Thread: Train Ride

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Train _can_ be more comfortable... but not always. My journeys in India had a mix of great and not-so-great.

I remember a trip in the 'General Sitting' category from Delhi to Agra. That class is 'no reserved ticket, and you pay more if you get to sit'. Fun stuff

Originally Posted by RezDog

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.

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!

Originally Posted by malaverdiere

Train _can_ be more comfortable... but not always. My journeys in India had a mix of great and not-so-great.

I remember a trip in the 'General Sitting' category from Delhi to Agra. That class is 'no reserved ticket, and you pay more if you get to sit'. Fun stuff

You took the train from Delhi to Agra? SMART MAN. That's a much better choice than the bus I took. What did you think of the Taj? What were your feelings of it? What year did you go see this most marvelous of all man's creations?

I had a range of great adventures on trains. Some were very bad adventures in the beginning but soon turned into great adventures since "all is well that ends well." I've had three robbery attempts in my life, the first of which was on a local train from Darjeeling to Calcutta. I don't assume they understood a word I said but kicking the leader in the head and threatening to kill them, their families, their friends, and burn down their houses worked just as well in real life as it did in the movie "The Unforgiven."

*The surprising truth is I meant it knowing that fighting on that train would be in my socks (my shoes were tied to my belt as I wanted to keep them), the floor had fluids on it (human urine?), I was out of cash and didn't speak the language for the inevitable walk to Calcutta. One of my two companions would surely help me but he slept so soundly the train could crash and he'd sleep through it.

On a first-class train from New Delhi to Calcutta three well-dressed men gave me a cold stare and menacing looks for an hour. I lost my patience, prepared for the worst and stared them back with equal hostility. They immediate stopped staring! One got up and left, the oldest looked out the window, and the man I expected to be the hardest to knock out (I had expected an attack from them) tried his best to make friends! He introduced himself, offered me a cigarette (which I accepted and smoked) and invited me to tour his factory in Calcutta.

I told him I would love to (did not get to though but wish I had) and I truly enjoyed the conversation but I warned him "if you ever come to America and stare at people like you did me someone will knock your teeth down your throat or shoot you." I explained to him that I was planning to do just that to first him and then his companions as I expected an attack from them. He was clearly shocked to learn this as his body language showed. A strange people.....or are they more in-tune with human nature? People tend to respond better to strength than submissiveness. I suspect American train passengers are better behaved in the long run!

But that's "seeing the world!" So why were you in the subcontinent?

*All robbery attempts were defeated: the first in India with a kick and threats, the second with the promise of a good dose of pepper spray, and the third with the promise of high velocity lead. 3-0 for the would-be victim, so far.