NPR: How Driver’s License Suspensions Unfairly Target The Poor (audio)

January 5, 2015 at 3:49 pm

The dependence on a car for making a decent living in the United States is quite pronounced, particularly in the poor neighborhoods of the United States.

NPR’s recent “Guilty and Charged” investigation shows how rising court fines and fees — often reaching hundreds or even thousands of dollars per person — often hurt poor people the most. “Two out of three African-American men in this neighborhood, of working age, don’t have a driver’s license,” he says while walking down Martin Luther King Avenue in Milwaukee. “And are consequently unable to access the jobs that are beyond the bus lines.”

Not sure where to begin.  Years of bad landuse and legal policies have created a system that is not equal to all.  In a nutshell, if you don’t have a driving license, you’ll be relegated to looking for jobs only accessible by a bus/transit system (or if you are lucky, you may find something within walkable distance from your neighborhood). Even these transit accessible jobs become more difficult to sustain for these residents when the transit funding runs into trouble, leading to service & route cuts. Until we fix this mess, we can’t expect social upward mobility for many of the poor citizens of the US. Listen to the audio below or you can click here to read the article.

Is this the most dangerous traffic circle in the world? NPR wonders about an awfully busy Vietnamese roundabout (video)

June 11, 2013 at 7:39 pm

via NPR

NPR gushes over the time-lapse video goodness of a traffic circle in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon), captured by British photog, Rob Whitworth (who describes himself as an architectural photographer by day, time lapse photographer by night).  Though I grew up in India and have seen it all when it comes to traffic congestion, there is no doubt the roundabout showcased in this video is plain crazy. Should be an awe inspiring sight to witness how they manage traffic and control the flow of traffic in real time without incidents.  Maybe during my next visit to SE Asia I’ll take a detour and study it up close?  Oh, while we are at it, don’t forget to check out Rob’s other two videos – one each from Shanghai, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 

 

Flying on Empty – NPR Explores Why Airlines Keep Going Bankrupt

December 16, 2011 at 2:27 pm

(Source: NPR Planet Money)

I was listening to this NPR podcast on the way to work and felt compelled to share with my readers.. Amazing Fact: Pretty much every major full service American airline has filed for Bankruptcy in the past two decades and one of them (U.S. Airways) actually declared bankruptcy twice in three years.  “The industry in aggregate has lost about $60 billion over the 32 years since deregulation, ” says Severin Borenstein, an economist at the Haas School of Business at U.C. Berkley. Meh!

This left me shaking my head in disbelief! Aren’t we the country full of smart MBA grads from top business schools like Harvard, Yale, et al. running some of these businesses? Anyways, if you got a couple of extra minutes, do check out Severin Borenstein’s detailed paper that goes into great details explaining how the airline business is not for the weakest of heart.

On a related note, Boston Globe had an interesting article back in November 2011 that is somewhat optimistic about the future of aviation. Worth a read while you are still suspended in disbelief after reading/listening to the above NPR material.

NPR: ‘Superclogger’: Free Theater On L.A.’s Freeways

August 11, 2010 at 11:01 pm

Just adore NPR for finding and sharing such quirky stories..

Amplify’d from www.npr.org

In a parking lot near the Golden State Freeway, Los Angeles artist Joel Kyack is stripping right down to his underwear. He squeezes into a black bodysuit that makes the skinny 37-year-old look even skinnier, and pops open the back hatch of a dusty white truck. He’s setting the stage — quite literally — for another installment of his first large-scale public art project: a rush-hour puppet show.

The show, called Superclogger after L.A.’s endlessly clogged freeways, was conceived with Kyack’s friend Peter Fuller. Fueled by a determinedly low-tech aesthetic, it stars a cast that suggests a group of funky, grimy, homemade Muppets, acting out short vignettes on themes that might speak to people stuck in traffic. Coping with uncertain conditions, for instance, or the state of being controlled.

When informed that a major sports event is hopelessly tying up traffic, Kyack can barely contain his delight. “We’re gonna be able to do like three performances between here and the 101!” he crows.

Unfortunately, that turns out not to be the case. Shortly after NPR producer Amy Walters and I follow Kyack onto the freeway in my rental car, the artist gets pulled over by the California Highway Patrol. He doesn’t get in trouble. But then again, the cops don’t quite buy his academic theories about offering a space of engagement for drivers to reflect on the chaotic structures of their daily routine.

