#pittsburgh union station

[aryburn-trains]

In the winter of 1963-1964, Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Station still hosted PRR long-distance and commuter trains.

[istandonsnowpiles]

Pittsburgh Union Station

[20th-century-railroading]

ATSF 999704, Joliet, IL

Santa Fe 999704 was one of 50 class Ce-8's built by International Car Company in 1978.

8-29-1978

[serenity-the-firefly]

If there’s one thing i’ve learned from traveling the country by train its that any station named “union” is going to be stunningly gorgeous. and any other city stations are gonna be equivalent to the springfield mass bus depot.

[future-crab]

People in the US: find a protest for Rafah

I found out about my local protest too late to attend (I don't have a car and I live in an area with zero public transportation) so I thought I'd share this list of protests so that other people might be able to go to their's!

[ID:

February 12, 2024

AUSTIN, TEXAS | 5PM 1100 Congress

CHICAGO, IL | 4:30 PM Federal Plaza 230 Dearborn Ave

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON | 6 PM University of Washington Station

MANHATTAN, NY | 4 PM Union Square

SAINT LOUIS, MO | 2:30 PM @ Kirkwood Park 111 So. Geyser Rd.

February 13, 2024

SAN DIEGO, CA | 4:30 PM Federal Plaza

SAN FRANCISCO, CA | 5:30 PM Federal Building

ATLANTA, GA | 7 PM Israeli consulate

PHILADELPHIA, PA | 5:30 PM 1400 JFK Blvd

PITTSBURGH, PA | 5 PM 4100 Forbes Ave

HOUSTON, TX | 4 PM Houston City Hall

February 14, 2024

PHOENIX, AZ | 4 PM NE Corner of 7th St & McDowell Rd

WASHINGTON, DC | 2 PM Dupont Circle

February 15, 2024

AUSTIN, TX | 10 AM Austin City Hall, 301 2nd St

February 16, 2024

EAU CLAIRE, WI | 5 PM Corner of Hwy 93 and Golf Rd (Outside Hardee’s)

February 18, 2024

NEW ORLEANS, LA | 11:30 AM ARMSTRONG PARK

February 19, 2024

CHICAGO, IL | 11 AM Chicago History Museum, Children’s Fountain

February 25, 2024

SAINT PAUL, MN | 1 PM 1176 N Mississippi River Blvd, St. Paul, MN.

End ID.]

[amtrak-official]

There will finally be a second Train between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia

[house-of-mirrors]

Today in labor history, July 6, is the anniversary of the Battle of Homestead which happened in 1892 near Pittsburgh, PA. Here's a summary of a lecture I watched about it.

The Steelworkers Union went on strike against Carnegie Steel who, under leadership of Henry Clay Frick, wanted to double hours and half wages. The mill shut down July 1 and the workers had the support of more or less the whole town. The conflict came to a head in the early hours of the morning on July 6, when the hired Pinkerton detective mercenaries tried to make a river landing and force the Homestead mill to open. Historians don't know who fired the first shot, but the workers and townspeople were able to successfully prevent the Pinkertons from taking the town and reopening the mill after several deaths and injuries. The mercenaries were run out of town to the rail station and forced to leave.

Unfortunately, they won the battle but not the war. Soon after, the US National Guard was called in and reopened the mill. Most of the striking workers were fired, the steel and iron union was dissolved, and the company got what they wanted: half pay and double hours. Later on in the early 1900s, a few steel companies were bought together and merged to create the first billion dollar company in the US. The steelworkers Union didn't recover until the 1930s.

So anyway, here's a great holiday for July! Celebrate the spirit of sticking it to the man, support labor issues, and live your life in a way that Andrew Carnegie would hate you

[bigtimesinsmallspaces]

Total Eclipse of the Trip

There are a lot of lessons to be learned when you book a train trip that spans 12 plus days, 6000 miles, and a lifetime of dreams. There are routes, maps, and timetables to study, and then it is cobbled together with towns, sights, and special interests along the way. Back in January PG had her double screen home office displaying Amtrak maps as we began piecing together, bit by bit, the dream trip, leaving time for connections and considering the optimum direction for each train, as well as daylight hours for the most scenic sections. Why go through the Sierras in the dark? And if you do have to make a connection, it’s best to do it where you don’t mind hanging a bit, just in case you miss that connection and are stuck there for hours (days). Much of this I learned from hours of study on the Amtrak Facebook pages (sad stories of families stranded in Idaho after rock slides and other such bring my dream down a notch why don’t ya stories). So I learned early that there were going to be glitches over the course of these 6000 miles and I was poised to pivot with aplomb—extra night here, a layover there, I had backup plans for every step of the way. However, I was NOT prepared to pivot before we even began.

