This is my first train ride in a very long time. I took one train from Portland to Seattle a few years back, and I used to take the train to and from Boca Raton and Ormond Beach my freshman year in college (my parents wouldn’t let me have my car my first semester, grr arrgh), but it’s been a while and never in Europe. I don’t think I have to go on and on about how better mass transportation mechanisms are in Europe vs. the US. That will most likely be sprinkled throughout various posts. But damn, it’s impressive. I could have taken any of five trains today from London to Glasgow, all at reasonable hours. I realize rail transportation is better in the Northeast of the US than the Northwest (or anywhere else in the US), but can’t we get it together throughout the rest of the country? C’mon, we’re in an economic downturn, how about some good old fashioned (and oh-by-the-way-it-worked) infrastructure investment ala Roosevelt-during-the-depression? Wean America’s fat ass off single-occupancy vehicles and invest in our infrastructure while we’re at it. If the US could build the interstate highway system, can’t we do something for a rail system? < / RANT > Sorry, I can’t be in a place with decent mass transit without ranting about the US’s piss poor attention to it.
We’re sitting in the First Class Quiet Car. For longer trips (this ride is six hours), I prefer to upgrade our transportation. I have found that it helps to make the most out of the non-travel portion of our vacations, when it’s not completely out of reason, cost-wise. Yeah, I’m getting older, but the time it takes to recover from a long journey in coach class is getting worse, and the man is no better even though he’s younger. I won’t bother for the shorter. But when I require a nic patch to get through it, then it’s time to shop for upgrades.
1 comment:
i've been wondering that for years. having traveled, if not extensively then at least quite a bit, through europe via rail over the past 21 years since the first time i went there i often wonder why the US can't get it together well enough to offer good rail transportation. maybe instead of investing CONSTANTLY in asphalt upgrades (which, by the time they're finished need to be upgraded again) for people who just can't be bothered to get out of their cars, the powers that be could bundle that money into rail transportation THAT USED TO WORK IN THIS COUNTRY.
a sad state of affairs when you can now fly or drive from DC to Florida or New York cheaper than you can take Amtrak. And you can often get there on time that way too...
but don't you just love the european rail system? the only country i ever had a problem with was england. but it's still better than driving and you can get to little villages you probably never would have gone to if you were driving.
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