Read more at www.npr.org

 

Blues in the Sky: NPR’s in-depth coverage shows how airlines cut costs by going aborad for service/repairs

October 20, 2009 at 5:46 pm

(Source: NPR)

NPR’s three part special series titled ” Flight Mechanics: The Business of Airline Repairs” examines the industry practices to cut costs and how they  are battling to survive the economic downturn.  The short blurb of the special report says “Recent maintenance mistakes raise questions about a growing practice at U.S. airlines: Since an economic crisis began shaking the industry in 2002, most major airlines have stopped repairing and overhauling most of their own planes. Instead, they are sending the planes to be fixed for less money by private repair companies — often in developing countries.” Here is an (Text and Audio) excerpt from Part 2 of the three-part series.

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“Shortly before sunrise on Jan. 23, 2009, passengers on US Airways Flight 518, who were flying from Omaha to Phoenix, were startled by a terrifying shriek.

The pressure seal around the main cabin door was failing, and that shriek was the sound of air leaking through. The plane diverted to Denver. Everybody was safe.

In the weeks before the door seal started to fail, US Airways had sent that Boeing 737 to be overhauled at Aeroman, a repair company in El Salvador. And mechanics installed a key part on the door — a “snubber” — backward.

Chart: Outsourcing Aircraft Maintenance

Source: FAA Inspector General, Aeronautical Repair Station Association Credit: NPR

The globalization of airline maintenance is a remarkable reversal. Until just a few years ago, America’s airlines maintained most of their own planes. The FAA requires airlines to overhaul every plane roughly every two years or less, and small armies of mostly union mechanics at the airlines did the work.

But that was before 2002 — when US Airways filed for bankruptcy, American Airlines slashed flights, and other airlines teetered at the brink. Since then, airlines have been trying to survive by cutting back on any expenses they can control — including the little bags of peanuts.

One of the biggest areas airlines can cut costs is maintenance. Consider this: If an airline fixes its own planes in the U.S., it spends up to $100 per hour for every union mechanic, including overhead and other expenses, according to industry analysts. The airline spends roughly half as much at an independent, nonunion shop in America. And it spends only a third as much in a developing country, such as El Salvador.

Since the airline crisis hit seven years ago, the statistics have flip-flopped: The industry is now sending most of its planes to be overhauled and fixed at private repair shops both in the U.S. and overseas. And roughly 20 percent of planes are going to facilities in developing countries, according to industry surveys.

Industry analysts say there are roughly 700 FAA-approved repair companies in other countries — including repair shops in Argentina, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Kenya, China and Indonesia. The Aeroman company in El Salvador is becoming one of the more popular, drawing business from US Airways, JetBlue, Frontier, Southwest and other U.S. carriers.

The way the system works, the airlines fly empty planes needing an overhaul to Aeroman’s hangars at the international airport near the capital, San Salvador. Salvadoran mechanics strip the inside of the plane down to the bare metal. They fix cracks and rust and bad wiring. Then they put everything back together, and the plane is flown back to the U.S.

When people hear that U.S. airlines are getting their planes fixed in developing countries, they often raise their eyebrows and ask, “Should I worry?”

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Part ITo Cut Costs, Airlines Send Repairs Abroad: Recent malfunctions affecting US Airways planes raise questions about a controversial and growing practice at most U.S. airlines: The industry is sending almost 1 out of every 5 planes needing overhaul or repair to developing countries, from Central America to Asia.

Part IICrossed Wires: Flaws In Airline Repairs Abroad: Mechanics have made some mistakes fixing US Airways planes at an FAA-approved facility in El Salvador. Industry executives and the FAA say the maintenance work is just as safe as any work done in the U.S. But airlines and the FAA don’t make maintenance problems public.

Part IIIBucking Trend, Airline Keeps Repairs In-House: As many major U.S. airlines shift their repair and maintenance work to outside firms, American Airlines is taking a different approach. The airline has its own crew of 6,000 mechanics based in Tulsa, Okla., who service its fleet and even contract for outside business.

Click here to read/listen the entire series. Don’t forget to check the interactive map while you are reading the special report.