That’s right. There we are getting on the train in Philly, headed to DC and from there on the overnight train to Chicago, where on Monday we would board the king of all trains, the whisperer of the wind, the Amtrak flagship—the amazing California Zephyr. Hearts pounding with excitement we step on that train and as the doors close I hear my phone ringing. With a quick dismissal upon seeing an 800 number I assure PG it is just the Red Cross in pursuit of my blood.

Well with that buildup you probably guessed that my blood is not really in that much demand. Indeed that was Mrs. Amtrak calling to put a cabash on our 3000 hours of planning and 6900 miles of traveling. The California Zephyr was CANCELLED for Monday due to high winds. High winds? A train can’t go through high winds? I can ride my BIKE on the beach in high winds. I am incensed. But Mrs. Amtrak insists that safety is her concern and apparently she considers 90 MPH winds to be beyond high, and in fact she thinks they are very very high, and she does not care about our 3000 hours of planning or disappointment. We can have a refund. A REFUND? There is no amount of money that will convince us to pack up and go home. Without delving into the minutia of details for how to rearrange 6000 miles, start to finish, suffice it to say Philly Girl went to work on her computer, and with the help of multiple Amtrak agents in person and on the phone, and in person agents on the phone with other agents, we flipped our trip upside down and backwards, first on to Montana, then back to Chicago on the Zephyr at the end of our trip (hopefully the winds have died down by next week).

So right now we are in 93% eclipse Chicago on this beautiful, sunny, warm spring day after a beautiful overnight ride. Did we sleep? Sort of. More on some of the logistics later. But it sure was a beautiful ride through beautiful Harper’s Ferry, WV, Pittsburgh, Sandusky (Hello Will and Missy), and into Chicago this morning.

Chicago Union Station is amazing. Built in 1925, it covers many city blocks and features beautiful design and art. We cashed in some Guest Reward points to gain access to the Metropolitan Lounge. This is a game changer on long trips offering an array of snacks, coffee, a marvelous shower (yes a shower, did you think there would be no showers?), and best of all, a place to stash our luggage while we explored Chicago and experienced the amazing eclipse as well as an amazing lunch. If you ever take the train to Chicago know that the station is a joy and is located in a beautiful area with lots to do and see in walking distance.

We’re getting ready to board the Empire Builder headed west now. While the trip we had planned got eclipsed, we’re taking it all as a sign to make the most of whatever surprises come next.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 9.8 (after 1960)

1960 – In Huntsville, Alabama, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower formally dedicates the Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA had already activated the facility on July 1). 1962 – Last run of the famous Pines Express over the Somerset and Dorset Railway line (UK) fittingly using the last steam locomotive built by British Railways, BR Standard Class 9F 92220 Evening Star. 1966 – The landmark American science fiction television series Star Trek premieres with its first-aired episode, "The Man Trap". 1970 – Trans International Airlines Flight 863 crashes during takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, killing all 11 aboard. 1971 – In Washington, D.C., the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is inaugurated, with the opening feature being the premiere of Leonard Bernstein's Mass. 1973 – World Airways Flight 802 crashes into Mount Dutton in King Cove, Alaska, killing six people. 1974 – Watergate scandal: US President Gerald Ford signs the pardon of Richard Nixon for any crimes Nixon may have committed while in office. 1975 – Gays in the military: US Air Force Tech Sergeant Leonard Matlovich, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, appears in his Air Force uniform on the cover of Time magazine with the headline "I Am A Homosexual". He is given a general discharge, later upgraded to honorable. 1978 – Black Friday, a massacre by soldiers against protesters in Tehran, results in 88 deaths, it marks the beginning of the end of the monarchy in Iran. 1986 – Nicholas Daniloff, a correspondent for U.S. News & World Report, is indicted on charges of espionage by the Soviet Union. 1988 – Yellowstone National Park is closed for the first time in U.S. history due to ongoing fires. 1989 – Partnair Flight 394 dives into the North Sea, killing 55 people. The investigation showed that the tail of the plane vibrated loose in flight due to sub-standard connecting bolts that had been fraudulently sold as aircraft-grade. 1994 – USAir Flight 427, on approach to Pittsburgh International Airport, suddenly crashes in clear weather killing all 132 aboard, resulting in the most extensive aviation investigation in world history and altering manufacturing practices in the industry. 2000 – NASA launches Space Shuttle Atlantis on STS-106 to resupply the International Space Station. 2004 – NASA's uncrewed spacecraft Genesis crash-lands when its parachute fails to open. 2005 – Two Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft from EMERCOM land at a disaster aid staging area at Little Rock Air Force Base; the first time Russia has flown such a mission to North America. 2016 – NASA launches OSIRIS-REx, its first asteroid sample return mission. The probe will visit 101955 Bennu and is expected to return with samples in 2023. 2017 – Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announce the beginning of the Deir ez-Zor campaign, with the stated aim of eliminating the Islamic State (IS) from all areas north and east of the Euphrates. 2022 – Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom dies at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years. Her son Charles, Prince of Wales, ascends the throne upon her death as Charles III. 2023 – A magnitude 6.9 earthquake strikes Morocco, killing nearly 3,000 people and damaging historic sites in Marrakesh.

