Showing posts with label Seattle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seattle. Show all posts

Stay Away from Seattle

Saturday, September 17, 2011 Unknown

Theres a very strange website around which called people to "Stay away from Seattle".

 Apparently September 16 is "Stay Away from Seattle Day. It is meant to  "give 'America's Best Place to Live' city a break from the influx of people moving to the area."

Tourists bring 5.5 billion dollars into Seattle every year but not everyone wants them it seems - at least one day a year.

There have been a few places in the world that I have been to where I have wondered if people actually want tourists. I have never been made to feel really unwelcome but I have wondered.
Many people say Paris is famous for not wanting tourists. My experience has been the opposite. However, I do get the sense that some Parisians get tired of sharing their marvellous city with gawking rude tourists who make no effort to really get into the la vie de Paris.


Have you ever felt unwelcome in a city?



In the meantime, Happy Keep Away from Seattle Day!




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Martin J on the Monorail

Wednesday, April 27, 2011 Unknown
In 2012 the Seattle Monorail will be 50. Opened March 24, 1962 for the Seattle World Fair.  The line runs at a top speed of 72km/h for just over a 1.5kilometres.


The train pictured here is one of the two original Alweg trains built in 1961. The monorail trains and their tracks were given historical landmark status by the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board April 16, 2003.

About 2.5 million people pay the $2 fare for the two minute trip. In the late 90s, there was  a plan to put five monorail lines across Seattle. Called the Seattle Monorail Project, it was finally buried in 2008.

By contrast, the Shangahi Maglev Train with a top operational speed of 431 km/h (268 mph),was built between 2001 and 2004. The train takes 7 minutes and 20 seconds to complete a distance of 30 km (18.6 mi)   to Pudong International Airport from a station on the Shanghai Metro. I can't wait to ride that one in August!


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