Friday Funny: Train Junkies Start Young

Our ongoing efforts to identify the world's biggest transit freaks got a boost last week from The Onion, who documented the travails of 3-year-old train junkie Logan Gunter.

1 minute read

April 19, 2013, 2:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"After experiencing the intoxicating, extreme high of watching a 56-car freight train pass before his eyes last week, 3-year-old junkie Logan Gunter reportedly became instantly hooked on looking at rail transport, demanding to be taken to railroad crossings at all times of day in an effort to achieve the same exhilarating euphoria."

“Just give me a little train, that’s it. Two cars, I’ll take two cars. Or just one caboose, okay? Come on, you’ve gotta help me out here.”

If he aims high, Logan may one day be eligible to join our illustrious list of transit fanatics.  

Thursday, April 11, 2013 in The Onion

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

Nithya Ramen talks to an older man. She is smiling and wearing a yellow dress. They are both outside.

Los Angeles just elected an urban planner as its mayor

Transportation analysts are optimistic that Raman will be more aggressive in addressing transit issues than Bass.

November 7 - Los Angeles Times

Mamdani behind a microphone, in front of a snowbank

Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge

A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.

November 6 - CNN

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6 - Grist

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.