[pattywagon2go]

Transit Talk Thursday

Transit Talk Thursday: Okie dokie, this was not a thread I was intending on making, but unfortunately my hand was forced. Half as Interesting has always been to me the pinnacle of content mill garbage, but this has got to be the absolute pinnacle of content mill garbage with how it basically gets every single important detail wrong in some capacity. It's so bad that I couldn’t just stand here and watch from the audience. I had to get involved in some way, and this is the best way that I could think of. Let’s dissect this absolute travesty of a video together, and maybe we’ll learn a few things along the way.

First of all, the map he shows of the Northeast Corridor (first image) is inaccurate*. It highlights the Keystone Corridor, a portion of the Empire Corridor, and the Springfield Corridor. This I take a bit of issue of because most foamers agree that the Keystone Corridor from Philadelphia to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, the small snub of the Empire Corridor and the Springfield Corridor are considered separate corridors, but the Northeast Corridor Commission does consider those to be a part of the NEC, so this is fine, if not a tiny bit annoying. Though based on how it looks, it's likely Ben Doyle (the writer of the video) just took the map of the NEC and its adjacent corridors off of Wikipedia (second image) and used it in the video. This one is based off of a technicality so I can give Ben the benefit of the doubt this time. I wish I could do the same for the next ones though!

So the next thing I take issue with is the point about electrification systems. Sam says that the ex-PRR system running on 25Hz is apparently a problem because since it runs on a different frequency, it's impossible to upgrade without tearing it all down. So to explain this one, the Northeast Corridor has three separate electrification systems powering it. The first is the Southend Electrification (see above), running on 11kV 25Hz AC electrical power, built by the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the one which has the problems. The next is the 12.5kV 60Hz AC system, which is a remnant of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad. This one powers the NEC from New York Penn Station to New Haven Union Station. The last is the Northend Electrification, running on 25kV 60Hz AC power, which was done by Amtrak in the 1990s. The Pennsylvania Railroad built their system on 25Hz because it was a fairly prevalent system for industrial use, and this was before 60Hz became the standard for North America. With that being said, Sam's point about it being impossible to upgrade due to it requiring special equipment and infrastructure is just wrong. Amtrak has upgraded this system before (you'll see an example later), so the notion of it being a problem because its 25Hz while the other systems are 60Hz, and as a result, using special equipment is just wrong. Second of all, even if we’re coming from the perspective of “Oh but what about the trains you run on the system, that’s gotta be the real problem”, that’s…not a problem at all. Rolling stock that can work for all three electrical systems of the NEC are available and we still roster them even today, like Amtrak’s current ACS-64s. Ben even wrote that its impossible to tear it all down and start from scratch, so that's what Amtrak has decided not to do. Amtrak instead just works around it, and whaddya know, it works just fine.

Next thing is the detail Amtrak apparently absorbed PRR in 1975. This statement is what made me do this thread. It is the pinnacle of how Ben doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about when it comes to trains.

