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Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

latimes.com

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Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#161

Post by porpoisely »

carlivar wrote: post #22
snowwindwaves wrote: post #11

The tone of the article is surprisingly hostile. Maybe I'm just used to Canadian media.

Some journalists have become openly cynical about Musk, probably now that so many promises have failed to materialize.

I think it has more to do with musk's criticism of journalists that sparked the hate they have for him.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/999374720368689153

Earlier this year, the media put out hit piece after hit piece on musk after musk criticized them. Seems like years ago though.

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#162

Post by hopler »

ForHackernews wrote: post #126
konschubert wrote: post #103

If they manage to reduce the cost of tunnel boring then that's super exciting and I congratulate them. But all this discussion of what to put in the tunnel seems very silly to me. Are they just re-discovering subways? Do they know that there are subways in the world (e.g. Paris) that run out rubber tires?

Yes, it seems like they're re-inventing subways (except with lower capacity), similar to how Lyft re-discovered the bus: http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/06/lyft-reinvents-the-bu...

Lyft shuttles are better buses. Better times, flexible routing, less road damage, and more comfortable rides. And they relieve pressure off the municipal system. It's a win-win, except for people who blame Lyft for public transit's flaws.

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#163

Post by konschubert »

Spivak wrote: post #143
konschubert wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Guys, guys, hear me out. I have a crazy idea. What if we use special cars only for the tunnel with some kind of ride sharing system? and then we put the cars on rails? This keeps them on track and also the rolling friction is much lower. Also, we could continuously charge the battery of the car if we have some kind of wire going alongside the tunnel and a slip contact. Actually we could make the cars much bigger as w…

If you can figure out how to let people transport their vehicles through your tunnel without your car having to make scheduled stops, or follow a single path then you've got a business.

Okay, I see your point.

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#164

Post by dantheman »

SmellyGeekBoy wrote: post #112
npunt wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If there’s no subway nearby, how would you do that? Also not everyone can afford a luxury car. Just imagine lyft, lyft line, and a bigger lyft line. They can all coexist.

> If there’s no subway nearby, how would you do that? So here's an idea - how about they run subway trains in these tunnels instead like they do in the rest of the world?

What if your not near the entrance to the tunnel - how do you get to the subway?

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#165

Post by shshhdhs »

otorrillas wrote: post #133
konschubert wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Guys, guys, hear me out. I have a crazy idea. What if we use special cars only for the tunnel with some kind of ride sharing system? and then we put the cars on rails? This keeps them on track and also the rolling friction is much lower. Also, we could continuously charge the battery of the car if we have some kind of wire going alongside the tunnel and a slip contact. Actually we could make the cars much bigger as w…

It looks like you've just invented the underground...

I read it as being sarcastic. I expect that OP knew this :-)

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#166

Post by ryanmercer »

Tiktaalik wrote: post #57
reissbaker wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure what you're purporting to show other than two people disagreeing with each other, without providing evidence... Sure, an individual subway car has "more capacity," but does a subway system have more capacity? For example, I rarely see BART trains come within five minutes of each other. A tunnel that allows cars within 10 seconds of each other could provide more capacity than a tunnel with higher-density…

This is already a solved problem. BART may have huge headways, but Vancouver's fully automated Skytrain can run at 75 second headways (!!!). There is no universe where an SUV holding 4 people is more space efficient than a Skytrain car.

>There is no universe where an SUV holding 4 people is more space efficient than a Skytrain car.

Except universes where a train doesn't pick you up at your house, drive you to the front door at work, take you to your kid's school after work, then take you to drop the kid off at karate practice, then take you directly to the grocery, then back to karate practice, then home but allowing you rapidly move your vehicle through a congested city thereby reducing surface congestion making overall travel conditions more efficient and reducing the need for car parks at public transportation stop for people that live in suburbs.

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#167

Post by ryanmercer »

em-bee wrote: post #51
mikob wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well even if it weren't higher capacity, it has other advantages -- no parking/leaving the car, potentially no ticket gates or waiting for a train... etc. Trying new ideas isn't a waste of everyone's time, it's research.

and if it doesn't work out, it can always be converted to rail

>and if it doesn't work out, it can always be converted to rail

Or worst case likely office, manufacturing or even residential space, I mean... that's a LOT of square footage that just got created in an area with very expensive real estate.

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#168

Post by C1sc0cat »

ryanmercer wrote: post #160
C1sc0cat wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Folding wheels .. right I can see some interesting failure modes where the wheels fold up in normal driving. Yeh I know its not supposed to happen but one Uk maker had steering wheels that could come off whilst driving - this was used in my mech eng course as a cautionary example.

>Yeh I know its not supposed to happen but one Uk maker had steering wheels that could come off whilst driving Steering wheels come off in MANY race cars, IndyCar it's basically a necessity so you can get in and out of the cockpit. In the case you mention it just sounds like design incompetence.

Well it was a BL company I believe

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#169

Post by ryanmercer »

cyphunk wrote: post #96

I can't see how autonomous cars and Musky holes will be good for common people and not just turn into another form of exclusive transport for the rich.

By taking those 'rich' off the surface streets for a good chunk of their commute and relieving congestion.

Re: Elon Musk Unveils Boring Co's First Tunnel

#170

Post by zimpenfish »

Isinlor wrote: post #111
carlivar wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some journalists have become openly cynical about Musk, probably now that so many promises have failed to materialize.

He may have delays, but what have he failed to deliver? Everything is either work in progress or delivered. - internet payment platform, check - first privately founded company to do orbital launch, check - reusable cheap rockets, check - biggest rocket available + it's reusable, check - Dragon spacecraft, check - crew spacecraft, check (still needs testing, starting early next year) - Model S, check - Model X, check…

> - first privately founded company to do orbital launch, check

To be fair, if you gave me ~$6bn from the Government, I could probably have a bloody good go at it too.

> - internet payment platform, check

Sure, he created x.com but who ever heard of that?

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