.

Money was literally the only reason. If you were from Toronto, you'd know this. Queen's Park made a subway to York U conditional on an extension to York. It later emerged that the provincial finance Minister has financial interests in land near the York extension. It's called the "Sorbara subway" for a reason.

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

No one on here has yet to give a valid reason why the 4th largest city in Canada is still without intercity rail.

Because nobody is opposed to the idea?

The only difference between the rest of us and you, is that we only see one corridor that makes sense for Calgary: to Edmonton. Yet, you're here pushing service to Winnipeg.

We also recognize that you can't build anything unless someone shows up with cash. And other than whine a lot, you've not yet shown who that someone could be.

Of course, when called out for your impractical views, you then assert that the issue is not a lack of money but that public servants are lazy and that they merely need leadership like yourself. Is your resume in, for the job of VIA's CEO?

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

This is your strawman argument. Nobody has said this. We have said the business case for anything else is lacking.



Money was literally the only reason. If you were from Toronto, you'd know this. Queen's Park made a subway to York U conditional on an extension to York. It later emerged that the provincial finance Minister has financial interests in land near the York extension. It's called the "Sorbara subway" for a reason.

Money is one reason, but the other one, that is the same to why we only have 1 transcontinental route....politics. Ignoring that makes you no better than the ones that don't want to think outside of their narrow little box and serve more Canadians.

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Because nobody is opposed to the idea?

The only difference between the rest of us and you, is that we only see one corridor that makes sense for Calgary: to Edmonton. Yet, you're here pushing service to Winnipeg.

We also recognize that you can't build anything unless someone shows up with cash. And other than whine a lot, you've not yet shown who that someone could be.

Of course, when called out for your impractical views, you then assert that the issue is not a lack of money but that public servants are lazy and that they merely need leadership like yourself. Is your resume in, for the job of VIA's CEO?

Actually, I have been arguing for that too. But then everyone complains that the current Via Station in Edmonton is not good enough, or that it must be HFR or nothing, or that there are too many crossings.

Crossings are easily fixed.
The current station is fine. Maybe add others within the city, but the existing one would work so that people could actually transfer between the 2 lines.
HFR should be done after the line gets to the point that it is very busy in the current layout.

I'd love to, but since I cannot tow the company line, I doubt I would be a candidate. "thinks outside the box, nope we can't have him here." And before you say that I am not qualified, Many of the CEOs are there not due to qualifications, but because they just have been there the longest.

I am hoping once economy stimulus money starts flowing, Via captures some of it for things outside of the Corridor.

[foolworm]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

But then everyone complains that the current Via Station in Edmonton is not good enough.

I certainly hope you're part of those complainers, because Edmonton's Via station is shameful. Thankfully, chances are it will be demolished and relocated as part of the Yellowhead freeway project - hopefully to somewhere with better connections.

[Urban_Sky]

Originally Posted by foolworm

I certainly hope you're part of those complainers, because Edmonton's Via station is shameful. Thankfully, chances are it will be demolished and relocated as part of the Yellowhead freeway project - hopefully to somewhere with better connections.

You clearly don’t know swimmer_spe and the alternative reality he lives in:

Originally Posted by milomilo

OK. Why bother? The Strathcona station is better located for travel to Calgary. Connection to the Canadian has no value but requires a lengthy runaround the city.

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

It is also nowhere near an LRT line. So, it is no better for getting downtown. If you are thinking this will only run between 2 stations, that is laughable. Most likely, it'll have a stations somewhere in the southern part of the city, maybe there.

Originally Posted by milomilo

Neither is a good option. Sorry to be patronising, but why is it so hard to see what is blatantly obvious?

The easiest option is to terminate at Strathcona, which still sucks but it's a 15 minute cab to downtown. You are proposing, with zero justification, to run around the city on a ~20km freight branch line to a station in the north of the city, which still isn't very close to an LRT station. So after that 30 minute detour, you have to walk over to the LRT and then get from there to your final destination, adding who knows how much time. And this is after your 4+ hour long train ride from Calgary, that was probably late. If you want to add stations, that just adds to the negative time difference.

Or you could just take the Red Arrow bus, which already exists and is scheduled to take 3 hours 20 minutes downtown to downtown. If you want a train, that is your target to beat. You will avoid this point, I predict.

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

I am proposing a station that meets the Canadian and that meets the LRT. That is the best, not easiest option. If this is to be successful, having transit connections, plus having the connection to the Canadian will make it even more viable. Having it at a station that requires a cab ride to get to anything is not a viable option.