For the uninitiated, the Pennsylvania Railroad was not absorbed into Amtrak in 1975, because it didn’t even exist in 1975! What Ben got wrong here was Amtrak absorbed the passenger operations of Penn Central, the successor of the Pennsylvania Railroad, created from a merger of PRR, the New York Central, and the New Haven Railroad, while Conrail took over the freight side. The reason why Amtrak and Conrail even came to existence is because the Penn Central merger was so horrible it created one of the largest bankruptcies in United States history, and it forced the Nixon Administration to create Conrail and Amtrak to plug the gaping hole in the United States’ transportation network. Every single foamer worth their weight knows this story, to get this wrong in a video meant to "inform" (hard air quotes) people is an indication of extreme carelessness.

So the explanation of constant-tension catenary is “fine”, apart from how Sam didn’t say what it actually was by its correct name, but what I take issue with here is the lack of an explanation as to why the ex-PRR catenary is so bad, and why these issues haven’t been seen on other segments of the NEC.

So Alan Fisher has a great thread explaining why on his Twitter, but because not everyone has Twitter (good for you), I’ll explain it here as well.

The reason why Amtrak and New Jersey Transit were experiencing outages due to downed wires is because a majority of the ex-PRR wires are simply fixed into place on the catenary poles (see above). This is an issue because when the wire heats up, it sags, which makes it so a train’s pantograph can strike it and bring the wire down. By comparison, the section between New Haven, CT and Boston, MA done in the 90s (Known as the Northend Electrification, see below) has constant-tension catenary, which means the wire is kept tight with calibrated weights. This is good because it means no matter how much the wire expands, the weights can pull the wire tight. Unfortunately, a majority of the ex-PRR system lacks constant-tension, so whenever the temperature heats up (like it did in July), the wires will sag, and the chance for the system to be downed due to a wire being taken down is elevated.

Now the final thing I want to go over is Sam saying that Amtrak did get money to upgrade a section of the NEC between Trenton and New Brunswick, NJ, but they only did 7 miles of the section before “calling it a day”. First of all, the notion that Amtrak only did 7 miles of the Trenton - New Brunswick section is very wrong. Amtrak has an OIG report which details that the entire section has constant-tension now, which is why the Acela is able to hit a top speed of 150mph there. Second of all, Sam fails to mention the actual reason why they only did 7 miles at first. The actual reason why is because due to a clusterfuck regarding mismanagement of federal funds, there was only enough money to do 7 miles of the entire corridor. There’s an OIG report which mentions it here. Saying that they did just 7 miles and “called it a day” with no elaboration is indicative of, once again, extreme carelessness and laziness. But then again, I probably shouldn’t expect anything more from a content mill.

BONUS: If you're wondering why Amtrak did this 20 mile stretch first, its due to Amtrak anticipating their new Acela trainsets, coming sometime in Q4 of this year. [Source]

So, conclusion?

This video was insanely painful to watch for me. I have always disliked HAI for its writing style, but now the channel has decided to just publish blatant lies for their mindless subscribers to gobble up like vultures. This kind of stuff will keep happening so long as so many people are misinformed and uneducated about trains. But it doesn't have to be this way. This is why I'm making this post. Not because I want to cash in on some "Internet clout" or something stupid like that. Rather, I'm doing this to spread the truth, to counter this 8 minute package of lies put out by a channel which has much higher production values than what I could muster. I may not be able to edit well, voice scripts that well, make eye-catching motion graphics, or make interesting graphics. But what I am able to do is talk about trains and transit in an informative, educational, and most importantly, accurate way. And at the end of the day, that's all that I care about.

[bllsbailey]

Motorcycle Officers Who Assisted at Trump Rally and Sustained Injuries Were Not Authorized to Be There

Two Pittsburgh unit supervisors who assisted at the deadly Trump Rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania, on Saturday were moved out of their unit. According to a WPXI exclusive, their superiors claim that the officers were not authorized to work the rally and were supposed to be available for First Lady Jill Biden's motorcade in Pittsburgh that same day. 

Two Pittsburgh motorcycle cops who were assisting with security at the Trump rally and injured by shrapnel when an assassin fired on Trump were transferred away from their unit as punishment, a local Pittsburgh news station is reporting. Sources told WPXI/11 News in Pittsburgh that officials were mad at the officers for not working security at Jill Biden’s event. 

The plot thickens.

