Amtrak Northeast Corridor > Flying

Flying in post-9/11 America is a unique combination of boring, stressful, and submission to authority. Taking the Amtrak from Providence to DC hasn't just been relaxing, it's been interesting. Today I've seen:

• A fire at an industrial plant in (or just outside) New York City, with smoke pouring from the building & fire trucks out front
• A play at the plate in a softball game (safe), which took place 300 yards from the fire
• Four osprey fishing, likely while on their way south for the winter
• Half a dozen people fishing, which relaxes me just watching them

Yes, it takes longer. But I've gotten a ton of work done & had a pretty good time doing it. The only downside: Amtrak's cafe car remains unfriendly to my reusable mug, but then again airline flight attendants aren't any friendlier.

Quick Train Tip for Wildlife Watchers

After a weekend in Massachusetts visiting family, The Green Miles is riding the Amtrak Northeast Corridor Regional train from Providence to DC today. It's about twice as long as flying and just as expensive, but I like the relaxing ride, the ability to get up & walk around, and the view of the shore as the train hugs the Atlantic coast.

I decided to try riding the cafe car this trip. Not only has it given me extra room to spread out my laptop & assorted gadgets, but it gives a much more wide-open view of the shoreline & wetlands to the east. Just this trip, I've spotted:

• Ospreys
• Egrets
• Night herons
• Mute swans
• Cormorants

And of course the usual assortment of crows, Canada geese, sea gulls, etc.

Riding Rails, Saving Cash, Easing Headaches

I'm on the Acela heading up to Boston today to catch the Red Sox-Indians game at Fenway Park (named this spring as one of The Green Miles' Green Diamonds).

I deliberately planned the trip to minimize cost and maximize convenience. I'm taking the Acela to Boston's Back Bay Station, which is walking distance from my hotel, which is walking distance from Fenway Park. This weekend I'll be staying with my dad in Quincy, MA, on an MBTA bus route that runs at least twice an hour, much more during peak times. So instead of spending $125 for three days of a compact rental car ... plus gas ... plus parking ... I'll spend $20 on fares via a Charlie Card, the T's version of a Metro card.

And oh, I almost forgot, I'll be slashing the carbon footprint of my trip. Here's one (admittedly inexact) graph of carbon dioxide emissions per passenger by transportation source. The flight emissions are actually much worse than ground-level transportation because planes deliver their pollution directly to the upper levels of the atmosphere, where they can do the most damage.

Sure, the train takes a bit longer. But I have my laptop and wireless card and I'm getting work done. I'm enjoying the great views of the Atlantic coast. And I'm avoiding having to deal with airport security and cramming my items into a quart-sized Ziploc bag and squeezing my 6-foot self into a seat made for someone 5-10 or under and the labyrinthine Escape from Logan. What kind of a price tag can we put on those savings?