Freight or Foul

When I started this blog, I rode the Penn Line train from Aberdeen, Maryland to Washington, D.C.  About a year ago, I began riding the Brunswick Line from Germantown, Maryland to Washington, D.C.  The difference between the two lines is remarkable.  The Penn Line is operated by Amtrak, which is known as a passenger line.  The Brunswick Line, on the other hand, is operated by freight hauler CSX, and that's the way it treats its passengers.  In fact, just recently the Brunswick Line changed its schedule and rumor has it the change was made in order to accommodate the CSX freight trains.  Interestingly, though, I've noticed that since the change most Brunswick Line trains have been running behind schedule.  Yes, it has been hot and heat delays can be blamed, but it was hot and there were heat delays before the schedule was changed.  Moreover, many of the new delays are in the morning when temperatures are at the coolest.  Now anytime the schedule changes there are always some rough patches at the beginning.  Yet, it's been two weeks since the schedule changed and there hasn't been much improvement in the timing.  But I have noticed that there is now only standing room on the trains and more people seemed crammed in each car than before.  So I guess CSX is going with its strengths as a freight hauler.  I just wish I wasn't part of the load.

I'm Back

After more than a nine-month break, I decided to get back to blogging.  After all I'm still commuting, so why not?  My commute still provides great fodder for stories, but rather than write them down, I simply just watched them unfold.  No more though.  It's time to start recording some of the ones that strike me as the most interesting.  Take the woman who told me of her recent purchase of a Clydesdale horse.  No she wasn't going to commute with it, but she did ride it every weekend.  I didn't know you could ride a Clydesdale.  I thought they were bred to pull beer wagons.  Then there is the woman who reminds me of the man from the Dos Equis advertisements.  But she's far from interesting.  Rather, I've dubbed her "the most miserable woman in the world".  Although I've never actually talked to her, her wrath is legendary on the train.  She shakes her head in disapproval at anyone who laughs too loudly, tries to sit next to her, or just looks at her wrong.  Every time I see her I take pity on her because she always seems so unhappy and has such a sour expression, which is how she earned her moniker.  It could all be a ruse though, and she could just be acting the part of a miserable person so she will get her own beer commercial.  And if she's successful, I guess I will have to introduce her to my fellow rider's Clydesdale so she will be able to have her own beer wagon pulled.

Welcome to the the Brunswick Line

I spent the week riding MARC, which I thought would feel like old times.  Yet, for my new MARC commute I ride the Brunswick line rather than the Penn line, which may not seem like a big difference, but trust me it is.  First, you have to stand in line to get on the Brunswick train, and if you don't get in line, people will get mad at you (I'm speaking from experience).  Second, the train cars on the Brunswick line are much older with ripped seats and hard to operate doors.  Third, the people are much louder (unless of course if you're in the quiet car then people get mad if you make too much noise (again, I'm speaking from experience)).  And it's not happy-hour loud, it's loud like someone yelling, "what was 5-down on today's crossword puzzle" loud.  This is really annoying too when you're trying to do the exact puzzle they're yelling about.  Still, my commute is now only 45 minutes so these few distractions seem a small price to pay for having more of my life back.  And frankly, I'm willing to pay it.

Gone But Not Forgotten

It's been ages since I've posted.  The break was due to lots of upheaval -- both personal and professional.  First, I moved, which actually has shortened my commut quite a bit.  Second, I started a new job, which also shortened my commute.  The end result is I now have about an hour ride to work and I can take all forms of public transportation -- Metro, MARC and bus.  So when I get back into a routine, I will be posting more often. In the meantime, I hope all is going well with everyone.

Dog Days

What do heat, humidity and train malfunctions mean in Washington, DC?  Summer, of course.  The 97 -degree temperature this week meant substantial delays as one train after another succumbed to the heat.  And if that's not enough, an unusually large number of tourists decided to travel during rush hour.  Now, don't get me wrong, those of us who live and work in DC actually like tourists, just not at rush hour.  As we are rushing to catch the next train, we don't want to be stopped by someone who thinks the architecture is especially nice at a particular station or by someone who doesn't know how to use the ticket machines.  Save that for after 9 am and before 4 pm.  On the other hand, if you want to get an insider glimpse as to what it's really like to be a city commuter, try hitting Union Station at about 7:30 am or 4: 30 pm. 

One Year

Today marks my one-year anniversary for riding the train and writing this blog.  I've learned a lot of tips and tricks in the past year that make such a lengthy commute a bit more tolerable and , at times, even enjoyable.  And what does the next year have in store?  Who knows.  But you can be certain that I will be right here blogging about it.

Sweltering

The record high temperatures are wreaking havoc on MARC.  About two minutes after we departed Union Station this evening, we stopped and all power quit.  Not a good sign when temperatures are pleasant but it's especially bad when the mercury is up into triple digits.  Fortunately, a technician aboard the train was able to fix the problem and we are now back on track with the air conditioning blowing.  It doesn't look good though.  MARC is already announcing that a number of trains are running 10 to 15 minutes late, and the domino effect would seem to suggest that the train I'm on will get backed up too.  Still, I hope it doesn't just stop -- AC and all -- it's just too darn hot!