>

Just as one example, Union Pacific alone has a cash value of about 130 billion USD.
The net value of their long term assets like the land under the lines, the tracks, buildings/terminals, etc. is 57 billion USD (80 billion less 22 billion in depreciation) and doesn't consider second order liabilities that might be tied to the assets.  But, ownership of the tracks is what lets the rest of their business take up the rest of that value, so you'd pretty much have to nationalize the whole company instead of being able to just buy the tracks.
Now do this for the other major rail corporations in the country.
Unfortunately, there is no universe in which the population of the country would be willing to spend half a trillion dollars on buying a "gently used" rail system.
Maybe if we claim UP has discovered oil, and just try to convince people we need to liberate it from some terrorists somewhere (maybe blame it on ANTIFA, lol).
Ehh I don't know about delays.  Definitely agree with the oversold flight aspect but if you tie a financial incentive to getting flights out on time I worry about the shitty airlines cutting corners and taking unnecessary risks to avoid those fees >

I’m pretty sure they do that anyway. >

Spirit Airlines - "60% of the time we are on time every time" >

Southwest Airlines - “Spirit Airlines will get you where you’re going.  How boring!  Fly with us and roll the dice!” >

Delta Airlines - "We're gonna frame you for murder!" >

You've got feminine hips! >

Love the /r/unexpectedmulaney >

"You're a little fat girl, aren't ya?"
"Noo..."
"SAY IT!"
"I'm a little fat girl..." >

Waiting for senators like Mitt Romney to be for this, until they vote against it >

Hey, since our beloved corporate citizens can’t vote, someone has to stand up for them!! No one is more oppressed than corporate citizens! >

The oppression of multi-billion dollar corporations is the greatest social injustice of our time. >

If you aren’t mad, you aren’t paying attention! >

You know the funniest (re:sad) part is that most of these corporations are "owned" by our retirement and pension funds. If those funds were to enact shareholder initiatives they could drive these corporations in an equitable direction. I think its been completely (and intentionally) overlooked that the largest shareholders of companies are these retirement funds. These retirement funds that give over control to wall street who then uses them to vote in their own interests, against the interests of the retirees. >

You guys are getting pensions?? >

It's a Democratic Bill that the House will reject simply because it is a Democratic Bill. >

Can just go on the long list of ways republicans screw over regular Americans. >

Idk, maybe I'm just absurdly poor but I feel like flying is for rich people. Wouldn't this be something that would benefit congressmen more than the average person? >

I think most people have at least flown domestically. I never understood overselling seats to begin with; don’t sell 30 tickets for 20 seats?? >

Best I can tell, it’s so my wife will pay an  extra $50/ticket for the “privilege” of having an assigned seat bc they don’t bump those w assigned seats. >

Unless they need to transport their employees to another place to start work/go home - then they'll bump you off anyway, quite literally. >

We shouldn’t have bailed em out. >

Not without taking stock in trade. Frankly all corporate subsidies and bailouts should be on the premise of the "People" owning however much stock they are paying for with said bailout. Couple that with a 10-15 year moratorium on stock buybacks and board bonuses for accepting the bailouts. >

Or just let the business fail, and don’t repeat what those businesses did >

We can't let them fail. They should have become government run. Same with rail. The privatization of everything is not the way. >

We can and should let poorly run businesses fail. >

Air travel is vital to the economy. The company needs to be taken over by the government. Not bailed out. They failed, and now are not a private business. It is not a hard concept. Rail needs to be taken over by the government as well. >

If the federal government would just buy the rails it would be a big improvement. It would lower costs through maintenance and lack of state and local taxes plus passenger trains could have priority instead of having to wait for freight trains.