But the fact that the American government can't get its act together to create a decent modern passenger rail network doesn't mean that governments in general are incapable of doing so, or that it isn't a good idea.
In a statement, Grayling said: "I want the Southern network to be run by a team of people who work together to make sure passengers get decent journeys and that problems are dealt with quickly.
Inside, there is plenty of room for four 6-footers, with decent room for a fifth passenger.
And even passenger knee room is decent; four passengers (including driver) fit into this car with less fuss than you'd imagine and didn't grumble much for an hour-long trip.
Shortly before 7PM EST last night, reports emerged of a female passenger of the Mad Decent Boat Party going overboard as the Norwegian cruise line's Pearl vessel crossed the Yucatan Channel during its voyage from Miami to Cozumel.
Ships greatly superior to Ericsson's could now ply the Atlantic reasonably sure of getting their passengers across, and in decent shape.
The average battery needed to pull a large vehicle with passengers and get a decent range would need to total out to 72volts and 40 to 60 amp hours.
After months of uncertainty, the emergency timetable will now give some certainty, but it will be cold comfort to long-suffering passengers who simply want a decent service".
This isn't a moan about bus operators, who mostly do a decent job and carry four-fifths of passengers without any direct subsidy.
When it went bankrupt, around 12% of its passengers were left without much hope of decent compensation because they had booked directly with the airline bit of XL or with Medlife Hotels, a subsidiary.
