I write this from the train, on my way back to school.
I adore trains; I think they’re underrated. Far and above, trains are my favorite mode of transportation.
It’s really a process-of-elimination thing. I hate to drive (I’m OK with cars if someone else is driving); it’s terribly stressful. I have no sense of direction and can’t really read a map. In order to drive from point A to point B, you really have to be able to do one or the other. So driving is out.
Planes scare me. This is a fairly recent development. I used to be indifferent to flying, but in the past few years I’ve grown to strongly dislike it. I have a hard time focusing on anything except for everything that could possibly go wrong. It significantly reduces any joy I would get out of flying.
That leaves trains. Trains combine the best of both worlds. I’m on the ground, so my fear disappears. Someone else is driving, so I don’t have to worry about where I’m going. All I have to do is sit in my seat, and take out my book and read. Or I can take out my computer, plug it in and write this blog (or watch DVDs).
It’s wonderful.
I’ve found that traveling on the train allows people to form odd, instantaneous bonds. While it's discouraged to talk with your neighbors on planes, trains create a certain sense of comfort. It’s easy to start a conversation. Last Thanksgiving, I did the crossword puzzle with this hilarious man, who was born in Scotia. He referred to me as “Little Red” because of my red hat. The two people in front of me hit it off so well they exchanged phone numbers. They grew up 20 miles away from each other, yet it took taking a train from New York City to Albany to meet each other.
I’m not the only one who adores trains. J.K Rowling has said she came up with the idea for Harry Potter on a train. And now she’s richer than the Queen of England, and the author of the books I was obsessed with for a third of my life.
So in the eternal battle between planes, trains and automobiles (a hysterical John Candy and Steve Martin movie), I stand on the side of trains.
