I own a car and take a train. Why, you may ask? The fact that I like to preserve my car as much as I can, which involves me taking the train. This puts little to no mileage on my car every day.
At my old job, I had to travel 100+ miles collectively each day. That’s a lot of stress on a car – on a sports car. In the end, I actually save money this way. Less money I have to spend on gas, low-mileage, and I can sleep on the train whenever I get sleepy from work.
The stigma of taking the train is a little weird and confusing on the east coast. We have multiple train systems that take us from point A to point B. We have the MARC train and the metro. No, they are not the same.
I feel more comfortable taking the MARC train, given the fact that the seats are more spread out and comfortable. The metro is a bit grimy and has those moments where you don’t want to fall asleep. Honestly, it’s the Peace of Mind that correlates with my decision of commute. Also, from where I live – the MARC is a MUCH faster commute (measured by time of travel). I save near almost an hour of commute time and even the hassle of being stuck in traffic. The worst delay I have ever experienced on the train was at least a 5 minute delay. You can’t beat that.
I love my share of driving my car and having my “zone” to sing to mediocre classics – but I rather catch up on my sleep. Don’t worry, the train has both quiet cars and cars with a “stop alarm”. The quiet cars are an introvert’s best friend. As for the other cars, you have the conductor announcing each stop by name – you can’t miss it. Me, being able to sleep through an earthquake (yep, this has happened before), the regulars cars are good for me to sleep and wake me up in time for my stop. Happy me!
If you are looking for a better commute experience, and you have the opportunity, commute to work by train. Those who take the metro, good on yah. I’m kidding, it’s not all that bad.*
You’ll be surprised how much easier your commute can be. Especially those who work in DC, no one likes getting stuck in DC with lots of cars, rediculous speed cameras, and magician potholes.
Happy commuting!
* It’s that bad.
Victory Roads 