On the train again

Another trip on the train today. This time it was the Metroliner to DC, and miraculously, it left on time. I saw on the board that the 94 to Boston wasn't so lucky, but then, it never is. Out of the five times I've taken it so far, it's been at least 45 minutes late three times, and 15 minutes late the other two times. And it's only a 4-hour trip to begin with.

And yet I keep paying money to keep taking the train. Why? Because I like the train. This bus is fine if I'm travelling with someone else, but I get carsick if I try to read on the bus, which limits the entertainment possibilities when I'm alone. And the train is so much less hassle and less constraining than flying... you can get up, walk around, buy food, or whatever, and half the time you even get two seats to yourself to spread out on. (There were a couple times when I tried to lie across two seats to sleep on the late-night Boston-Washington train, but I don't recommend it unless you bring a pillow. The armrests are hard.)

Getting on the train at Penn Station in New York is always exciting, especially when the train is running late. There's one giant hall where everyone waits for all of the Amtrak trains (and probably the commuter rail trains too), with a giant board hanging from the ceiling in the center. They never post a gate until the train actually starts boarding, which means a mob always forms outside the gate the instant they do announce it. It's a little bit of a game, trying to guess where to stand so you'll be closer to wherever it is they tell you to go to. When the train is running late, it's even worse since everyone's just standing around waiting, so they post "Stand By" on the board between 2 and 15 minutes before they start boarding. To, you know, give you warning.

Not that it bothers me or anything. Hey, I keep taking the train, right?