Just Like That

Dan brings up train infrastructure and maintains his steely cool. Steely Dan.

Clifton Royston

Living in Central Pennsylvania, I'd like to see train service come back. It used to be, when my grandparents were in their 30s, they could get on a train in town in the morning, spend all day in Pittsburgh, and be back home before midnight. They could go damn near anyplace in the state, for that matter. Now, the closest a passenger train comes is an hour and a half's drive away, and it costs more than a full day's pay to get anywhere, assuming they stop anywhere you actually want to go.

Churchill (formerly TeaBear)

Trainsphobics....so uncool.

Paracog Steadham

Time get for our favorite doctor living in space to get that ball rolling too

KingAtticus

As someone else whose brain anxiously and needlessly dissects everything, this is true. Also, SSRIs helped me stop doing that (well, _as much_)...

Derrik Pates

Living in central Indiana, I’d take A TRAIN. Like, I just want basic mass transit, is that so much to ask?!

William Stark

Eeeeey

Grollo

This guy reminds me of Steve and it's messing with my head.

The World Famous Chocomerican

There is no catch. That is why he is a catch

Krestus

"They have sentient A.I. but trains are still garbage." 'This is America' starts playing in my head.

Chase the Dragon

"The catch is that, if this works out, I may have to ask you to marry me."

Ben Russell-Gough

The catch can't be revealed until your guard is down.

Summer Sudbrink

The unreasoning hatred that the new light rail in my city gets from some people irritates me, but there's very much the mindset It's New, So I Hate It!

Mark

Awesome Dan

Dan's level of chill if over 9000! he broke the scouter!

Jeff Gedney

As someone who second-guesses EVERY SINGLE THING all the time: Don't do that, Renée, that's usually how you ruin good things T_T

lazymagpie

It's just under 2 hours driving or about 4 hours via public transport to get to boston from northampton.

Potato Moses

I can absolutely see the trains still being garbage no matter how smart our computers get tho.

Atashkada

Conspiracy theory: Dan has been using his Magic cards - which turn out to be actually magic in the QC universe - to steal all of the chill from the rest of the cast. Whether that's a catch or not ...

Daniel Blom Paulsen

Well, he can still be a serial killer, and the reason he doesn't currently have a girlfriend is that he murdered the last one. No one explicitly asked him about that.

Evgeniy Semyonov

That suggests to me that 'long-distance' is a bit of a euphemism. If Dan thinks of the travel as being a daily commute, they're probably going to be an hour or so's rail journey from each other tops.

Ben Russell-Gough

The AI’s are perhaps worried if they make the trains run on time they’ll be called Fascists?

hollowsoul

once again, ℌ𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔰𝔬𝔪𝔢 𝔇𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔢𝔩 proves he is the boyfriend Renee deserves.

Absentia

sounds like another positive to me.

Absentia

Well, BART has been running in automatic since the 70s...and they still have operators to handle problems and close doors. I've stayed as much as possible on the historic equipment that lacks computer interfaces. But yes, the writing is on the wall, humans out of the driver's seat. Train attendant and troubleshooter.

Robert

As a train driver by trade, I fear my own obsolescence which I know to be hurtling towards me. Please, exalted Technocrats, I only need 23 more years.

Joe White

Sorry, Renee, sometimes it really is just that simple.

awgiedawgie

The "catch" is that Dan has a job that forces him to travel a lot, that he has found his social circle after college dwindle, that he has had difficulties in building a new one, that he low key misses his geeky teenage years and that Reene was the first person in years to make moves on him (that he noticed), that he really enjoys to be part of Reene's life and the genuine connections she has with the people around her, that he actually enjoys her, that they have chemistry and that she did everything right in building trust and communicating desire. Reene has earned herself a good relationship, is what I'm saying.

Bagge

Trains are good? No. Dogs are good. :P

Joseph Bonnar

And Tortura watches Aurelia's stream.

Nicolas Dao-Phan

If we could just put some damn money in it like we do in AI...! But no, trains aren't Sexy enough, even when Chuck Tingle writes them...

Pejo

I think this will end up with Renee going to live with Dan. Brun goes to live with Millefeuille. Elliot and Clinton has sex at Elliot’s place while Yay babysits Hercules at Roko’s place. Steve is guest on Aurelia’s stream talking about breakfast. His virtual avatar is a horse boy.