Besides, the entire line is freight.

Originally Posted by milomilo

See, as predicted you ignored the point that a bus already exists that makes the route in 3:20. Do you think a train can beat that?

You're weakening your original position that VIA should just run the cheapest train possible on existing infrastructure, as now you are saying that a new LRT and VIA station needs to be built.

Connecting to the Canadian is utterly pointless. How many people would make that transfer? There are only 6 trains per week!

Feel free to visit his “VIA Rail” troll thread for 72 pages filled with this kind of trying-to-reason-with-a-Moron dialogues (enter at own risk, though)...^^

[Truenorth00]

I don't get the angle that thinking certain ideas are unrealistic makes someone opposed to an idea.

I think High Speed Rail from Toronto to Montreal is unrealistic for at least the next decade. Does not mean I'm not supportive of it.

And personally, I want less dreaming and more delivering. I'm sick of decades of talk and very little in the way of legitimate improvements.

[foolworm]

Originally Posted by Urban_Sky

You clearly don’t know swimmer_spe and the alternative reality he lives in:

Fair enough. I guess it's cathartic to fantasize about the issue but that's as far as I'm willing to take things. I also don't feel like there's anything I can add to the subject.

[Urban_Sky]

Originally Posted by GoTrans

That is not fair comment. What you are saying is stooping low and you are no better than what you claim swimmer-she is. The goal for all rail improvement regardless of what part of the country you are referring to should be to have daily service or 6 times a week, whether you think it is a pipe dream or not.

Have you noticed something? I revived the thread, which then developed into a discussion about why there are multiple threads and whether we should merge or rename them and then *zoom* swimmer_spe jumps in and instantly makes this a discussion about bringing back daily passenger rail to Western Canada. This is exactly what happens again-and-again in his thread, just that it doesn’t usually take 11 posts and 7 days before he hijacks the topic. And I never said this discussion should not be had, if you had actually bothered reading the post I quoted, you would have seen that I even created a thread entirely dedicated to this topic:

Originally Posted by roger1818

Yup. Ignoring the regional threads, the following threads exist:

• VIA Discussion Thread, created Jul 15, 2015 by MasterG,
• VIA rail seemed weird when I used it, created Aug 26, 2018 by kool maudit,
• Via rail, created Jan 23, 2019 by Ottawaresident,
• VIA Rail, created Nov 24, 2019 by swimmer_spe, and
• Could daily intercity passenger rail service be revived across Western Canada?, created Apr 2, 2020 by Urban_Sky.

Unfortunately, this highlights the problem I keep having with you and other posters here or in swimmer_spe's "VIA Rail" thread: that they for most of the time can't be bothered to participate in the discussions with and around swimmer_spe, but immediately cry foul when someone dares to doubt the value which his relentless repeating of his long-debunked nonsense brings.

You might see how frustrated I am at this the never-ending back-and-forth in that thread by the fact that I track all posts in a spreadsheet, but this allows me at how much the people who keep criticizing me actually bother to contribute to the discussion. And in your case, your participation has fallen from 42 posts in the last 5 weeks of 2019 (out of 455 posts, thus 9.2%) to a mere 9 posts in the first five months of 2020 (out of 980 posts, thus 0.9%):

And let’s have a look at these 9 posts:

1. In post #783, you insist that Edmonton-Calgary should be reinstated (i.e. even before any infrastructure projects can be funded and completed, which would be required to make such a service commercially viable against the existing competition of cars and buses) and that the Canadian should be re-routed between Edmonton and North Battleford (i.e. a route, which is mostly "dark [i.e. unsignalled] territory" hasn't seen a passenger train in a half-century and lacks the track speeds and sidings to operate the Canadian at any comparable service level to the CN mainline).
2. In post #888 you side with Swimmer_Spe against my defense of the “remote services” because both of you claim that Western cities along the Trans-Canada Highway deserve daily intercity passenger rail service at least as much as remote communities (i.e. communities without year-round ground transportation access) deserve their three-times-per week essential service.
3. In post #890, you respond to milomilo that "You cannot in any way justify the existence of other Via Rail services but not this one [Calgary to Winnipeg or Calgary to Edmonton]."
4. In post #993, you respond to Truenorth00 that "Calgary to Winnipeg is a no brainer".
5. In post #1157, you attack me in a long rant after I told "jawagord" that I won't reply to his posts for as long as he resorts to the obnoxious over-formatting of a recent Kindergarden graduate and after I reminded swimmer_spe of his promise to leave the discussion, to which swimmer_spe applauds you with "Thank you. Someone gets it."
6. In post #1160, you make almost exactly the same claims as in post#783, just with the additional demand that this takes place "as soon as possible" and by repeating the some conspiracy theories ("Keep in mind that the contrary to what Urban Sky says, a lot of the decision making was concerned with politics and the idea that the southern prairies had more bus service alternatives.") about the 1990 cuts.
7. In post #1163, you use the quote "Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it" on me, even though it was me who repeatedly laid down why none of the conspiracy theories about why the CP route (and other services were cut in 1990) can be sustained with facts.
8. In post #1276, you chime into the discussion about the seat arrangements of VIA's new fleet and about possible push-pull scenarios of the Ocean after the Halterm loop becomes unavailable, while noting that "With respect to the locomotives, the Northlander ran for a short time in push/pull configuration".
9. Finally, in post #1399, you speculate that "the Liberals could easily get rid of the western services as there is no political fallout for them."

Given that eight out of the 9 posts you wrote this year concerned the existence or absence of VIA services in Western Canada, what is the reason why you don't seem to talk about anything else? And if you find his contributions so valuable, how come you can only be bothered to contribute when someone dares to doubt the value his incessant and ever-repeating posts add to the discussion?

The other posters who defend him here are by no means better, take Djeffery, for instance:

• In post #754, he wonders why there is no rail service between Calgary and Edmonton.
• In post #1039, he suggests that Onex (a Toronto-based investment manager responsible for more than US$30 billion in assets) should get involved in a Calgary-Edmonton rail project.
• In post #1270, he criticizes me for providing definitions to differentiate between "bidirectional operations" (any form of operations which allows to change direction without physically turning the entire train) and "Push-Pull operations" (a special form of bidirectional operations, in which there is a locomotive at either end of the train) before answering a question.
• In post #1280, he looks back at when the LRC fleet was presented to the public and muses at how modern they still look even in their fourth decade of operations.
• In post #1300, he takes offense by drawing the comparison between continuing to respond to swimmer_spe's posts and to feeding a wild animal, which will always come back for me and never let you in peace.

That's five posts in the last 34 pages, two of which concern Western Canada, two back swimmer_spe by attacking me and only one pertains a different topic.

Then, there is p_xavier, whose backing of swimmer_spe by attacking me for my wild animal comparison is his only post in the last 21 pages:

Originally Posted by p_xavier

You do need to listen to others too. You do sound arrogant, condescending and just seem to have little patience at all. This forum is not just for experts who have all the data available at their fingertips.

Just to provide a sample of the quality of his posts, this was his last post before the one above (i.e. 15 pages before that):

Originally Posted by p_xavier

That was more about why's TC sucking FRA's dick, but it's not sensible.

Finally, there is Dengler_Avenue, who also has only posted seven words in the last 21 pages:

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

@milomilo is usually the unique one out~

Please correct me if I forgot something, but I don't recall anyone else showing any form of appreciation for swimmer_spe's relentless posting.

If you, Djeffery, p_xavier and Dengler_Avenue find swimmer_spe's contributions so valuable that you jump on me every time I doubt his value, then why have all four of you been so absent during the last 10-20 pages of discussions? Just to recall, this is the post count since page 51, i.e. over the last 21 pages of discussion:

1. swimmer_spe: 108 posts
2. milomilo: 64 posts
3. Truenorth00: 52 posts
4. Urban_Sky: 43 posts
5. roger1818: 40 posts
6. j81: 34 posts
7. esquire: 23 posts
8. ghYHZ: 17 posts
9. GoTrans: 5 posts
10. Djeffery, Acajack and someone123: 4 posts (each)
    [...]
    17. Dengler Avenue and p_xavier: 1 post (each)

I don't blame you if you get tired of the endless repetition of the same nonsense, but if you already can't be bothered to contribute anything substantial or constructive to this discussion, then please don't sabotage the efforts of people like Truenorth00, milomilo, Roger1818 or myself (i.e. the people who actually still bother investing time and effort into the discussion) by encouraging him to spam even more as he already does and by pretending that you actually care about the points he's making (your lack of participation clearly shows none of you four does).

