Rob Pitingolo
@robpitingolo.bsky.social
Weekday researcher. Nights and weekend tour guide. Sometimes "that guy from the internet" on the National Mall.
I have seen at least 50 video clips of the Pop Tarts Bowl and have no idea who won the football game, let alone played in it.
December 29, 2025 at 4:09 PM
I have seen at least 50 video clips of the Pop Tarts Bowl and have no idea who won the football game, let alone played in it.
Reposted by Rob Pitingolo
the fact that there is free parking at all in manhattan is wild to me
“Pairing free buses with paid parking says we value people in motion more than cars at rest,” writes Nicolas Rohatyn.
Opinion | The Way to Pay for Free Buses Is to End Free Parking
Free buses would be transformative not only for riders, but for the ecosystem of the city as a whole.
nyti.ms
December 24, 2025 at 1:38 PM
the fact that there is free parking at all in manhattan is wild to me
I can't imagine the writers on VEEP ever dreamed up a plot line where the American people were having to turn to piracy to watch 60 Minutes.
December 23, 2025 at 1:20 AM
I can't imagine the writers on VEEP ever dreamed up a plot line where the American people were having to turn to piracy to watch 60 Minutes.
Lost in all of this is that we were supposed to have Hamilton here to celebrate the country's 250th. That's cancelled and the replacement is what exactly?
December 19, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Lost in all of this is that we were supposed to have Hamilton here to celebrate the country's 250th. That's cancelled and the replacement is what exactly?
The stock market hits all-time highs while this metric hits all-time lows. Eventually something's gotta give (you'd think).
UMich consumer sentiment (current conditions) at 50.4 is a new all-time low -- going back to data from the 1970s.
U.S MICHIGAN CONSUMER SENTIMENT (DEC) ACTUAL: 52.9 VS 53.3 PREVIOUS; EST 53.5
December 19, 2025 at 9:16 PM
The stock market hits all-time highs while this metric hits all-time lows. Eventually something's gotta give (you'd think).
Reposted by Rob Pitingolo
The NHL’s AI chatbot doesn’t know what the NHL is.
December 13, 2025 at 12:09 AM
The NHL’s AI chatbot doesn’t know what the NHL is.
Americans don't "love to drive" as the trope goes. In fact I would argue there is no more miserable demographic in America than people behind the wheel.
An astonishing percentage of Americans are open to car-free living.
The problem isn't attitudes. The problem is the failure to invest in viable options.
humantransit.org/2025/12/many...
The problem isn't attitudes. The problem is the failure to invest in viable options.
humantransit.org/2025/12/many...
Many Americans Are Open to Car-Free Living — Human Transit
Is Americans a “car culture” or are they “car dependent”? Do they drive because they love driving, or are they in an unhealthy relationship with a substance it would be happy to do without? Obviousl...
humantransit.org
December 12, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Americans don't "love to drive" as the trope goes. In fact I would argue there is no more miserable demographic in America than people behind the wheel.
Is the ratio of potlucks to catered holiday parties a recession indicator? Because if so I have some bad news about the state of the economy.
December 12, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Is the ratio of potlucks to catered holiday parties a recession indicator? Because if so I have some bad news about the state of the economy.
It's actually quite simple. Non-econ people don't know the difference between price levels and YoY rate of inflation. Promising "low inflation" doesn't work if you don't educate people on what that actually is.
Inflation peaked in 2021-22 but affordability as a political issue is arguably still ratcheting higher — the length of these lags always surprises me.
December 10, 2025 at 3:17 PM
It's actually quite simple. Non-econ people don't know the difference between price levels and YoY rate of inflation. Promising "low inflation" doesn't work if you don't educate people on what that actually is.
This has to be the most random Nats gate giveaway I have ever seen. Is there an inside joke that I missed?
December 10, 2025 at 12:59 AM
This has to be the most random Nats gate giveaway I have ever seen. Is there an inside joke that I missed?
Gasoline at 3 dollars per gallon is absurdly cheap on a purchasing power basis. The fact that they can't make that case and have to lie about the actual price is telling.
HASSETT: Gas prices dropped below $2 a gallon in a lot of places
CORDES: Gas prices on average are still at $3 a galloon
HASSETT: For a few states they got below $2
CORDES: Gas prices on average are still at $3 a galloon
HASSETT: For a few states they got below $2
November 30, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Gasoline at 3 dollars per gallon is absurdly cheap on a purchasing power basis. The fact that they can't make that case and have to lie about the actual price is telling.
I continue screaming into the void that international tourism to the US is a trade SURPLUS - a thing that is allegedly Very Important.
The Trump administration is raising national parks' prices and adding fees for international tourists from next year in an "America-first" initiative, the Interior Department announced.
Trump admin hikes national parks prices by up to $170 for international tourists
The Interior Department said the "America-first" policy will see "resident-only patriotic fee-free days" on some holidays.
www.axios.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:24 AM
I continue screaming into the void that international tourism to the US is a trade SURPLUS - a thing that is allegedly Very Important.
Time to sub in Rodman and go for broke.
November 23, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Time to sub in Rodman and go for broke.
Reposted by Rob Pitingolo
The maximum cost for renting street space for a DC streatery should be no more than the maximum revenue that DC should expect from on-street parking at that space.
For some streateries that could be as low as $50/year. That's how much we subsidize parking in DC!
For some streateries that could be as low as $50/year. That's how much we subsidize parking in DC!
Charles Allen will be introducing emergency legislation to revise the DDOT/DOB streatery regulations before they are implemented to lower the cost and add more flexibility
November 22, 2025 at 12:36 PM
The maximum cost for renting street space for a DC streatery should be no more than the maximum revenue that DC should expect from on-street parking at that space.
