pxtang

Well, that's because they're Tesla. Benz has had very similar features on their higher-end cars, and it was well received (I think) in the automotive industry, but not the tech community, because Tesla is more well known in tech compared to Benz.

Even if it costs $100 for one way, it's still cheaper than plane, and you save an hour on travel time.

I recall reading that the pylons had vertical and horizontal dampers to protect against earthquakes (among other minor natural changes), so wouldn't those dampers be able to cancel out the shear waves?

IIRC, the choice was between no trains and a train. I think a lot of people voted for it so they had a cheaper alternative than planes and a less time/effort intensive alternative than driving.