<story><title>Elon Musk&apos;s Boring Company Begins First Tunnel</title><url>https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/12/15629754/elon-musk-boring-company-tunnels-watch-first-route-la</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>arcticbull</author><text>I definitely think this is cool tech, and it&amp;#x27;s going to be amazing to see this whole setup work once completed.&lt;p&gt;I do have to wonder, this seems like it a largely over-engineered solution to the problem of moving people -- wouldn&amp;#x27;t it be more practical to put a train down there? This still requires individuals own cars, so it does nothing to reduce costs, promote equality and seems to just move the traffic problem from the downtown core to the outlets of the tunnel. Am I missing something?&lt;p&gt;It feels like LA really needs public transit.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>backpropaganda</author><text>If you&amp;#x27;d ask the people in 1900s, they&amp;#x27;d say the &amp;quot;right solution&amp;quot; is faster horses.&lt;p&gt;Public transit SUCKS. And I don&amp;#x27;t understand why people are pretending that it doesn&amp;#x27;t. Space efficiency and throughput are not the only important variables here. How about freedom? Once I take that train and reach my work, what if I have to go somewhere nearby work?&lt;p&gt;There&amp;#x27;s a reason cars exist. In your imaginary world, trains might be better than cars, but in the real world, cars are way better, even in those higher culture societies with planned cities like Scandinavia. Cars exist there too. Why? Because they do solve &lt;i&gt;some&lt;/i&gt; problem, which I&amp;#x27;d imagine could be comfort, freedom, privacy, hygiene, and many others I&amp;#x27;m sure.</text></comment>
<story><title>Elon Musk&apos;s Boring Company Begins First Tunnel</title><url>https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/12/15629754/elon-musk-boring-company-tunnels-watch-first-route-la</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>arcticbull</author><text>I definitely think this is cool tech, and it&amp;#x27;s going to be amazing to see this whole setup work once completed.&lt;p&gt;I do have to wonder, this seems like it a largely over-engineered solution to the problem of moving people -- wouldn&amp;#x27;t it be more practical to put a train down there? This still requires individuals own cars, so it does nothing to reduce costs, promote equality and seems to just move the traffic problem from the downtown core to the outlets of the tunnel. Am I missing something?&lt;p&gt;It feels like LA really needs public transit.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>Tiktaalik</author><text>You&amp;#x27;re not missing anything. This is an example of implementing the wrong solution better instead of implementing the right solution.&lt;p&gt;The right solution is as you state public transit, which is more space efficient at moving people than cars.</text></comment>