For some streateries that could be as low as $50/year. That's how much we subsidize parking in DC!
For some streateries that could be as low as $50/year. That's how much we subsidize parking in DC!
Over a thousand words in this article and the author still fails to answer the most basic question: how do you pay for your beers? www.forbes.com/sites/frankc...
Where Politics Meets Proof-Of-Work: Bitcoin Bar PubKey Launches New Venue In D.C.
PubKey—a bitcoin-themed bar—welcomes Bitcoin enthusiasts, industry insiders, and the U.S. political class at its new venue in Washington, D.C.
www.forbes.com
November 21, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Over a thousand words in this article and the author still fails to answer the most basic question: how do you pay for your beers? www.forbes.com/sites/frankc...
I was admittedly skeptical of the original vibecession but the economic vibes right now feel far worse than before. www.scrippsnews.com/politics/eco...
Fewer Americans eating out as inflation, tariffs and immigration pressures hit restaurants
Rising costs, fewer diners, and worker shortages are hitting U.S. restaurants hard, forcing closures ahead of the holiday season.
www.scrippsnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:57 PM
I was admittedly skeptical of the original vibecession but the economic vibes right now feel far worse than before. www.scrippsnews.com/politics/eco...
My lukewarm take on the terrible anonymously written WaPo Seattle Mayor article is that now that I'm 15ish years into no car ownership the financial benefits are really compounding. Those folks will never say that it's a financially savvy way to build wealth though.
November 17, 2025 at 6:26 PM
My lukewarm take on the terrible anonymously written WaPo Seattle Mayor article is that now that I'm 15ish years into no car ownership the financial benefits are really compounding. Those folks will never say that it's a financially savvy way to build wealth though.
I am jealous of everyone who gets to have a cool mayor. What does it feel like to vote for someone who isn't just the least bad option?
New Post: Katie Wilson is Seattle’s Next Mayor seattletransitblog.com/2025/11/13/k...
November 14, 2025 at 1:01 AM
I am jealous of everyone who gets to have a cool mayor. What does it feel like to vote for someone who isn't just the least bad option?
Someone who knows me from tourism emailed to ask how happy I am that the shutdown is over. It feels like asking someone whose house just got washed away into the ocean how happy they are that the hurricane is over.
November 10, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Someone who knows me from tourism emailed to ask how happy I am that the shutdown is over. It feels like asking someone whose house just got washed away into the ocean how happy they are that the hurricane is over.
Reposted by Rob Pitingolo
I'm still amazed that it took until the year 2025 for a mayoral candidate in *New York City* to finally figure out that a relentless focus on making life better for transit riders is a winning message.
November 6, 2025 at 3:26 PM
I'm still amazed that it took until the year 2025 for a mayoral candidate in *New York City* to finally figure out that a relentless focus on making life better for transit riders is a winning message.
Reposted by Rob Pitingolo
For awhile stocks were doing "The working-class consumer is struggling but everyone else is fine" and it increasingly feels more like "Unless you're a Comfort Plus/Amex Platinum-American you're struggling."
November 3, 2025 at 7:13 PM
For awhile stocks were doing "The working-class consumer is struggling but everyone else is fine" and it increasingly feels more like "Unless you're a Comfort Plus/Amex Platinum-American you're struggling."
Me ten times in the commercial break before the ninth: "ya know the last three outs really are the hardest" 🙃
November 2, 2025 at 3:17 AM
Me ten times in the commercial break before the ninth: "ya know the last three outs really are the hardest" 🙃
Incredibly predictable outcome. No less sad for all the stakeholders who have been harmed. www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...
Kennedy Center ticket sales have plummeted since Trump takeover
Nearly nine months into Trump’s oversight, sales for the three largest performance venues are the worst they’ve been since the pandemic, according to a Washington Post analysis.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 31, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Incredibly predictable outcome. No less sad for all the stakeholders who have been harmed. www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...
The current state of the economy is a nutshell.
Ultra rich: doing great!
Regular rich: doing pretty good
Everyone else: struggling
Huge corporations: doing great!
Big businesses: doing pretty good
Small businesses: struggling
Ultra rich: doing great!
Regular rich: doing pretty good
Everyone else: struggling
Huge corporations: doing great!
Big businesses: doing pretty good
Small businesses: struggling
Pick your favorite qualitative comment from this month’s Dallas Fed survey:
A) “This year has been the most challenging in 15 years ..”
B) “Our goal is to survive the next six months.”
C) “Our business has died.” 🤡
www.dallasfed.org/research/sur...
A) “This year has been the most challenging in 15 years ..”
B) “Our goal is to survive the next six months.”
C) “Our business has died.” 🤡
www.dallasfed.org/research/sur...
Texas service sector activity weakens further
Texas service sector activity contracted further in October, according to business executives responding to the Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey.
www.dallasfed.org
October 28, 2025 at 5:42 PM
The current state of the economy is a nutshell.
Ultra rich: doing great!
Regular rich: doing pretty good
Everyone else: struggling
Huge corporations: doing great!
Big businesses: doing pretty good
Small businesses: struggling
Ultra rich: doing great!
Regular rich: doing pretty good
Everyone else: struggling
Huge corporations: doing great!
Big businesses: doing pretty good
Small businesses: struggling
This dog dressed as Maryland Driver for Halloween has to be the most local-DC costume ever.
October 25, 2025 at 4:49 PM
This dog dressed as Maryland Driver for Halloween has to be the most local-DC costume ever.