Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THIS WEEK, PAYPAL billionaire Elon Musk launched plans for a transport system that would cut travel times between Los Angeles and San Francisco to just a half an hour, twice as quick as flying.
The 800mph Hyperloop would be powered solely by solar energy and produce more energy than it requires itself. Musk says that his system would be safer, faster, cheaper and generally superior to current plans for a high-speed rail network in the Golden State. In fact, he has produced a 57-page white paper outlining why his idea beats the state’s idea.
(Tesla Labs)
The plan certainly is impressive, but so was Lyle Lanley’s monorail and that didn’t put anyone on the map. Except Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook obviously.
Every now and then, somebody comes up with a plan to replace, planes, trains, automobiles and boats as the world’s “Big 4″ transport methods and, every now and then someone ends up broke and a laughing stock.
Bennie Railplane
Of all the entries in this list, this is the one that this writer would most like to see fulfilled. And the Metro would get me to TheJournal.ie towers in 20 minutes.
(Wikimedia Commons)
The brainchild of Scottish engineer George Bennie, the railplane is effectively a plane with a propeller on either end that runs on a raised platform.
It is also the most amazing idea ever.
Unlike most ideas in the world of super transport, Bennie actually got his vehicle built, albeit in a prototype manner. 120 metres of railplane line ran in Milngavie near Glasgow in the 1930s, but Bennie was unable to secure funding for the realisation of a city-to-city line as he had dreamed. Probably because the idea of a plan powered by massive propellers scared the life out of just about everyone.
The track was eventually demolished and, with it, the idea that a man can take parts of an aeroplane and stick to them to other modes of transport.
Or did it?
Plane Car
No. It did not.
Several aeronautical engineers have proffered the idea of taking a car and slapping a pair of wings on it. Which, let’s be honest, sounds fantastic. Stuck in rush hour traffic? No problem, hit the wings and take off. It is the stuff of dreams.
Except that anyone who has ever flown in a small plane will tell you that bouncing around in turbulence isn’t something you want to do before work.
(Courtesy Aircraft)
Still, if you absolutely must have a flying car, this one is for sale. Dating back to 1954 and carrying a price tag of $975,000, the cheap car of the future it is not.
Only a handful of the cars still exist, but people are still putting wings on hatchbacks. A Massachusetts company carried out a public demonstration of the Terrafugia.
(TerrafugiaInc/YouTube)
Street legal and looking like a Fiat 500 with wings and propeller, the Terrafugia isn’t an aesthetically pleasing car, but as a plane it’s fine machine.
The company are hoping to receive clearance from the US Federal Aviation Authority for the vehicle and anticipate a base price of $279,000. First delivery is expected in 2015. An association for flying car makers and enthusiasts was founded in 2012, in case you want to talk about the helium balloons strapped to your Micra.
Jet pack
Long a staple of science fiction (and one Grand Theft Auto game), the jet pack seems almost humble by the standards of Musk’s Hyperloop. First developed by a Russian inventor in 1919, the promise of flight has been tantalisingly close, yet miles away, for nearly 100 years.
News that New Zealand has approved a permit for test flights with pilots at the helm will come as a boost for those who really, really hate the ground, but we’ve been here before.
In 2008, Yves Rossy flew across the English Channel in just over 9 minutes, but then had to make an emergency landing as he tried to cross the Strait of Gibraltar.
Last year, a California man flew a Jetlev, a commercially available water-powered jet pack, for 26 miles, but the Jetlev is predominantly a recreational vehicle.
(Rick Bowmer/AP Photo)
Back in New Zealand, the company that are testing manned jet packs say that an unmanned flight rose to 5,000 feet before parachuting back to the ground safely. The company says that, rather than turning cities into crowded flight zones, the likely customers will be search and rescue teams.
Metro
Of all of the missed opportunities on this list, Irish people will pine most for the Metro.
How Ballymun Metro stop would have looked (RPA)
The Metro plan is still technically planned (albeit having been suspended in 2011), but it’s omission from a recent National Transport Authority report on public transport in the capital means that if not buried, the plan is on life-support. Envisaged to carry commuters from Dublin’s outlying suburbs into the city, Metro would have linked with Iarnród Eireann services and have a stop at Dublin Airport.
In short, it was going to be an integrated public transport system befitting a modern European capital.
