Comments by "Joe R M" (@joermnyc) on "DownieLive" channel.

  1. Hobbit mealtimes: Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Elevensies, Luncheon, Afternoon Tea, Supper, Dinner.
    146
  2. Being an active mine for 361 days means every year the mine has changed, and the course has to change.
    34
  3. I always laugh at the Jackie Chan film “Rumble in the Bronx” that featured mountains in some of the backdrops, (because it wasn’t filmed in the Bronx, it was filmed in Vancouver 😂).
    29
  4. I actually was thinking, “Is he talking about Rutland?” at the start when you showed it was a Northeastern train line. It’s a nice ride up the Hudson and northeastern New York, though I took the Adirondack up to Lake Champlain instead.
    24
  5. Glad to see Jess was okay with trying the paragliding, mostly. Glass floors are able to hold up a lot of weight (the CN tower glass floor claimed it could hold up several rhinos), so there’s no worries walking on them.
    12
  6. Great for short trips, but I’d probably pass out at the cost if they offered trans-Atlantic or trans-pacific flights.
    12
  7. There are fire tankers that can reload water from local lakes by skimming along the surface… but yeah not many lakes in Palm Springs.
    8
  8.  @SuperHurtman yes
    7
  9. Diesel trains are also electric, the diesel motor spins a generator to power the electric motors that move the train. But hydrogen is so much cleaner and quieter.
    7
  10. Of the four subway lines that go to Coney Island in Brooklyn, two started out as street level railroads, then electric street cars, and finally elevated subways. When the potholes get bad enough under those subway lines the old rails can still be seen (McDonald Ave/Shell Road and New Utrecht Ave/86th Street/Stillwell Avenue (which is oddly paved with cement.) Shell Road is confusing though because there’s a major subway repair shop that has tracks that go out into the street to move subway cars in and out of the system via large load special trailers.
    6
  11. Seeing a red fox in the arctic is a bad thing... they are moving farther north and encroaching on arctic fox territory, boxing them out.
    5
  12.  @karenpolansky9097  I think that’s why Mike bought a Gatorade in the video since that has electrolytes in it.
    4
  13. Here in New York, we had all kinds of street rail, from horse drawn “omnibuses” to cable cars, and electric street cars, In fact each borough had their own ideas, and in Brooklyn the lines were so famous, that the historic fleet in San Francisco has PCC car (from the era after the old wooden/wood and steel sided cars you’re following here) painted in the Brooklyn colors (light green on the bottom at at the “standee window” level and silver around the larger windows and on the roof). For a really long time a group tried to put in a new line in Brooklyn, but over the years the city resisted, they lost their warehouse and most of the cars vanished, except for a few old Boston Green Line PCC cars which were parked out on the Red Hook waterfront… until Hurricane Sandy flooded most of them, and they had to be donated to rail museums that could restore them. There’s now only one left, the sun and salty air has turned the green paint blue, and it’s not doing so great. https://untappedcities.com/2019/10/15/the-last-abandoned-trolley-in-red-hook-from-the-boston-green-line/
    4
  14. Saw one of these (full grown) in a zoo, and even then it was awesome. The only even larger animal we saw, was a big old croc that was massive, and apparently loved music. We missed out on seeing a wombat because they are crepuscular and it was sleeping away the day, though we did read about one being cared for because it’s mom was hit by a car and the zoo was hand rearing the poor fellow and keeping him in a special pouch.
    4
  15. Last I heard, the Lytton fire may have been human caused, some say possibly by sparks from a train passing, but also that this also displaced a lot of First Nations people who were living near the town as well.
    3
  16.  @garrysekelli6776  First Nations then...
    3
  17. That wheelchair lift is so awesome! My daughter has special needs, and uses an adaptive stroller with transit hooks for the bus, so accessible transportation is really important. At the same time, having to take extra time to accommodate her does feel a little embarrassing since we’re holding up the service.
    3
  18. I may be wrong, but if the “green” is black, it’s probably coated in oil or tar to stop the wind from picking up the soil.
    3
  19. Gave off vibes of Vegas, but much more over the top and you got above 5-star treatment the whole time… other than that hot dog. (If you’re ever in Copenhagen try Pølse, it’s a bit like a hot dog and a sausage in one, pretty unique and I’d recommend the Danish Remoulade.)
    2
  20. It looked like they spaced the new seedlings out more in that last clear cut, I hope they are learning to not pack so many trees into the second growth so that the forest floor in that area can regenerate.
    2
  21. Pikes Peak is also famous for the hill climb (and descent) races, which are pretty dangerous since it’s the same road, just with cars going well past the speed limit. An all electric VW has the fastest time up the mountain (just under 8 minutes!)
