July 5, 2007
Amtrak Fiasco 2007, Part III:
"The Good"
By Stan Dyer
Once we decided on a vacation destination, and the lure of history convinced us to try a cross-country train ride, the many advantages of travel by train soon became apparent. In this modern age of aviation, and with the amount advertising airlines do, people tend to forget Amtrak. Nonetheless, there are many good reasons for people to choose to ride the rails.
One good reason that has to appeal to any frugal person, or anyone inclined to watch a budget, is price. Prices vary, but a person can generally save some change when traveling by coach on a train. For variety, trains also offer private sleepers and rooms, which you just cannot get on a plane. Both sleepers and rooms cost more, but they have seats that convert to beds. It is nice to have options. Some choose to keep the seats converted and enjoy their trips lying down. If you are traveling a long distance, lying down is a lot more comfortable than any seat, and, besides, there are other places on the train people can go to sit.
There are sightseeing cars with special windows and seats where all passengers can sit, enjoy a snack or beverage and visit with other passengers while taking in the view of the nation passing just outside the windows. Trains travel more slowly than airplanes, and a lot closer to the ground, so you can see a lot more. You can also see parts of the country that you can't see even from the highway since trains take different routes and often go to cities that planes never fly to.
Another advantage of Amtrak is the chance to mingle. Train travel is slower than planes, but faster than the bus. For that reason, there is plenty of time to meet fellow passengers and to get to know a number of them, but no one is restricted by a seat assignment to talking to the same people the entire trip. With the freedom to move about the train, travelers can meet with many others all along the way. Additionally, when the trains serve meals in the dining cars, you can't just sit where you want. Since they have to serve many meals in a short amount of time and in a confined place, you are placed in the next available seat and with whomever else is already at that table. I guarantee you will meet different people from all walks of life in the dining car on the train. You will get a better than bird's eye view of the soul of America.
Probably the most important benefit of riding the rails is the opportunity to relax. We all take vacations to get away from the day-to-day rat race and we sure don't want to be caught up in it if we only get one vacation a year. On a train, you do not have to race down a terminal to meet your plane, you do not have to race down to baggage claim to get your bags, and you never have to take your shoes off if you don't want to. As long as the train is relatively on time, all you have to do is sit back, relax and let the world go by.
To sum it up, train travel offers more options, more freedom and more opportunity to relax. In this hurry up world where everything has to be the latest, the fastest and in a rush, it is nice to have an option of a mode of travel that can be as much a part of the vacation as the vacation itself. It is nice to be able to choose to slow down and relax en route to your once-a-year chance to slow down and relax.
Oh, if only it were a perfect world. Unfortunately, things can go wrong, and they often do. Sure, there are a number of reasons for people choose to ride the rails, but there are many bad aspects too. Next week, I will outline all the bad I uncovered during Amtrak Fiasco 2007.