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'Mad Men' for mad fast trains
Two actors from 'Mad Men' throw their support behind high-speed rail by starring in a funny video set in 1965.
Wed, Mar 09 2011 at 11:15 PM
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Photo: Video still from U.S.PIRG
On Monday I gave you the teaser — Now the “Mad Men” video about Mad Fast Trains is out! Vincent Kartheiser and Rich Sommer assume their usual “Mad Men” roles of Pete Campbell and Harry Crane to discuss an ad campaign for high-speed rail.
The year’s 1965, and Pete’s concerned rail will lose out to the automobile — while Harry’s convinced that “America always makes the right investment.” After all, trains are efficient, convenient, and cost-effective. Cars, on the other hand? “I read a piece that said in 40 years, gas will cost almost a dollar a gallon,” says Harry.
Well, the future is now, gas costs more than $4 a gallon, and yet states are turning away high-speed rail funds left and right — a phenomenon that seems so bizarre that a recent Slate piece tackled the puzzling question, “Why do conservatives hate trains so much?”
The “Mad Men”-inspired video comes from U.S. PIRG — a public-interest advocacy group that promotes high-speed rail as a transportation solution — and the end of the video points you to madfasttrains.com, which takes you to a U.S. PIRG webpage that lets you tell your senators you want high-speed rail now. In the meantime, you can also donate to U.S. PIRG to get a free “I’d rather be riding high-speed rail!” bumper sticker.
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America has fallen far behind in the pursuit of high speed rail because the Auto Industry had such a powerful lobby controlling the US Politicians ! PERIOD !