File :-(, x, )
Public Transportation i has a spoon
What's /trv/'s preferred way to travel publicly? Not short distances, mind you, I mean a minimum of 100 miles.
For family trips, we take airplanes obviously, but on my own, I've always used Greyhound. It's been fairly decent; your typical grab bag of the lower class always riding, but never had any real big problems with them.
So what are your experiences and preferences?
>> Anonymous
Buses make me very nervous so I drive myself or fly. California is talking about making a bullet train through the state (south to north), so if that was available NOW I would use it.
>> Anonymous
>>3245
nervous from the people, or nervous from the claustrophobia? Because flying using any of the American airlines will have the same issues, also adding the fact that you're thousands of feet up in the air.
>> Anonymous
>>3252
Being on the roads with a bunch of people I don't know actually makes me more nervous than in the air. I guess I have a fear because buses sometimes attract really creepy people, and I'd never want to be stuck with that for a few hours.

I've been flying since 6mo old and I absolutely love to do it, and nothing about it bothers me. I guess I'm just odd, but I don't have to have a reason to be.
>> Syd2K !yHzbaFtyPA
Actually... Amtrak. Yeah, I know about the bad reputation it has, but I just like travelling without worrying or being squished in a bus seat. I've done the New York to DC trip several times, DC to New York twice. Also, LA to San Diego twice. One of these days I will cross the country by train.

But then I am a foreignfag
>> i has a spoon
>>3266
Texas doesn't really have much in the ways of passenger trains, so I can never really use that option :<. I have used it when I was up in the North, though, and it was a pretty pleasant experience, though their seats are not very comfortable.
>> Anonymous
Does anyone listen to monster magnet?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powertrip
Read the end of the recording section. I read an interview about the whole thing when the album came out and it creeped me out enough to stop taking the bus.>>3258
is right, people on buses are freaks.
>> i has a spoon
>>3258
I typically go on a plane (to and from) about once a year or so, and I'm pretty much used to it also, but I'm currently a poor college student, so flying home isn't an option for me.
Is anyone else REALLY dissatisfied with Continental's decline? I went on a plane to Norway this summer, and it felt like being treated like royalty compared to national flights.
>> Anonymous
>>3269
Thats because texas dosn't have much n the way of trains. All you have is BNSF. If you lived out in the midwest or on the coasts you would have UP or CSX, which both have enough trackage to support real passenger service. TL:DR Union Pacific employee says move to a state with real railroads.
>> i has a spoon
>>3276
Oh, wow. That never happened to me, usually I just put on my iPod and tune everyone out
>> i has a spoon
>>3284
Nah, anywhere in Texas that's worth going to has good roads, I'll just drive.
>> Anonymous
I went on a short trip to visit a friend (400 mi.) last summer. I wanted to take a plane or train but due to money constraints and no Amtrak service to my state I went with Greyhound. It was a 9 hour ride with stops every 70 miles or so. The only complaints I would of had were that they need to police their seats more vigorously. I was going at the end of summer so a lot of Mexican migrant workers were moving south for more work and they would let their kids each take up a seat for themselves (a seat sits 2). There were a lot of passengers who would of liked not to sit with strangers and taken a seat that they were taking up.

Example: Migrant Family of 6, Mother, Father, & 4 Kids. Instead of taking 3 seats they took 5. Mom and pop sat together. But the rest of the bunch took a seat a piece. The reason for not moving: "Que, No habla ingles."
>> El Cid !mFGk9i/6rA
Plane, especially when staying in-continent. The price difference is negligible when you consider how fucking slow trains really are.
>> Anonymous
>>3266
I think that's because the Boston to DC corridor carries something like 80% of Amtrak's passengers.
>> Anonymous
Greyhound SUCKS.

It's the worst shit I could wish on anyone.

Assholes hassling me for money. Psycho nutjobs drinking orange juice constantly. Whole bus smells like shit. Small fuckin towns don't take credit. It's the worst.
>> Anonymous
>>3330
I know what you mean. When my mom decided to stay in Kentucky instead of going back to Massachusetts, she sent me and my 2 year old back to MA on a bus and it was the worst experience ever. People wouldnt fucking move so I can sit with my own kid.

The drivers were rude as all hell. Fuck the Ohio bus drivers they can fucking die in a fire. Buffalo to Albany there was nothing but black people and they fucking smelled horrible I was sick to my stomach x.x
>> Anonymous
I <3 trains. You can stand up and walk around easily, and your final destination can change if you want it to.
>> Anonymous
>>3714
WHAT'S THIS?
NO HYGIENE
NO PERSONAL SPACE
AIR CONDITIONING OFF
FINAL DESTINATION
>> i has a spoon
Anyone ever used a taxi boat? I'm not talking about ferries, I mean tiny boats that are used to cross coastal cities. I used one once, it was bumpy and was open-air, so I wasn't too crazy about it.
>> noko
I've only ever flown budget plane (and on a plane twice all my life), but about those and buses, they tend to become really freaking uncomfortable when you're going far.

So I prefer going by train.
>> Anonymous
If you go on one of those buses where you sleep on them (and they don't have beds, they fold out the seats) it's the most terrible thing. Planes are infinitely cleaner.
>> Anonymous
I've been on all sorts of public transportation. I'd fly back and forth between California and DC for college. I'd also take Amtrak and ride up and down both coasts. The creepiest was probably the Chinatown bus that took from from DC's to New York's Chinatown. It was only like $35 round trip. Other long bus rides include a 22 bus ride from DC to Tampa, but that one was fun. I was on my college crew team and we'd head down to Florida for spring training. Spent the whole time watching movies and gossiping. It was like a sleepover back in the day. We even braided our hair, lol.


Propeller airplanes are kinda scary too, but the pontoon one was the scariest. We were in Alaska somewhere and had to land on a lake, I was 11 at the time.

I really like riding in helicopters, but I've only done it a few times in Hawaii.

So yea, my favorite for long trips is Amtrak, but it sometimes takes too long. Sometimes, a plane is the only option.