WooOOO WooOOO

Rode the train today, in case you couldn't tell. Just for fun. Kind of a research project, really. It was one of those "well, we may still lose our bus and I haven't ridden the train for around 5 years...I wonder if it's changed". Uh, no, it hasn't changed.

The train would be a totally sweet ride if it wasn't for the seating arrangements. They're pretty bad. And I should know.

First of all, they don't recline. Not even a little. Straight up. Mom would be proud. But then Mom didn't want me sleeping sitting up...sorry Mom.

Second, you are facing someone the whole way. And I mean face to face. There's an aisle in the middle, duh, and on either side are two seats next to each other facing forward and they face two seats facing backward. Not so bad except where do you put your feet? Two adults would have their knees occupying the same space. For a visual, fold your hands and look at your fingers. That is what the legs of the 4 people look like. Thankfully it's not packed (yet) so you don't HAVE to sit right across from someone.

Third, and I made this mistake this morning, if you are sitting backward, and on the left side of the train, then you get the sun RIGHT in your face the whole way there. That's not really clear is it? If you are facing forward, then it is the right side of the train and if you are facing backward then it is the left side. Let's call it the North side of the train in the AM and the South side in the PM. So out of 4 possible ways to sit( Left, Right, Frontward, Backward), I chose poorly (as the Grail Knight in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" so famously put it).


Fourth, your "seat" gets transferred to a bus when you arrive at your destination train station and you have to ride the shuttle bus to the closest stop to where you work. Not THAT bad, but still nor OUR bus. Plus it takes another 10 minutes to make that journey.

Not the least bit seat related, but there is this "conductor" or something that comes on the intercom before every stop and says "pingggg" (that's not him, btw, that's the "roger beep") "now approaching the Vasco Road Station". Then, and I'm serious, like 1 minute later he says "pinggg" AGAIN..."arriving at Vasco Road Station". And it's not quiet. I think the "ping" is there to wake you up so you hear what he has to say. But, hey, I'm trying to SLEEP here! I'll know when to get off because it's a TRAIN and trains are on TIGHT SCHEDULES, so I'll set an alarm on my phone and it will go off (silently of course, to be courteous to the other poor souls that are going all the way to San Jose or somewhere just as far), and I'll quietly wake up and prepare to disembark. Is that what they call it when you get off a train...like a boat? Is it "disboard"..."unboard"? If you board the train then what do you call it when you, well, get off? Wow, really lost my train of thought there (sorry, but I can see this is going to be fun with all the possible puns involved in commuting via rail).

Note to self: change the alarm on your phone because you have to leave 20 minutes earlier to catch the PM bus to the PM train. Done.

I'm sure the "coolness" factor will wear off over time, but for now riding the train was really cool!

What's NOT cool about trains? See text above.