And now, the songs about airlines that didn’t break guitars

Add comment July 15th, 2009

(Thanks to Cranky Flier … more specifically, his Twitter account)

Some songs from people who said their favorite airlines never broke their guitars:

First, Southwest

(”They only give you nuts. They’ve got a lot of guts.”)

Then, WestJet

(Not quite as creative. A commenter says: “The tweet that led to this video said ‘in true WestJet fashion, here’s our take on it’. I agree, true WestJet fashion, ie copying others’ ideas.” Ouch.)

United breaks guitars, but Northwest hammers dulcimers

Add comment July 15th, 2009

We have a new genre of music developing - The Baggage Handler Blues.

First, of course, there was United Breaks Guitars:

Now, someone says Northwest Breaks Dulcimers:

(thanks to @joelchusid for the heads up)

The original is still way better, but I bet more will come. So, what’s next? American Breaks Accordians? Southwest Breaks Synthesizers? Ryanair Breaks Penny Whistles?

Amtrak: Thanks, but we still like our study

3 comments July 15th, 2009

Amtrak stands by its study that says a route through Genoa will be faster, more popular and cost less than a route through Belvidere, despite a competing study by consultants hired by Rockford and Belvidere leaders.

Some comments from Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari:

1: Where we were provided more specific information, we did not use contingency calculations.
2. We stand behind our schedule estimates, including time allowed for multiple railroad hand-offs on the Metra/UP route (Note - That’s the Belvidere route).  Suggestions about the south and north concourse differences at Amtrak Chicago Union Station are inaccurate.
3. We stand behind the ridership projections and the suggestions about AECOM’s methodology are false.  Population and traffic patterns are indeed in the model.
4. Mitigation costs regarding rail traffic will need to be updated from the 2006 projections, due to rail traffic pattern changes.

The key answers are items 2 and 3, since ridership and travel times are the key contention. Number 4 is interesting in that it could lead to the costs changing but not automatically on the Belvidere route … Canadian National Railway, which owns the Genoa route, has made a number of network changes in Chicago that could lower its costs. Of course, so has Union Pacific, which owns most of the Belvidere route.

The ball’s back in the local folks court. And in the state’s court, as its their ultimate decision. This could be a tough call.

Today’s fuel price musings - Gas keeps getting cheaper

Add comment July 15th, 2009

Prices are in the low $2.50s per gallon around Rockford, even dropping into the $2.40s in spots. Rockford prices have dropped 40 cents since the peak on June 9.

AAA broke out some county-by-county drops in their Chicago region the past month. Here are the biggest drops:

1. Sangamon County - down 51 cents
2. Allen County, Ind. - down 47 cents
3. Winnebago County - down 39 cents
4. Lake County, Ind. - down 39 cents
5. St. Joseph County, Ind. - down 37 cents
6. Porter County, Ind. - down 34 cents
7. Peoria County - down 31 cents
8. Lake County - down 29 cents
9. McLean County - down 29 cents
10. Kane County - down 25 cents
11. Champaign County - down 25 cents

Here are the prices from this morning (courtesy of AAA’s fuelgaugereport.com):

Gasoline: Rockford dropped more than a cent to $2.53 a gallon today. We’re third in the state and tied at 105th of the nation’s 280 metro areas. The Illinois average dropped two cents to $2.60 a gallon. The national average dropped almost two cents to $2.50 a gallon. Illinois has the 13th-highest gas prices in the nation, including the District of Columbia.

Diesel: Rockford increased less than a cent to remain at $2.63 a gallon, a 7-cent drop in the past month. We have the fourth-highest diesel prices in the state. The state average dropped almost a cent to $2.63. The national average dropped almost a cent to $2.56. Illinois has the 14th-highest diesel prices in the country, including the District of Columbia.