Thursday, April 30, 2009
Vice president Joe Biden said today he would tell his family members not to use subways in the U.S. as the swine flu outbreak spread to 11 states and forced school closures amid confirmation of the first U.S. death.
When asked whether he would advise family members to use public transportation, Biden replied with rare candor for an elected official:
“I would not be at this point … [be] suggesting they ride the subway.”
Biden made his comments during a brief interview on NBC’s “Today” show during an interview with Matt Lauer.
The vice president said if one person sneezes on a plane “it goes all the way through the aircraft.”
From the Left 
Biden is going to catch hell for saying this but he’s correct. The people at the CDC talks about the social zone of six feet — anything closer and you’re at risk for infection. I wouldn’t be caught dead riding any form of public transportation at this point.
I found an old cave outside of Phoenix in the Bradshaws that I’m going to hole up in for awhile. There was a bear already in residence, but we agreed on sharing it. If we catch the swine flu I wonder if we will become a ManBearPig.
High profile elected officials never tell it like it is but Biden doesn’t care. It just lays is out there and doesn’t worry. Good for him.
They’re still not reporting the school closures here in Colorado. I don’t understand why the media is so opposed to reporting what is happening across the country vis a vis the swine flu epidemic. I guess they haven’t been given the green light from the White House.
I applaud Biden’s honesty.
He doesn’t weigh the political correctness first before he speaks. I would tell my kids and my grandkids the same thing: avoid the subways and don’t fly until the swine flu matter is resolved.
This is commonsense.
Will Joe Biden be providing folks with private transportation & private jets?
That was a kind of “elitist” remark– poor folks don’t have the option of choice.
In the real world, employers are still expecting employees to show up to work & if not they are fired. Most corporations have very strict attendance policies.
Biden had better watch his back or he may get run off into a ditch by a black SUV with darkened windows.
He should know better.
Maybe Oliver Stone could do the Joe Biden story. Are most people making drastic changes in your lives? Cancelling vacations this summer? You can weigh in on the debate at educlaytion to see if most people are frightened or not.
I agree with Biden.
Subways, buses, airplanes, all have people packed tightly together and if we’re going to be honest and not politically correct, the fact is, a lot of people are pigs (no pun intended) and they don’t wash their hands or cover their faces with they sneeze or cough.
Bug-eyed Janey Napolitano was out there all day today doing damage control.
“No, that’s not what he meant!” Too funny. Biden is a straight shooter in a room full of ass-kissers.
I don’t think I would tell people not to ride- but I do think at some point the Health DHHS people should encourage face masks on contained mass transit-
ie bus, subways and planes- just because it is recycled air….that is just common sense- abroad they are already doing this…
Well, hmmmm, since I have to take the subway to work and then take Amtrak to visit the family this weekend, looks like I’m screwed. I’m going to visit this weekend because, to be frank, if the case escalate I expect that travel may be curtailed for at least a short period.