Originally Posted by
moondog
My relatives in Florida are decidedly "anti-train", and I expect them to use this tragedy to bolster their argument. But, they've never set foot in China, and therefore fail to comprehend the importance of the rail network to the country.
I'm currently planning on taking a train to Shanghai on Tuesday; hopefully, lightening doesn't strike twice.
Personally, I like the trains -- and, for Americans, they're somewhat of a novelty given our own avoidance of a modern train network.
That said, they're also a pain in the neck for foreigners to book (especially overnight sleepers), and you sometimes have to rely on others to get them booked (and these reservations sometimes get messed up). Airline tickets are easy these days for foreigners to book, so I often fly instead.