journey through suburbia

as far as long distance public transport goes, i have flown in this country, been on the bus, and now taken the train too. i will have to say that by far the train ride has been the most comfortable to travel. the itinerary is pretty limited, but the service is excellent. like trains everywhere, they tend to run a bit late, but as long as you have no pressing need to be somewhere else you will enjoy it. the seats are like the ones in airliner business class, with ample legroom and a 2-2 layout. and then here is where it starts to get really comfy.. the seat goes pretty far back, plus there is a bottom panel you can raise to support your calves too.. basically you have a Laz-Y-Boy (remember the Joeychairs from 'Friends'?) and oh yeah, it works out cheaper than bus or flights too.

the good thing with this under-appreciated mode of transport is that so few people use it, so the Amtrak tends to be half-empty, and you can spread yourself out on a pair of seats! the dining cars tend to operate at big city prices, but the quality is pretty good, so nothing to complain about there. that brings us to the point that really impressed me. the staff, right from the station staff to the onboard conductors and ushers, is a unit that can give itself a pat on the back. never have i been treated at such a 5-star level, by people with genuine smiles on their faces and always willing to stop by to chat. of course, the other times i have had to pay 5-star prices for that kind of service, but that's another story! you can check in your luggage which then goes to the luggage car, so that ensures no cramping of the main cabin space, exactly like in a flight. the conductors put these little tabs with your destination above your seat, and then come by to wake you up 5-10 min. before your stop, as well as keeping everyone informed on the intercom about delays and stuff like that!

last time i was on the train i met the sweetest old lady ever. she boarded with me at Buffalo (having seen me through the tribulations of having to redistribute my luggage in two extra boxes as all three of my bags were over the 50 lb. limit) and was headed to Mass. Granma Carol (as she insisted I should call her) probably was just looking for company to while away time, but she was fun to talk to, and reminded me a lot about what i liked most in both my granmas.

coming to the title of this post.. from Buffalo the train goes through Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Albany, Springfield and then Boston. around 50 years ago, the northeast was the pioneer in industry, with the most-developed infrastructure and all that. the three states of NY, Mass. & Penn. were the place to be for all manufacturing industries. however, this has declined drastically especially in the last couple of decades, and now downtowns in lots of cities comprise boarded-up windows, rundown buildings and empty-shell factories. the rail line passes through the downtown areas of most cities, and it's a shame to see the rotting, rusting and rambling heaps that are left now. every town we passed by had a town dump on its outskirts, and that alone told a lot about the town.

outside the towns, most houses that were visible were the typical northeast kind, with south-facing windows and not too much glass cos that becomes a real heat-loss problem in winter. one- or two-storey, with a barbecue grill on the deck out back, and a little rubber pool for the kids to splash about in. often i wondered what it would be like to live in a place like this - far enough from the town/city to be quiet and peaceful, yet close enough that you don't have to drive for hours to get basic provisions and stuff. the place i have moved to outside Boston is like that, let's see how that works out.