Podcast: NPR conducts a comprehensive analysis of the Somali pirate business model

April 27, 2009 at 2:42 pm

(Source: NPR’s Planet Money)

 Even pirates need a business plan. J. Peter Pham, an analyst of African affairs at the James Madison University, looks at the economics of guns, captains, and $2 million dropped into the sea in waterproof containers. Plus, Per Gullestrup, CEO of Danish shipping company Clipper Group, has dealt with pirates first-hand — he says they’re tough negotiators.  When he ironed out the ransom details with the pirates, he had 3 demands:

1. The pirates showed “proof of life” (that the crew was still alive)
2. That they could drop the money from the air (faster than getting it there in a tug)
3. That the pirates fill up the ship with fuel.

 For a related story on NPR’s Planet money, click here.

Late for exams because you can’t find parking? Don’t worry, this University now offers Valet Parking

March 18, 2009 at 12:11 pm

(Source: NPR)

Some universities are concerned that students are late for class because they cannot find parking. The Miami Herald reports Florida International University is testing valet parking at its West Miami-Dade campus. The university has 38,000 students and 14,000 parking spaces. The Miami Hearlad article also points to this new “offer” for students at other institutions:floating car door

Valet parking has caught on in other parts of the country.

Columbia University in New York just inked a contract. The trend began in California. The University of Southern California, a college valet pioneer, now charges $10 for the first two hours.

In South Florida, Zuluaga is hoping his valet service will spread to other local university campuses — opening up a new niche for his industry.

Final exams later this spring will be a good test for the valet parking stand at FIU.

Click here to read more.

The Trains in Spain Go Faster Than the Planes

March 5, 2009 at 6:55 pm

TransportGooru recommends all readers to listen to this interesting coverage on NPR.

(Source:  NPR)

 President Obama’s economic stimulus package includes $8 billion for speeding up train travel. America is far behind other industrial countries in high speed rail. A few years ago, Spain was also behind the curve. But the Spanish network is expanding fast, and the trains are beating planes.

File:Renfe clase 100.JPG

Stimulus Puts High-Speed Rail On The Fast Track

February 24, 2009 at 1:16 pm

(Source: NPR)

A map of designated high-speed rail corridors

 

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says high-speed rail could be a signature issue for Obama. “I do think this is the transformational issue for this administration when it comes to transportation,” LaHood said. “I think President Obama would like to be known as the high-speed rail president, and I think he can be.”

LaHood has sent Obama a memo outlining a half-dozen rail corridors across the country that could be in line to get some of the high-speed rail mon,ey.

The state that may be furthest along in planning is California, where voters approved a $9 billion bond issue last fall for high speed trains. Quentin Kopp, a former judge who is chairman of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, expects a lot of the federal money to wind up in the California system, which would link the state’s largest cities.

Click here to read the entire article.

NPR’s Car Talk – Feb 21, 2009

February 22, 2009 at 11:17 pm

(Source: NPR’s Car Talk)

Show Open Topic: Auto Mechanics Ranking in New Gallup Survey on Trustworthiness

Call 1: Chana, , MA
1994 Mercury Tracer
This is Chana’s first car ever! Her dear old dad says she needs to warm it up 20 minutes before driving. Is he right?
Call 2: Seth, Little Rock, AR
1995 Mazda Millenia
The car is making a clicking sound when he turns right. He had the CV axles replaced, then did a brake job himself–did he cause it?
Call 3: Kathy, , PA
1985 Toyota Corolla
dump/keep…. husband??s car, needs a lot of work, trying to convince him to Should she keep this car or dump it? Her mechanic is telling her to get rid of it. But her husband isn’t convinced. What to do?

Last Week’s Puzzler Answer:

The Quonset Hut Mistake.
Call 4: Rupa, , OH
Mazda 323
The brakes screech like she??s killing a cat. It happens after its parked all day in a lot. It only happens for the first 5 seconds and it doesn??t happen in the morning.
Call 5: Daniel, , NY
2000 Volkswagen Beetle
He’s finally found the perfect car! It’s got headroom, buttroom, access, egress. After much research, he’s found that the new VW Bug is the best for the proportionally challenged.
Call 6: Rich, , NJ
1993 Ford Explorer
Thermostat problem. He’s not getting enough heat, and the temp gauge doesn??t move off C.

This Week’s Puzzler:

The not-so perfect ??perfect?? used car
Call 7: Joan, , FL
Not Specified Not Specified
Stump the Chumps- Joan went to Madagascar and had a Geo waiting for her there. She wanted to know if she should bring spare parts with her just in case? Was Tom and Ray’s advice right or wrong?!
Call 8: Steve, Durham, NC
1951 Buick Roadmaster
Steve bought it with big hopes to restore, but now fears he??s bitten off more than he can chew!