    2
  22. Italy (and maybe Spain) actually paint the rails white to try to prevent rail warping in the summer sun. It’s a serious problem as if a train comes up on a curve and can’t see the warped rails, that’s a derailment.
    2
  23. The original part of DC Union station is so beautiful, Milano Centrale basically copied it! You know you did something right if Milan copies you.
    2
  24. The downtown Monorail station used to be about a block further south. When they built the mall the current station is attached to, they knocked the original station down and built Westlake Park. That’s why only one train at a time can board there.
    2
  25. Hey now that you’re based in Hong Kong might we see you at the Australian, Shanghai (it’s finally back on the calendar!), Singapore or Japan GP this year?
    2
  26. Curious if the fire risk closures are normal?
    2
  27. It’s like traveling in a camper (or caravan as they say in the UK) only it’s narrower and floating.
    2
  28. Agree with the Sydney ferries, a wonderful and relaxing way to travel around Sydney during the “part 2” of our honeymoon (totally unplanned, but it was a great place to visit and cheaper because it was winter there), and while the bridge walk is cool, another hidden gem is the museum inside the stone pillar at the city end of the bridge facing the opera house (you can access it from a door on the pedestrian walkway that goes over the bridge.) It’s good cardio as there’s a lot of stairs inside, many stories about the building of the bridge, and the men that died in accidents. At the very top of all the stairs is an outdoor observation deck that has some unique views of the surrounding area. Another great day trip with the ferries is the Taronga zoo, you can buy your zoo tickets at the ferry terminal in Circular Quay to save a little money (definitely get the gondola ride ticket as well, so you can start at the top of the zoo and walk your way back down to the ferry slip as you go). Only disappointment was we flew all the way from New York to see kangaroos, and they were sleeping when we got to the zoo! (And then we found out that the Staten Island zoo here has kangaroos! (Another hidden gem, great little zoo to bring kids too as well.)
    2
  29. Actually read about this a few months ago, for locals it’s FASTER than driving, especially in bad weather. And the Amtrak schedule allows for more time there, while driving you may have to call it a day earlier to beat traffic or incoming bad weather.
    2
  30. I never had maple syrup until I visited Toronto, only “pancake syrup” (aka corn syrup with imitation maple “flavor”)... I was like “why have I been missing this?” 😂 My dad always said the only cocktail he liked was 7 & 7, Seagrams 7 (American blended whisky) and 7-up.
    2
  31.  @MacAdvisor  only issue is if they catch you in Canada it’s a rather large fine. 🤑
    2
  32.  @MacAdvisor  nah, 100 Canadian is about 80 bucks, but 100 pesos is 5 bucks.
    2
  33. The journey reminded me of my wife and I starting our adventure to adopt from Bulgaria, we wound up in Burgas at sunset, though we had a facilitator and her car, but the drive from the airport to the hotel was pretty similar, even though we were going to the city (eventually the odd roads turned into the city grid. It seems most travelers to Burgas go the other way to the Black Sea resort towns.) We also had to travel with a good amount of money in Leva and paid cash for that hotel for the weekend, then a long drive to the middle of the country and another hotel outside of the city because of some convention that week. Honestly, that was a good thing because it was a quiet hotel to relax, and they had really great food and free breakfast. Sadly this was not the trip to take our daughter home, that came later in the year (we rented an apartment in the capital for 2 weeks), but it will be 6 years home next week!
    2
  34. I know places like Deadhorse, AK their groceries are very expensive, because everything must be flown in. There’s no rail connection, and trucks can only travel in and out for part of the year. But, most of the people working up there are well paid for the inconvenience.
    2
  35. The volcanic rock is okay, but that house behind it is a classic example of modern architecture too... was it just a matter of “we can’t protect the house? somebody save this rock!”?
    1
  36. The standing room only sides of the cable cars are fun, until you run into cars and trucks that are parked just a little too far from the curb. Then it’s time to become a contortionist, especially around side view mirrors.
    1
  37. Yeah, but you’ve done videos on Amtrak, I’m pretty sure VIA isn’t that bad in comparison for delays.
    1
  38. Near my parents house in Bensonhurst Brooklyn is an old church that dates back to the colonial period. Once a year they have a Revolutionary war festival with people in costume and they fire off a small portable cannon with only a 1/4 of the powder it would use to fire a cannonball. My parents live a few blocks away, and it still shakes their house. In fact it’s loud enough to be heard for quite a distance! We always would joke that the pharmacy across the street was under siege. 😂
    1
  39. Some now argue that a hard sea wall will cause more erosion and problems then a natural buffer like a barrier island, or a patch of reeds. (Though I heard this in regards to major coastal storms here on the Atlantic seaboard. Not sure if you have that problem in Vancouver.)