Phase 1 was due to be delivered in 2010, with the very last phase, linking Blanchardstown to Ballymun due to be ready next year. In 2010, it was announced the system wouldn’t be ready until 2019 at the earliest, before Leo Varadkar suspended the plan in 2011.
Ah well, we may be stuck with an antiquated public transport system, but we can console ourselves with these nice videos.
(RPALuasMetro/YouTube)
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Oh Mary my heart bleeds for you.
My brother in law took his life some years ago and it was only when we attended his funeral we found out that his brother had taken his life some years previously. His family were destroyed. Since then I have discovered that suicide amongst siblings is common. I think there really needs to be research done on the causes of suicide so we can understand it and hopefully prevent it.
John, the national suicide research foundation has been researching for years, http://www.nsrf.ie you will find all of their reports information and bulletins.
Since 5th September 2013 (World Suicide Prevention Day 2013), I have campaigned for a research program to establish an evidenced based approach to alleviate the high rates (13-14 times higher) of suicide amongst survivors of Child Sexual Abuse in general and Clerical Child Sexual Abuse in particular. Negotiations are ongoing for the NSRF to conduct the necessary research to be funded by the Department of Health through meetings with Minister Kathleen Lynch and the Catholic Church through joint meetings with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin. Suicide is a humanitarian crisis in Ireland where 80% of completed suicide is by males. We also know that over 80% of Clerical Child Sexual Abuse is also perpetrated by adult men on boys. Either statement does not diminish the effects of both on females but we ought to be clear on the facts in order to address the problems. I speak out for males because we are 4 to 8 times more reluctant to discuss our sexual abuse by other men when we were children and the impact it has on males. I am a survivor of CCSA and unfortunately know and witnessed attempted suicide and suicide. My sympathies to Mary and all her family in their loss of Barry and Darren.
@mark
Respect.
Not to suicide but lost my two sisters only one year and a week apart . My world has changed so much it’s very hard to take the normal everyday crap that life throws up .
Right there with ya Keith , I lost my 2 brothers twins , 2 years ago in the space of a week , absolutely awful , never mind me but watching my mother bury 2 sons is indescribable and it’s just not right , for what it’s worth I’m glad this article was published so I could see the comments , I couldn’t possibly tell a random person , it’s so focked up , at least I know now there’s others out there in the same boat .
Sorry to hear that Frankie . I’m the same , I have 3 young kids so I have to get on with it . I’m heartbroken that I’ll never see my sisters again but watching what is doing to my parents is pain on another level .
You were courageous to share your story and I am sorry for your immense losses.
I hope you have a nice time spending Christmas together as a family this year. In unity there is strength. It is just as important to make memories as it is to remember the past .
It would break my heart if I lost my brother or sister, I love them very much.
Call them now & tell them that.
They know.
Journal your use of hashtag last rites is crass and so far out of touch with the complexity and pain of suicide.
That stupid headstone symbol at the bottom of the main photo is lacking sincerity also.
This website might as well be the Irish Daily Mail at this stage, or worse – the Journal has started to sell its soul, not that it ever has much soul in the first place – it’s all about clickbait these days and even articles about suicide seem to be fair game, even to the editorial staff, it seems.
The article itself was very well written and my comment was in no way intended to be critical of the author.
Whoever posted the article with the #lastrites and cartoonish headstone symbol is who I have an issue with.
poor young men, they must have gone through so much.
I feel your pain as I’m in a similar situation. There are no answers just believe they choose what they wanted. I know it’s hard to accept at first but you have to believe it was their choice and that’s something I found hard to accept for myself. A few years later and I’m content with that now. I have stopped blaming myself and looking for answers because there is none.
Donna, I’m sorry for your loss. I can only say I agree with you that you accept its what the person wanted . I have been and am on that side of the coin . On the outside I’m the funny , happy , make everyone laugh girl , but when I close my door I struggle every min of every day and no one could tell at all, so a family member should not beat themselves up asking why did I not see it or why could I not have helped because the truth is we don’t want you to know . We don’t want to worry or upset you and become excellent at hiding it . It comes to the stage that maybe we dont necessarily want to die but the daily chore of living becomes too much to bear so in my mind anyway there is only one way to stop it . I have come so close many times , even to writing a note to a train driver asking him not to be upset at what happened but that he has helped me become happy again . I’m still here , for how long is anyone’s guess and I in absolutely no way mean to disrespect or anger or upset you or anyone else with my post , I just wanted to say that you are 100% correct in saying that it’s what they wanted . I wish you and your family all the best and hope you continue to get through this and all the families on here going through it X X
Gwen thank you for sharing and explaining what it is like to live with depression. I hope you are asking for and getting help and support. Best wishes.