And finally, rather than whining around about how unfair your spammer-friend is treated while sabotaging our efforts to contain his compulsive spamming, what about providing constructive suggestions about how we can maintain a discussion about VIA Rail in any thread (existing or new) on Skyscraper Page, which won't get hijacked with the Western-Canada-daily-intercity-rail-garbage your spammer-friend has been dumping on us over 72 pages of discussion by now (and he seems determined to continue here)?

So now, if someone could please tell spammer_moron to go back to his troll thread before he also ruins this thread, we might actually be able to discuss here about something else than whether or not intercity trains nobody wants to pay for should operate all over Western Canada and without being forced to try to argue with a moron who will rather escalate the thread over ten-thousand pages than reconsider his views which are even more entrenched in his head than the religious beliefs of a Scientologist or Yehova’s witness...

Thank you!

[p_xavier]

Because I post on other furums too? You definitely have some personnal issues to get resolved if you're doing tracking of people's posts. That looks sociopathic. Being right is one thing, being fun to discuss with is another. I don't add much value to this discussion either way so I don't post.

[Urban_Sky]

Originally Posted by p_xavier

Because I post on other furums too? You definitely have some personnal issues to get resolved if you're doing tracking of people's posts. That looks sociopathic. Being right is one thing, being fun to discuss with is another. I don't add much value to this discussion either way so I don't post.

Thank you for expressing your contempt for those bothering to do some research before posting and for demonstrating that you grasp just as little about mental health issues as you do about the other topics you write about here (every one or two months). That said, credit where credit is due: the various threads in this forum concerning VIA Rail would be a much less frustrating place if the ability to critically reflect on the incremental value one’s own contributions add to the discussion was more equally distributed.

You may now go back hibernating...

PS: I have and will continue to resist the temptation to speculate about the mental health state of fellow posters, as the effort required by anyone in this forum to build enough trust in a confidential conversation (even with a less ancient and user-unfriendly messaging system as the one used in this forum) exceeds that of compiling the names of the posters of 1400 posts into a spreadsheet by several orders of magnitude and unless someone has received much more extensive training in how to deal with people who may have developed mental issues than the two-day workshop I received a few months ago, any attempt to discuss these suspected issue electronically rather than in person will probably reduce that person’s inclination to open up about then. Nevertheless, any reader tempted to remote-diagnose the mental health issues of his fellow posters may have a look at the following characterization of a Narcissitic Sociopath and decide to which poster they believe to show more of the behaviours described below:

Diagnosing the Narcissistic Sociopath

In order to conclude that a person is a narcissistic sociopath, they must be diagnosed with aspects of both narcissistic personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder. These two personality disorders are both a part of the Cluster B group in the DSM-5.

In general terms, a personality disorder refers to unhealthy and rigid patterns of thinking and behaving that impair social, work, and school functioning. Most people with personality disorders do not realize that they have a problem and blame others for the issues that they create themselves.

DSM-5 Criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Narcissistic personality disorder is "a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts," according to the DSM-5.

Five or more of these DSM-5 criteria need to be present for an official diagnosis.

• Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (exaggerates achievements and abilities)
  Preoccupied with dreams of unlimited power, success, physical attractiveness, and love
• Holds the belief that they are of special or high status and can only be understood by similar people or should only associate with those people (or institutions)
• Has a need for excessive admiration
• Possesses a sense of entitlement and expects favorable treatment or compliance
• Exploits other people to achieve personal goals
• Lacks empathy regarding the needs and feelings of other people
  Is envious of other people or thinks other people envy them
• Has arrogant behaviors and attitudes

People with this disorder may monopolize conversations and look down on people whom they feel are inferior to them. They will take advantage of others to get what they want, no matter who gets hurt along the way.

Individuals with NPD live with many negative outcomes of their personality disorder. They may have trouble handling criticism, stress, and change, and easily become impatient or angry if they don't think they are being treated correctly. They have trouble regulating their behavior and emotions, feel easily slighted, and may have relationship problems.

People with NPD can become depressed if they fall short of what they feel is ideal. They may secretly feel insecure, vulnerable, and humiliated and have fragile self-esteem.

