Has anybody ever ridden a train?

Static911

Diamond Member
Nov 24, 2000
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I have ridden the train twice...one time as a family vacation from california to texas...we got to sleep in those sleeper cars...

Second time, i decided to take a train instead of fly home(48 HRS!!! cuz left dallas, 2 hrs late, went ALL the way down to san antonio and then all the way west)...met some very intersting ppl (mostly ppl who couldn't afford to take a plane

Just wondering about your experiences on a train ride?

Static911
 

Static911

Diamond Member
Nov 24, 2000
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i must say, it was one of the most interesting experiences I have..

Ppl i met on trip from school (SMU) to California:

Jailer: big black gruff guy who was outspoken...told me what goes on in prison...scared the HECK outta me!

White guy who was very intersting: had two huge black panther tatooes on both forearms...got drunk most of the time

Rich woman: she had to take a train cuz she had an ear infection and couldn't fly...but had to attend a conference in cali...PAYED $1,200 for the trip!!

various other ppl who were cool and just chilled...

STatic911

 

KK

Lifer
Jan 2, 2001
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Only in Europe, Flew in Austria and took a train from there to Amsterdam, it was an overnight train so we got a sleeper car, it was decent. The rest of the train rides were short hops from city to city. Of course that is basically their transportation over there. Would be nice to have rail lines like they got over there, over here. Never happen though.

Never been on any in the states.

KK
 

MichaelD

Lifer
Jan 16, 2001
31,528
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Bwahahahahaha!!! OMG, try growing up in New York City! Even if you CAN afford a POS hooptee car; a) you prolly couldn't afford the insurance and b) there's no place to park it anyway! I grew up riding the subway and taking the buses. To school, to work, to my GF's house...that's the way it is there; everyone does the same thing so it's no biggie when you take the subway to pickup your GF..you better have some scratch for a taxi to take you to and from the movie, though! I rode the subway for about 90 minutes EACH WAY from the time I was 17 until I was 25. 6 days a week. Beat that. Oh, BTW, if I never see another train of ANY kind ever again it will be too soon. God bless Texas where you absolutely must drive everywhere because a) public transportation sucks the big bowsac and b) everything is 45.7 miles away from each other.
 

Static911

Diamond Member
Nov 24, 2000
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michaelD

YOU HAVE IT CORRECT! The Dart system is good, but it is only very local. When I want to go outside a 2 mile viscinity of school, I used to had ALWAYS ask rides...(texan drivers are kinda crazy, sometimes).

Static911
 

RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
78,855
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I rode several trains in my youth while living in Europe (ARMY brat), don't remember those.

Rode the Amtrak Cascades train once from Portland to Seattle roundtrip that was a very pleasant 4 hour ride.
 

reitz

Elite Member
Oct 11, 1999
3,878
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I've taken an Amtrak from Pittsburgh to DC, and I have to say that it's the most comfortable way to travel. Sure, it takes longer than even a Greyhound bus, but there's plenty of room and you can walk around or sit in the lounge car. You can't do that in a bus or on an airplane. My girlfriend and I are taking our vacation next summer on one of the Amtrak tour packages.

With everything else in life moving so fast, it's a nice, relaxing way to move, IMHO.
 

Static911

Diamond Member
Nov 24, 2000
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Reitz

Just one thing, Amtrak = lazy ppl = trains will be late

Make sure you schedule enough time for tardiness of the trains...happened ALL the times I have ridden a train...which in only x2 but we had to switch trains many times...

static911
 

Gusfo0

Golden Member
Feb 21, 2001
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Yes, the wonderful SEPTA (South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Assocation) trains.

It is the easiest way to get to center city Philadelphia from the suburbs.
 

Martin

Lifer
Jan 15, 2000
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I took the train regularly when I lived in europe. Buses are used only for minor routes there...




<< I've taken an Amtrak from Pittsburgh to DC, and I have to say that it's the most comfortable way to travel. Sure, it takes longer than even a Greyhound bus, but there's plenty of room and you can walk around or sit in the lounge car. You can't do that in a bus or on an airplane. My girlfriend and I are taking our vacation next summer on one of the Amtrak tour packages.

With everything else in life moving so fast, it's a nice, relaxing way to move, IMHO.
>>



Yep, a friend of my mom told us that the 7 day train ride across canada was simply spectacular, the best way to see canada. Of course, they stopped the transcanada passenger service in the 70s......
 

Raspewtin

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 1999
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i have ridden many trains, the only in USA was one from San Diego up to Seattle stopping along the way - great experience, similar to a land cruise, but u go stir crazy after a w hile. train through alaska was another one. i LOVED that one.
 

Rarr

Senior member
Aug 4, 2001
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I rode the EuroStar from London to Paris a few years ago. I've also ridden several trains, some highspeed, in other regions of Europe. They are pretty neat.
 

TheOmegaCode

Platinum Member
Aug 7, 2001
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I rode on an Amtrack once, only for like two hours. It was fast, but nothing much more to say other than that.
 

flot

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2000
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I took the amtrak autotrain from Orlando to DC just a few months ago. It was just me, and 400 old people. Heheheh.

This worked out really well for me, since I was about 100 miles south of orlando and needed to be about 50 miles north of DC. It is a special train where you ride in a regular passenger car, and your vehicle rides in a 3 level enclosed trailer. My ticket (in advance) was only about $250, whereas the gas, food, and overnight lodging would have cost me probably $200 - plus saved 1000 miles of car wear and tear and general hassle of driving that far.

I'd do it again, but it wasn't the fun and comfortable experience I had hoped for. The train was okay, but the seats were actually TOO big to be comfortable (I was too tall to lay down, but there were no side bolsters etc so nothing to keep me from sliding around in the seat trying to sleep) and the other passengers were... well.. ancient. But it was definitely better than a 16 hour drive. Oh yeah, it's kind of cool, the train leaves at ~4pm and you arrive at the other end around 10am. So basically it's an "overnight" trip and if you can get comfortable, you'd be sleeping for most of it.
 

SSP

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
17,727
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What the.... how can you not? ;)

I use the subway everyday after school. I also used the normal train for those long trips. But a subway train is a train, so yeah.

Now I'm afraid to ask if anyone ever ridden a street car. :Q ;)
 

Viper GTS

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
38,107
433
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If light rail counts, hundreds of times.

Amtrak once.

I hope to take Amtrak from Portland to Seattle with Sarah, though, it'd be a lot of fun.

Viper GTS
 

worth

Platinum Member
Feb 4, 2001
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I rode the train about 50 times--48 times in Europe and 2 times between San Jose to San Fransisco. I'll probably be doing the SJ/SF train trip a lot more though from now.