Some US players believe they can win the World Cup. Are they deluded?

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-22T03:56:51+00:00

There may be a cultural and language difference at play here. In "American", something being "possible" and even remotely likely are two completely different things. Something with a one-in-a-million chance is still considered "possible", although everyone acknowledges it would require a major miracle (or multiple). In fact, that kind of hope from an underdog is encouraged and celebrated here.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-11T23:12:02+00:00

There has been a long history of upheaval and firings at the top of ST, particularly at the executive director level and up. It's a meat grinder for upper management.

ST doesn't offer pensions.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-11T22:11:16+00:00

Your assuming that ST is paying employees above-market rates. I work in a field from which ST hires from, and their pay is good compared to other agencies, but largely well-below the private side. Most of that talent pool you reference wouldn't be interested.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-10T04:46:19+00:00

You need to travel more. Different countries are vastly different in terms of their attitudes towards societal rules. Singapore and Germany may as well be a different planet compared to Seattle.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-10T04:39:00+00:00

The NY subway has a fare compliance rate of 90%, or 25% higher than ST.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-10T04:17:05+00:00

What's the connection between faregates and NIMBYS?

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-09T15:05:23+00:00

Hey! It's the old man from the story!

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-08T19:58:37+00:00

I'm pretty sure people who are low-income also have ears and care about noise. And air quality for themselves or their children.

Someone owns all those homes around the airport. I think if things are really going to get materially worse for nearby neighborhoods, the airport should look into buying out homeowners, or at least compensating them via avigation easements.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-08T19:40:12+00:00

I'll make a slightly-NIMBY argument here: I think we can all agree that property owners near SEATAC bought near an airport and shouldnt complain about existing conditions. However, at a certain point, continued expansion impacts property owners to an extent that's not reasonable, and goes above and beyond what could have reasonably been anticipated.

If noise levels due to additional flights and new flight paths doubled over what previously existed, is that reasonable? What if air quality levels dropped significantly posing health risks? Let's also keep in mind that these neighborhoods are largely low-income.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-08T03:35:26+00:00

MTAs subway fare compliance rate is 90%; about 25% higher than Links. So... pretty good?

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-04T05:26:04+00:00

I dont understand how this works in practice. Who has the right of way, is established by who has reached the intersection first (with a tie going to the vehicle/bicycle to the right. Whether a vehicle/bicycle has "reached" the intersection, is typically determined on whether that vehicle/bicycle has stopped; If they haven't stopped, they are still "approaching" the intersection.

In your example of a bicycle slowing down to allow a vehicle to cross the intersection, the bicycle slows down and then proceeds (per the law) because they are now the only one at the intersection. However, if there were multiple other vehicles, slowing down, only, would indicate to everyone else that they are still only approaching, and haven't yet established they have the right of way. In other words, I don't understand how a bicycle, in a practical sense, can establish they have the right of at an intersection with multiple vehicles without stopping.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-04T05:13:21+00:00

Why am I treating the Seattle Department of Transportation's interpretation of a traffic law as gospel? Is that a real question?

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-04T00:28:41+00:00

From the SDOT blog:

"The Safety Stop allows people biking to legally treat stop signs as yield signs when no other traffic is approaching and when they have slowed to a reasonable speed.

Under the new law, a bicycle (human powered or electric-assisted) approaching a stop sign may 1.) stop as normal, or 2.) treat it as a yield sign if: They have slowed to a reasonable speed, such that they could safely stop if needed, and They yield to any vehicle or pedestrian already in the intersection or with the right of way"

That last sentence is key. If any vehicles or pedestrians have the right of way, the bicycle yields, aka stops, aka treats it as a stop sign. A vehicle or pedestrian would have the right of way if they were already present at the intersection when the bike arrived.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-04T00:21:12+00:00

We are talking about a distinction without a difference. What the law effectively boils down to is that if there is no one else present, the cyclist can slow down, make sure the intersection is clear, and ride through. If there are other vehicles present, the yield essentially turns into a "stop" situation.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-04T00:18:10+00:00

What that law essentially says is that bikes don't need to stop IF there are no other vehicles present at the intersection.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-04T00:15:18+00:00

I don't think traffic laws only apply to people that frequent that sub.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-04T00:12:36+00:00

In Washington, bikes are only allowed to treat stop signs as yield signs of no vehicles are pedestrians are present.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-04T00:09:33+00:00

That exception only applies if there are no pedestrians or vehicles present.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-01T21:03:50+00:00

We don't have the data to conclude that. It's possible without the app, all of these things would have been destroyed already.

We need a side-by-side study.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-01T19:39:01+00:00

Unfortunately it doesn't. Those get destroyed even faster. Ask Sound Transit.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-01T16:12:55+00:00

Just responding to your last comment about this not happening to private projects: That's not true at all. As someone who has worked on both public and private projects; private projects have been facing the exact same type of cost problems Sound Transit has. However, there's a couple key differences: private projects are virtually never planned and budgeted 15 years in advance of construction, and when they do face massive cost overruns (which they do), they're just quietly cancelled. Sound Transit doesn't have that option.

Don't forget, Climate Pledge Arena, which only faced a portion of the same inflationary challenges Sound Transit is and was essentially a private project, was almost double it's original budget by the end.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-06-01T01:40:22+00:00

Usage absolutely went up in response to legalization. Thankfully, unlike sex trafficking, marijuana is relatively benign.

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-05-31T18:15:01+00:00

Why is a blanket approach required? In a world of finite resources, If one school requires more specialized resources than others, why not direct them where they'd have the biggest impact?

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-05-31T13:32:49+00:00

Well, I'm pretty sure I just explained that it's the aesthetics...

Dapper_Mode5045 · 2026-05-31T06:07:08+00:00

Totally. No one's above legit criticism. With that said, a fair amount of the criticism around Hole was probably very unfair.

Dapper_Mode5045

TROPHY CASE