Train Ride

[MisterClean]

We have a sick relative in Winston Salem NC, We flew out of Sky Harbor in Phoenix AZ to be with her.

Flying is not what it used to be. in fact, we were so bummed out, that we decided to take a train back home.
It was more expensive, it took alot longer but what a fabulous trip home. Food, Bar, Bunk and Scenery.

Shaving with a straight on a moving train is impossible ( I did try). Lucky for me I had my trusty "FatBoy".

The Fat Boy with a new razor on the 9 setting, left my beard feeling prickly after a few hours. Maybe I'm
out of practice with my DE. I still like my Gillett it gets the job done but I was glad to back to my straight shaves
on our return.

[JOB15]

Sound like a good choice.
Planes journeys are a nightmare.
Plus, it ain't rite being so high up :/
I hope your relative recovers.

[DZEC]

When you factor the time required to get to the airport, clear security after checking baggage and then waiting for it at the other end, I’ve had trips that actually took less time by train than by plane.

Travelling by train is so civilized. You have lots of room and can walk around. ANd, you get to see scenery not visible from hiways while enjoying a decent meal and liquid libation!

I would not try shaving using a straight on a train, although I’m sure our predecessors must have done that on those long cross country trips in the past.

[RezDog]

The unfortunate issue with trains in Canada is that there is not a lot of track, leaving not very many routes. It is a more civilized way to travel though. Even in coach, the train beats the plane for comfort and room, so if you have time it’s a vacation all to itself.

[MrZ]

I grew up pretty poor, so we never flew anywhere. I had watched enough old movies that I really though that plane travel was going to be this super experience with a meal served and a movie and a beautiful, friendly stewardess. When I finally did get to fly for the first time, I was saddened to learn that an air plane is really just a bus with wings. All those black and white movies had lied to me.

[AnglesMatter]

MrZ,

The old movies didn't lie, it really was like that, airlines used to "treat you like you were somebody" as The Old Man from "Pawn Stars" says.

When I flew from USA to Bangladesh and back in 1997, it was really nice. Everyone (and I mean everyone) was very friendly, even the Arabs that didn't speak English. I had great conversations with other passengers, even getting pen pals out of that. I got so carried away talking with this attractive accountant from Peru on the flight from NYC to London I got into the wrong line (same line as her for some reason ) and went through Immigration instead of Transit with the passport stamp to prove it. LOL

The stewardesses were all attractive and very outgoing and the free alcohol was all Top Shelf. I brought back airline-provided wine and champagne both dated 1994. I still have those, unopened. On the American Airlines flight from London to NYC I loaded my khaki pants up with so many small bottles of alcohol when I pulled out my boarding pass to fly to Pittsburgh about 5 of those small bottles fell out. I must have looked like a raging alcoholic! All free........same flight fed me 5 Toblerone candy bars and let me take home 15 more! I need to send them a belated "thank you letter."

I have a trip to Southern Asia coming up and it's not going to be the same. Security, taking off shoes, can't have my straight in my carry on, can't have the wrenches I bought my GF's father in the carryon, everyone is an anti-social smartphone addict.....no one to talk to. If the person next to me does talk will they go off over politics and make a scene that ends up on the news? That's "a thing" these days.

I have never been a smoker but on the flight from London to Dubai (1997) the stewardess came and said "smoking is being banned in the cabin and this airline will follow suit in a few weeks but if any man wants to smoke you may go to the back now." I didn't smoke but I went back, bummed a cigarette, and learned that I never wanted to inhale again! My lungs burned for the next 500 miles!

True to their word, on the return flight two months later, the Arab sitting next to me lit up a cigarette but the stewardess passing by told him to put it out. He smiled and calmly put it out in the ashtray which was inletted into the armrest.

*Sorry about your relative's illness, I hope they get well soon.

[BobH]

I grew up pretty poor, so we never flew anywhere. I had watched enough old movies that I really though that plane travel was going to be this super experience with a meal served and a movie and a beautiful, friendly stewardess. When I finally did get to fly for the first time, I was saddened to learn that an air plane is really just a bus with wings. All those black and white movies had lied to me.

The old B&W movies didn't lie, that was the way air travel was in the late 1960s early 1970s. There excellent meals, real tableware and movies on a pull down screen from a projector that dropped from the overhead. Security screening was not the pita it is today either. The seats were wider with more leg room too. All in all not an unpleasant experience. Fast forward to today and air travel is a very pale shadow of what it once was.

Love taking the train when in Europe. Very comfortable and relaxing with good meal service.

Bob

[beluga]

I grew up pretty poor, so we never flew anywhere. I had watched enough old movies that I really though that plane travel was going to be this super experience with a meal served and a movie and a beautiful, friendly stewardess. When I finally did get to fly for the first time, I was saddened to learn that an air plane is really just a bus with wings. All those black and white movies had lied to me.

I don’t think that the movies lied to you.

Time moves on and with airline deregulation the race to the bottom started, trying to find out who could offer the cheapest fares with the least amenities and legroom.
Some of the beautiful friendly stewardesses of the early jet age are still working today, but they have grown older and, after their old employers went into bankruptcy protection, cannibalized their pension plans and cut their salaries, are utterly disillusioned by now. And it shows.

Many customers look for the cheapest fare and are then surprised when as a result they find themselves in a glorified cattle-car and are charged for basic amenities that used to be free.
As long as customers don’t become more selective and continue rewarding such airlines for the sake of saving a few bucks the situation is unlikely to change.

As the airlines cram more passengers into the same tin tubes, the number of lavatories per passengers is also shrinking and you’d be lucky to have 10 minutes for a shave before someone knocks on the door. You have more luck if you find yourself in First Class on a domestic flight, which can barely hold its own against what international airlines would refer to as Business Class.

Flying in the US is a necessity, not something to look forward to.


By comparison, train travel is slower but more spacious and relaxed. Trains travel from city center to city center and you don’t need a ride to and from the airport and don’t have to queue at security checkpoints. You can even bring your razor along.
In Europe, it is not uncommon for trips of less than 250 miles to be quicker by train than by air.
The situation in North America is different as population density is lower, trains run less frequently and are slower.
Yet, I am still thinking about that coast-to-coast trip from Halifax, NS to Vancouver, BC, but it wouldn’t be a business trip.

B .

[malaverdiere]

Even in coach, the train beats the plane for comfort and room, so if you have time it’s a vacation all to itself.

Indeed! One of the reasons I never went to BC is because is takes forever to get there by train... and the airfare is as expensive (if not more) than going to Europe.
It would be great if we had high speed trains like they do over there.

[schwabenchris]

As a European, I had quite the opportunity the ride in a few countries, also did it in the US a little, but mainly local trains in the Chicago area.

I can say in most of Europe the train system is working fine. There is always much room for improvement - I know how can we complain, I can tell you service is decreasing steadily.

Flying from Europe to America and back was quite exhausting, I was never able to sleep on a plane.

But with the train, even longer trips like from Munich to Budapest (7h) or Munich - Kopenhagen (12h) were quite enjoyable. As pointed out before, you have more space and can move a little in the train.
You also see a lot from the country, specially the ride through Austria when going to Budapest or the northern part of Germany close to the sea are beautiful.

Small hint, if you take the train from Germany to Kopenhagen you get a free ferry boat ride, where the train rolls onto the ferry, for free!