Miyaa

I can see this relationship going off the rails. Maybe drive instead?

BobC

(Open Laughter) On poor Renee,... She has been burned or rejected often enough to not know what to do about being accepted at face value. Dan will be very good for her. My only mild concern for this fictitious couple is that Dan doesn't scare her away by being just right for her. I know folk, (knew), who can't handle someone who gives a sh*t about them w/o strings outside of family. They bounce around like a ball in a small room trying to find the flaws. (I'm probably typing this wrong.) Anyway, I hope she calms down.

Darnel D Cooper

Shitty Dan shitty or regular shitty

Ken Austin

Hopefully that is what we see tomorrow!

Mooster

To be fair, some of those countries you ride a bike through in an hour (Yes, there is also good bike path infrastructure. Yes, Europeans are smug about that too)

Bagge

There WILL be some magic the gathering in it for you in the future. Like, a lot

Bagge

Of course infrastructure is still shitty. *Sighs*

drone r0m-3

Trains /are/ good :D

Jacob Holzman

Ugh I live in upstate NY (actual upstate) and get real annoyed when people refer to NYC as "the city". I live in a city and people still do that. We're as close to Boston as we are to NYC. Also making me peeved: people calling anything north of NYC "upstate".

DVW

I'm now picturing Blaine, but with Pintsize's face, and may never sleep again.

Krista Elliott

AI Singular, they keep muttering about their "Model Trains"

Okay but how Culture-y are the light rail AIs

Luzahn

My marriage is pretty much thanks to light rail infrastructure and spontaneity so after 20 years of being together and 12 years of marriage, this story rings some bells. I could do with a lot of that chill Dan has, tho ❄️

nine

Honestly, good rail infrastructure is harder than AI in a lot of ways. Miles and miles of materials in unpredictable weather conditions that have to keep working, engines with duty cycles too high for regular maintenance...

Yonatan Zunger

Alice and Liam will look quiet and respectful compared to Pintsize and Yelling Bird.

Diptych

Renee.... I very much relate to all the doubt but breathe and try to enjoy for a minute. ❤️

Katrina Urmson

I like to think that the light rail is actually super good but shitty Dan spent some time in Europe. Going through 3+ countries in an hour makes most rail systems look bad

AI Trains will only lead to Blaine the Mono during the odd QC / Alice Grove Jephverse synthesis.

Lightsabr2

i love light rail...

Tamara Macadam

Sentient AI but shit public transit is the most Big City US state of existence

Erin Moriarty

🤘😁🤘

Carrie

🤣😹🤣😹🤣😹🤣😹

Carrie

Train good, car bad.

Diptych

Honestly, the best most satisfying decisions I’ve made in my life have been split second—almost reflex like reactions.

Visway

Renee, the "catch" is that you think there has to be a catch. Relax and be good to yourself. Or let Dan be good to you. Both.

Hugh Eckert

YOU SHOULD SEE MY LIGHT-RAIL EROTICA! 3:10 TO MY ASS!

Yelling Bird

All this infrastructure talk has me waiting for the crossover between QC and the “Well, There’s Your Problem” podcast.

VideoBrew

Trains. Are. The best.

Wood

Oh, shit! That's the catch! Shitty Dan is a chill vampire!

Crushogre

I just realized, is “the city” supposed to be Boston? Because I could’ve sworn it’s always been used in QC to mean New York, but light rail from Northampton to NYC wouldn’t make sense to talk about.

Eric Sieck

I am so here for a deep dive into smart infrastructure when we meet the AI who operates their train.

Alex Kosnett

Shitty Dan is officially my favorite character.

JD

Ahh yeah, that glorious sense of "this is going too well" creeping in to turn everything to shit. Don't look this gift Cool Dan in the mouth, Renee!

Jaron Mortimer

Lighten up and enjoy Renee!

Ted Van Roekel

Train infrastructure can always be improved no matter where you live.

Scott Vogel

I wish my SO was a train ride away. They have it good

Lost Paragon

Shitty Dan has literally all of the chill that everyone else is missing.

Jackie Horn

Take the W Renee

Renee is adorable

Ali

Great tie-in to infrastructure week!

Michael Boettger