    1
  40. I think the only higher class experience are those airports where the first class check-in and lounge are separate from the main terminal, and you get driven up to the plane in an expensive car by a private chauffeur.
    1
  41. Remember, long distance trains like these are sometimes the only access for many small towns outside of very long drives. (And it’s not just in America).
    1
  42. Kid behind you = future YouTuber Kind of like a Peter Parker - Miles Morales thing.
    1
  43. Yes, you need electricity to split water into it’s elemental parts, but the lithium in most batteries has to be mined, which isn’t the cleanest process, and sometimes is found in places that could become conflict zones. Water is pretty easy to find.
    1
  44. So not used to side-loading trucks, here in NYC it’s all dropped in the back, and scooped inside, where rams compact everything down so the truck can carry a surprising amount of waste. (We have split trucks one side takes paper, the other glass, metal and plastics (those are separated later). Of course being a major city there’s also a lot of trucks that take only “garbage” (everything else, it’s either sent to landfills, or burned in a high efficiency incinerator over in New Jersey to generate electricity), they are working on making NYC zero trash at some point in the future (all recycling, and composting (they tried a program for composting, but only in single family homes… it didn’t last long, I guess they’ll see what happened and try a better version in the future.)
    1
  45. The Roosevelt Island Tram used to be like the one in New Mexico, when one left 2nd Avenue, the other left the island… until a bunch of faults and malfunctions left BOTH stranded over the river, which was a nightmare for the fire department’s rescue teams. Now they run independently with massive electric motors running the cables on the island side. The tram is good if something goes wrong on the subway, because there is a station on the island (which is technically car free, aside from maintenance and emergency vehicles, oh and the bus that goes around. There is a bridge into Queens that goes into a parking structure on the island, in case do you own a car and live there.
    1
  46. A video on the MTR would be cool.
    1
  47. Lytton was eerie to see, and now that area was hit again with flash floods, suddenly 100 - 500 year weather events are almost becoming common.
    1
  48. Sometimes it calls for espresso powder, same result, but stronger coffee flavor .
    1
  49. Cascades service to Vancouver is supposed to be back in September, would be interesting to try this crossing the boarder.
    1
  50. Well if you catch enough delays from Amtrak you’ll make up the two weeks between the ferries. 😂 Amtrak on single track sections are the worst if there’s freight traffic or the train in the other direction has to go by (and you’re forced onto a siding that you can only get out of by reversing.)
    1
  51. Guessing someone else is loading the 9 o’clock gun since the training would take too long?
    1
  52. Pretty sure if there is a welcome sign, it’s probably easier to see from the lower windows than the dome. 🤷‍♂️
    1
  53. Needs to have a hole on both sides of a tunnel. 😂
    1
  54. I was wondering what the next series would be, and figured Europe (or Australia), but didn’t guess it would be the canals in the UK! Never disappointed with your content Mike!
    1
  55. Yes, I made it a point to find events at any potential destinations, and it’s how it wound up seeing a lot of baseball games around the west coast. Unfortunately when I was in Toronto the Blue Jays were out of town, and the days they were back pushed the cost to visit out of my budget, but I did tour the stadium and got to walk on the field (this was before they switched to real grass). Other places had other things I was interested in, like Windsor Castle just outside of London, Dublin Castle, the USS Constitution up in Boston (it was winter, no baseball), and the Pinball Hall of Fame out in Vegas (it’s since moved onto the Strip).
    1
  56. Talk about finding the “notes” in a wine!
    1
  57. We have plenty of Cherry Blossoms and other flowering trees in Chinatown here in NYC, and yet people here obsess over going to Washington DC to see them instead. 🤷‍♂️
    1
  58. Hey, my hotel in Toronto was right around the corner from Union Station back in 2007, and that seems like so long ago… it was the Strathcona, tiny room (mostly taken up by the bed), but a giant bathroom, but I was out around town most of the day so I didn’t mind the tiny room. Didn’t use the GO trains, but did use the TTC, especially the old streetcars, that have since been replaced. (I still have a TTC token left over somewhere.) That closed funicular by the Hornblower dock looks very similar to the Angel’s Flight in Los Angeles, which is also about the same age I believe. (But at least that has a staircase).
    1
  59. Speed is why airplanes won out over airships. Several days transatlantic versus several hours. (Concorde did it faster, but at too high of a ticket price, plus the planes were aging and replacement parts were becoming scarce.)