Thank you Valerie ☺️
Gwen. Thank you and I hope you find your answers. take care.
I feel your pain, in similar situation myself. There are no answers just try accept what they choose for thems
Mary, there are no words that will comfort you no one is able to give us an explanation why such tragedy happens but even the people who appear to ignore you, I don’t think they do it on purpose they simply don’t know how to deal with it. You are wonderful to write such a personal story and it will help a little doing just that. My heart simply goes out to you. Take care of yourself.
5 per week and very little done. It is shocking. We spend €4 Billion a year on the Irish language yet don’t care about people in despair. Do politicians or senior civil servants care about young people taking their lives? No they only care about getting reelected. Journalists only care about headlines, the stress and strain they leads to no hope for suicidal people are being increased by expectations put on them by society. We need more help made available and quickly.
Can u post help lines with tjia article eg Samaritans console pieta house
Suicide is a completely rational and understandable choice, as a society we should allow people to commit suicide without forcing them to feel guilty about it.
@Bourkestrom
If your teenage kid told you s/he wanted to die..would you feel the same?
I don’t know if it’s rational Bourkestrom but I’ve struggled with depression and self hatred for nearly 15 years and tried to commit suicide twice. Yes I made the choice but I don’t know if it was rational.
Know a family who have lost both parents to suicide in the last 12 months. Horrendous
A Tory MP Philip Davies recently suggested having a debate about men’s issues on International Men’s Day just like the debate about women’s issues which happens on Women’s day.
Mr Davies said that because of the number of male suicides it was important that Parliament looked at the issue in more detail.
Feminist and Labour MP scoffed at the idea and told him ‘When I’ve got parity, when women in these buildings have parity, you can have your debate. And that will take an awfully long time.’
So Sorry for your loss Mary ,I can only give my opinion from the side of a person who tried to die by suicide , Depression and they are many different types of depression can creep up on you and take over your life slowly day by day over months or years and people can wear a mask ,carry a conversation, work ,smile but the smile never reaches their eyes ,Life becomes a struggle ,each day is a battle to keep going and you wake up the next day and fight the same battle ,but it slowly wears you down ,You ask your mind for a solution and it gives you death . That solution is reinforced by telling yourself you are useless ,weak and everyone would be better off with you dead ,You are judge ,jury and executioner . BUT who came up with this answer ? your mind ,BUT your mind has a illness can you trust it ? NO .Would you trust your computer if it had a virus? NO .My advice if you have depression ,not sleeping get help now ,Do not let it fester it wont go away on its on ,Medicine on the short term ,counseling ,talk to someone family ,friend, Samaritans go to G.P. Psychotherapy worked for me .There are many roads leading out of depression you just have to find the correct one for you ,I believe that if the person who is suicidal could feel and see the love people have around him/her they would not want to die ,Unfortunately depression blocks out love ,self worth ,joy and their is only darkness, bleakness ,and a desire for the pain to end , Mary no matter what you would have said to your brothers ,in their darkness it would never have got through to them .
But the devastation left behind after suicide means that ones family deserve that you seek help and be patient in the fight. Admit that you are powerless in the face of mental illness and seek help – a bed in hospital is the statement enough . Seek help from a mental health professional and rest and allow them to try to stabilise your mood so you can work through the issues and get back to living . Your mother deserves it.
Lost my brother to suicide 2 weeks ago tomorrow, so I guess I’m just at the start of the journey you’ve been going through. Some days I’m OK I can hold it together, other days I’m very depressed or angry about it (like today) especially when I think of the life he now won’t have, the wife he won’t marry the kids he won’t have, the things he won’t do or see.
But I won’t be silent about it, I won’t be part of a society that is silent about the modern day plague that is suicide, my brother (Kevin) was too beautiful a person for me to let his death have been in vain, so if I can make something positive come from it I will. When I can gather my strength enough I will do all I can to help suicide prevention through better mental health services as I feel current services are inadequate and grossly underfunded. I will also check out anam cara and see how they can help myself and my family.
Thank you for writing this piece Mary and be strong.
have your say