11 Investigates has learned exclusively that two Pittsburgh police motorcycle officers who were injured during the shooting at former President Donald Trump’s rally over the weekend have been removed from the cycle unit. That decision has sparked controversy and disagreement inside the department. Sources told Chief Investigator Rick Earle that those cycle officers were asked to assist with the Former President’s motorcade to that rally in Butler County on Saturday. According to Earle’s sources, the officers claim they notified the proper personnel with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and received authorization to help, but according to the same sources, the bureau said they didn’t get permission. Sources told 11 Investigates that the Pennsylvania State Police requested Pittsburgh motorcycle officers to assist with former President Trump’s motorcade Saturday night from the airport in Allegheny County to Butler County and back again.

Pittsburgh sent 10 officers, and four were hit by shrapnel when Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire, injuring former President Donald Trump, killing firefighter father Corey Comperatore, and injuring others. The Pittsburgh motorcycle officers sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene. One later went to the hospital.

Video from CBS News shows those Pittsburgh officers, just minutes after they were hit with debris, in the stands helping some of the injured, even carrying one to safety. But two days after their heroic actions, two motorcycle unit supervisors were transferred out of the unit. Sources told 11 Investigates the bureau claimed they never got permission to assist Trump. The motorcycle supervisors claim they did get permission, according to sources.

As with the Secret Service involvement (or lack thereof) at the rally, there is much confusion on what should have happened and what actually occurred. According to the WPXI sources, there were also "concerns that some of those officers should have been available to help with the First Lady’s visit to Pittsburgh at the same time." Assistance had to be called in from nearby universities to aid Pittsburgh Police in managing Jill Biden’s motorcade.

The more the investigation unravels, the more interesting it gets. Now it's become a battle of they-said, they-said between the spokesperson for the Pittsburgh brass and the president of the Fraternal Order of Police union.

A Pittsburgh police spokesperson sent a statement to 11 Investigates. “This was an administrative decision made by the Chief. Per the FOP [union] contract, I am unable to speak to the reasons behind the move as it involves personnel,” said spokesperson Cara Cruz. The President of the Pittsburgh police officers’ union fired back in a statement to 11 Investigates. “In a time when we should be honoring the heroics of these officers, we’ve created some petty administrative investigation in the midst of a serious political race,” said Fraternal Order of Police President Bob Swartzwelder. 11 Investigates has also learned there are questions about the overtime hours put in by some of the cycle officers. In the transfer memo, Police Chief Larry Scirotto did not list a reason for the moves, only stating it was “for the good of the bureau.”

"For the good of the bureau?" Sounds like people above their pay grade are looking to assign blame. As the expression goes, "crap runs downhill." 

[aryburn-trains]

"Parkway Limited" Last run of the day on March 10, 1981, to Greensburg, Pennsylvania, departing Pittsburgh's passenger depot. The E unit is a steam generator car and the coaches are from Amtrak. Keith Clouse photograph

[newtownpentacle]

Pennsy Rotunda

Thursday – photo by Mitch Waxman A beautiful bit of architecture, there’s a rotunda dome found at the entrance to what was once ‘Union (or Penn) Station’ here in Pittsburgh. This was once the home base station for the Pennsylvania Rail Road company, and they clearly wanted to make an impression – back in the day. Completed in 1904, the station was designed by architect David Burnham, who was…

[arpov-blog-blog]

Hopium Chronicles By Simon Rosenberg

Great New Biden Ad, Biden Leads in 4 New Polls, Gov. Newsom Helps Celebrate Hopium's 1st Birthday!

SIMON ROSENBERG MAR 9, 2024

Great New Biden Ad, “For You” - The 1st Biden ad of the general election dropped this morning and it is just great. Strong, warm, funny. A really start to the general. Do watch fellow info warriors and share this through your networks and organizations this weekend. We need as many people to see it as possible.