    1
  60. There’s a swing through the US (Austin, then Vegas), Mexico and Brazil coming up. The ticket prices being talked about for Vegas are very high, and I’m sure finding a hotel isn’t going to be a problem, but finding one that isn’t charging a lot of money will be.
    1
  61. Too bad there doesn’t seem to be passenger trains in the territories (Nunavut, Northwest and Yukon) because I’d love to see more of this series!
    1
  62. Plenty of disease 200 years ago, modern medicine has saved an untold number of lives since we don’t have to worry about cholera, diphtheria, yellow fever, Scarlett fever, etc.
    1
  63.  @ncard00  unfortunately some rail lines can’t quite get the power to the tracks or can’t invest in catenary or 3rd rail power.
    1
  64. I think it leaves around 3pm so the passengers get good views of the Rockies the next day. 🏔
    1
  65. The train is actually 2 trains, the Texas Eagle, and the Sunset Limited, they join/split in San Antonio, and the observation car and dining car go on to New Orleans (the Sunset Limited used to run all the way to Florida until Hurricane Katrina hit, the damaged tracks were never brought back up to specs for passenger service, which is not cool as the Gulf Coasts of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida no longer have a direct Amtrak connection to the West Coast.
    1
  66. Nice to hear that they couldn’t just bulldoze homes and businesses to put in the sky train, here in the US they’d just “Eminent Domain” their way to buying up the properties and then knocking everything down. Then again we’re pretty bad at building new public transit.. the 2nd Avenue subway added 3 new underground stations and the total build cost was probably more than enough to build an entire new line in another nation, they are supposed to build 3 more phases of this line (1 more up to Harlem, and then 2 heading south to the Financial District (rumors that the line will have provisions for a new tunnel to Brooklyn since the last station under Hanover Square has to be built deep underground to avoid other infrastructure.)
    1
  67. The ammonia is used as an industrial refrigerant, it’s highly efficient and low cost, but it’s toxicity and corrosive tendencies on certain materials limit where it can be used… but the International Space Station uses it to keep the station comfortable (it’s designed so any leaks vent out into space.)
    1
  68. So is that how Nicole got to visit most of Australia with you? Are you learning the language, I find learning with a partner (my wife) made things stick better, (we learned Danish and Bulgarian for trips to both places, we still joke with each other about the Danish course because some of the sentences were kind of hilariously specific like “Lego-butikken er lukket” (The Lego store is closed).)
    1
  69. Saw sea lions in California… best to give them some space, they are heavy, they bite and they can crush CARS.
    1
  70. If you’re ever able to catch up to it, seeing the Union Pacific Big Boy in the states is a must… that is a beast (used to be coal fed, but converted to run on oil).
    1
  71. VIsiting Copenhagen, they also have a driverless Metro, I believe they just opened up one or two new lines since we were there. It was cool because there two bench seats at the front window, so you can sit and pretend you’re “driving” the train. 😆
    1
  72. As long as he was shoreside it should count. 🤷‍♂️
    1
  73. Canals can change an economy, New York harbor used to be just another harbor, but after they built the Erie Canal all the way from Lake Erie to the Hudson River, all those barges bringing goods to and from the interior of America up and down the Hudson to New York and suddenly we were THE major harbor in the WORLD. It’s Panama Canal level of changing the game.
    1
  74. All the CW superhero shows kind of gave up on hiding those buildings at some point or another (especially Supergirl after they moved out of Los Angeles for the second season.)
    1
  75.  @markmh835  Not when the US/Canada border is currently closed though, which is sad.
    1
  76. Really cool you rode from Vancouver, so many videos for the Canadian start in Toronto.
    1
  77. If you can, go find the Union Pacific Big Boy, the largest steam locomotive ever. I believe it does runs like this in Wyoming. The steam whistle is LOUD, but low pitched.
    1
  78. I’m jealous, the Canadian Rockies look so much cooler than the American ones.❄️
    1
  79. My wife and I went to Sydney and visited the Taronga zoo… flew all the way from NYC, only to find the Kangaroos were having a nap! (So was the Koala). We did get to see smaller Wallabies and even got to touch a Quokka (with supervision, very rough fur!) at the smaller zoo in Darling Harbor the next day. We did miss out on Wombats because they are Crepuscular (dusk and dawn active), but got to see Tasmanian devils and a lot of rare animals from elsewhere in the world. Cut to us back in NYC and we find out: the Staten Island zoo has Kangaroos 🦘! Trekked out there from Queens and sure enough they were up and bouncing! (Plus there were Emus in the same enclosure). So we went all the way to Australia, only to find bouncing Kangaroos two boroughs away. (Plus the Central Park childrens’ zoo has a Kookaburra, beautiful bird, but a very strange song.
    1