DSM-5 Criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder

Antisocial personality disorder is "a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others," according to the DSM-5. An individual must show at least three of the following:
[*]Repeated failure to follow social norms resulting in grounds for arrest[*]Engaging in deceitfulness (lying, using aliases, not paying off debts)[*]Impulsivity and not planning ahead; moving around constantly[*]Irritability and aggressiveness (resulting in physical fights/assaults)[*]Reckless disregard or concern for the safety of other people[*]Chronic irresponsibility reflected by a continued failure to maintain a job, finish school, or stay on top of financial commitments[*]Lack of remorse about hurting others (indifferent or rationalizes)

To be diagnosed with APD, the individual must be at least 18 years old and have had evidence of a conduct disorder by age 15.

https://www.verywellmind.com/understanding-the-narcissistic-sociopath-4587611

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by p_xavier

Because I post on other furums too? You definitely have some personnal issues to get resolved if you're doing tracking of people's posts. That looks sociopathic. Being right is one thing, being fun to discuss with is another. I don't add much value to this discussion either way so I don't post.

Nah. I like that he brought the receipts. I'm sick of dudes popping in, every five fucking pages to defend swimmer_spe and restart the cycle of bullshit.

But I guess there's the cue to end the discussion on VIA Rail. Because this thread is going to be dedicated to swimmer_spe's personal rail fantasies.

@urban_sky. The people have spoken. I'm out. Suggest you move on too. Let them have their circle jerk.

[GoTrans]

Originally Posted by Urban_Sky

I don't blame you if you get tired of the endless repetition of the same nonsense, but if you already can't be bothered to contribute anything substantial or constructive to this discussion, then please don't sabotage the efforts of people like Truenorth00, milomilo, Roger1818 or myself (i.e. the people who actually still bother investing time and effort into the discussion) by encouraging him to spam even more as he already does and by pretending that you actually care about the points he's making (your lack of participation clearly shows none of you four does).

And finally, rather than whining around about how unfair your spammer-friend is treated while sabotaging our efforts to contain his compulsive spamming, what about providing constructive suggestions about how we can maintain a discussion about VIA Rail in any thread (existing or new) on Skyscraper Page, which won't get hijacked with the Western-Canada-daily-intercity-rail-garbage your spammer-friend has been dumping on us over 72 pages of discussion by now (and he seems determined to continue here)?

So now, if someone could please tell spammer_moron to go back to his troll thread before he also ruins this thread, we might actually be able to discuss here about something else than whether or not intercity trains nobody wants to pay for should operate all over Western Canada and without being forced to try to argue with a moron who will rather escalate the thread over ten-thousand pages than reconsider his views which are even more entrenched in his head than the religious beliefs of a Scientologist or Yehova’s witness...

Thank you!

Well this just about sums you up about what you think of people in general. This is a discussion, not a sand box where you can tell who plays and take your toys home if you don't get your way. Your divide and conquer to build groups you claim support you and discount other so called groups that disagree in part with you is not of service to anyone. If you re-read your earlier posts you were respectful of other people's opinions when you first started posting. Recently you have descended into name calling, issuing derogatory remarks, like "moron" and bashing religious groups which have no basis here whether you like them or not. I don't know if some of this is academic snobbery because a lot of us may not have the same level of education but everyone has a right to offer an opinion regardless of what yours is on this thread as long as they are on subject. In many respects we may be just as educated as yourself. The last time I checked a site named Via Rail should be including discussions about rail service in the WHOLE country.

In closing I would rather be commenting on something related to rail rather than your personal issues. Take a break for a while, get a life and then come back the way you were originally. Please.

[Dengler Avenue]

Yea I was surprised and disappointed that I was on your radar too. Knowing your personal circumstance though, I would suggest taking it easy too. ._.
I agree with GoTrans. You started professional and lately it all seemed that you’ve gone down a 10% slope.

If it weren’t for all the unfamiliar subdivision names, I would probably have plowed through all the pages of every VIA discussion. Also, for those of you who think I defend swimmer_spe, I only do to certain extent. I’ve told him quite a few times that VIA not having its own tracks in Western Canada can only come at such low frequency that the service’s useless.
Moving forward, maybe I’ll still comment in the Via thread in the Ottawa Subsection because I really believe we can pull HFR off between TO, OTT and MTL. Well, that’s if TrueNorth00 & roger1818 deem me welcomed there. Otherwise, I’m just gonna stick to highways from here on.

It’s definitely not a great way to end a night or to start a day, but since I’m summoned, I must come and defend myself.

Edit: I’ve been trying to balance between the 2 groups of you guys; that’s why I’ve only been commenting minimally in VIA thread in general. But now that you guys call me a moron too, I’m simply disappointed. TrueNorth00, I’ve appreciated your inputs in the Ottawa Subsection to some extent. Now I’m not too sure...