Here’s the releases from the campaign:

In “For You” President Biden Touts His Historic Record, Points Out Trump’s Lack Thereof   In “For You” President Biden discusses how his wisdom, experience, and—yes, even age—have been critical to getting big things done for the American people in his first term, and the choice Americans will face this November between Joe Biden’s experienced and effective leadership versus Donald Trump and his assault on Americans’ rights and democracy. The six-week ad flight will air on national cable and local broadcast and cable television in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina. The ad campaign will target audiences in the key markets of Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Phoenix, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Raleigh, with a focus on voters of color and young voters. The ad will air on popular entertainment and sports programming on stations like ESPN, TNT, FX, Adult Swim, and Comedy Central and during high-viewership moments like the NCAA March Madness Tournament. It will also run digitally across platforms – with a heavy emphasis on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. The following is a statement from Biden-Harris Campaign Communications Director Michael Tyler: “Y'all want to talk about age? Let's talk about age. At 77, Joe Biden beat Donald Trump. At 78, he led us through the COVID crisis, put us on a path to creating nearly 15 million new jobs since the day he took office, and passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to repair our roads and bridges and expand access to broadband internet to every community. At 79, he got us the most significant gun safety legislation in a generation and became the first president to beat Big Pharma and cap the cost of insulin at $35 for seniors. At the same time, he made the single largest investment in history to combat climate change – all before his 80th birthday. Meanwhile, the only helpful thing Donald Trump did for the American people in four years was lose the 2020 election to Joe Biden – and it’s the one thing he won’t take credit for.” “Now, Joe Biden is 81 and he's going to beat Donald Trump again because he wakes up every single day fighting for the American people while Trump wages a campaign of revenge and retribution focused on himself. Trump may be four years younger than Joe Biden, but his ideas are old as hell and they've already been rejected by the American people. Joe Biden is running to make sure we reject them for good.”

The general election is here my friends. Make sure you sign up for the Biden-Harris campaign today. Give whatever you can - $5, $10 or more - to get going. As we discussed yesterday, Joe Biden has made it clear he is fighting for us. Now we need to go fight for him!

Biden Leads in 4 New National Polls - Even before his powerful State of The Union speech, the President has had his best week of polling in some time. Four new, national polls show him leading. He made meaningful gains in all of them, and all 4 had more interviews than the most recent NYT poll (you can find the polls at 538). Here they are, Biden-Trump:

47%-44% Kaiser Family Foundation (7 pt Biden gain since last poll)

51%-49% Emerson (3 pt Biden gain since last poll)

44%-43% Morning Consult (5 pt Biden gain over past month)

43%-42% TIPP (3 pt Biden gain since last poll)

A central reason I’ve been so optimistic about us winning in November is that I always believed that when it became clear to voters that it was Biden vs Trump, and the Biden campaign began in earnest, a big chunk of our wandering coalition would come home. Biden would then gain 3-4 points and open up a small but meaningful lead in national polling. It’s possible that is what we we’re seeing now. It’s what Morning Consult found in their polling this week:

Biden retakes lead from Trump: Biden leads Trump, the likeliest Republican presidential nominee for 2024, by 1 percentage point (44% to 43%) in our latest national tracking survey. It’s Biden’s first lead over Trump since early January, and is driven by coalescence among the voters who backed him last time around: 85% of Biden 2020 voters say they’d vote for him if the election were today, the largest share since early September.

We begin the general election with the race close and competitive. Trump does not lead, nor he is favored. As I wrote recently, there are serious warning signs about ongoing Trump/Republican struggles and underperformance right now for those who want to see them. Yes, we have work to do to win this election and get to 55. But it is doable work, work that we can do, whereas their job of selling a more dangerous and extreme MAGA to a country which has rejected it in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2023 is far, far harder.

[briannatheesag]

who are today's migrants?

Today's migrants are people who go to college outside of their hometown. People who travel to experience different areas. And many more. I couldn't find anyone personally that's from a different country so I interviewed my roommate. My roommate is from Pittsburgh, PA. It's not super far from Baltimore but to her 5 hours is a lot. During the semester she didn't get to go home as often as me because transportation can be expensive. Me, being from Washington D.C; I often go home a lot because catching the train to Union Station is only 40 minutes. Before she came to school she didn't really travel alone or wasn't used to being away from her family for so long. Some new things that she enjoyed while being in Baltimore was the mall being only 20 minutes from campus, meeting people from different areas, making a lot of friends that are actually from here (Baltimore). I asked her what made her choose Morgan State; considering Baltimore is a kind of a big city.

She said the wanted to enjoy more of the city life. She always heard about the seafood that came from the harbor because at home she only eats seafood when it is in season. Also financial reasons also played a big part in her decision. She also states that nobody from her hometown stayed there after high school. They all went to college out of state. Only thing she misses about being at home is being far from her family. Her older sister recently just had a baby and she was upset she couldn't be there to welcome her nephew into the world.

[secondsofpleasure]

departure to destination / 7.2017