"cabarne4" (cabarne4)
04/20/2014 at 10:25 • Filed to: None
3
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"cabarne4" (cabarne4)
04/20/2014 at 10:25 • Filed to: None | 3
| 9 |
Welcome to another exciting update of 'why the hell is he still writing these, didn't we tell him to stop?' , where I'm posting semi-regular updates of my weekend train adventure!
If you're just now joining us, feel free to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
When we left off, I had just arrived in Kansas City, with an hour layover before boarding my next train. I had quite a bit to drink on the train, and decided it would be a very good idea to go to the nearest liquor store and buy more beer. I hopped off the train, dropped my bags at the counter, and ran a mile to the nearest store. Bought a few 6 packs, and made it back to the station with plenty of time. Why go through the trouble, you didn't actually ask ? Because beer on the train is $7 per bottle (which, I'm told, is expensive), whereas I can buy a 6 pack for $10.
Seeing as I was still sporting a healthy buzz, I decided to go straight to sleep. Woke up this morning, had a delicious breakfast of oatmeal and fruit, and settled down in the viewing car as I watched absolutely nothing go by outside. Seriously, Kansas. A hill or two wouldn't hurt.
Seriously, what ARE these people looking at? I tried to get comfortable and enjoy the view, but there really wasn't much to look at.
Eventually we reached what appeared to be an abandoned settlement. My knowledge of ancient hieroglyphs is a bit dusty, but I'm fairly certain the first set of symbols means "Colorado". The next two groups are probably some message about the virtues of smoking marijuana.
As that wasn't very interesting either, I decided to turn my phone into a speedometer. (Speedview, available for Android and maybe iPhone! There's a free version with banner ads, and a paid version without). It's currently telling me we're doing 79 mph, but reached a max of 82 at some point. Wow. Such speed. Very information.
It's proved vastly more entertaining than Kansas / Eastern Colorado.
Now, you're probably not really wondering what a train looks like on the inside. Well you won't be that ecstatic to know that I'm here to tell you! That's right, this post is about to get even longer!
Because nobody actually rides the train, it's very easy to get 2 free seats to yourself. This means you can really spread out. The seats have so much legroom, that I can't actually reach the foot rest on the seat backs in front of me (taller readers might have a different experience — I'm only around 5'8"). But luckily there's fold up leg rests, and the seats recline back slightly. This means you can turn two seats into a not-horribly-uncomfortable bed.
Why not just get a sleeper car? Because they're god damn expensive. That's why. Seriously, I ran 2 miles for slightly cheaper beer. You think I want to spend hundreds of dollars more just to have a bed at night?
A few cars ahead is the lounge car (seen earlier, but here's another picture in case you forgot)...
This is where you awkwardly avoid eye contact with old people who want to wish you a "Happy Easter" (whatever that means), and generally stare out the window. It's also where I plan on drinking this evening. From the lounge car, there's a very tiny staircase down to the snack car. I don't think fat people are allowed down there.
That woman's pants were very interesting. Much more interesting than Kansas. She had an interesting hat as well.
Going back a little bit, I have to show some respect to Kansas City. From what little I saw of it, it actually far exceeded my expectations. It was attractive and clean, which is about as much as you can ask of a city. The train station was absolutely beautiful. The kind you'd only expect to see in large cities like NYC, Chicago, or Los Angeles.
They had a few black and white photos of this room back in the day — I guess it was the main waiting area. Large wooden bench seats, full of people. I can only imagine what travel would've been like in those days.
Thank you, rope! I would have never guessed not to go down these stairs!
Like before, I'll try to keep up with the comments if you have any questions (most of which have probably already been answered in previous post's comments).
jkm7680
> cabarne4
04/20/2014 at 10:32 |
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Make sure to sing "Do you believe in life after love" at the top of your lungs when the Elderly ask you questions.
Scream "I'M STUCK, AHHHH" When you end up on the stairs. Yell "NEVER MIND" as soon as concerned people arrive.
Also, be sure to tell the overpriced beer people on the train that "It's a recession. You should feel bad for what you are doing."
Those seats do look damn good. Better than the shitty regional trains at least.
Your boy, BJR
> cabarne4
04/20/2014 at 10:36 |
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_Ci…
that station is somewhat famous.
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cabarne4
> jkm7680
04/20/2014 at 10:52 |
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Hahahahaha I like the "I'm stuck" suggestion!
And, the seats are pretty nice. The fold down tables also slide forward and back. So I can have my laptop close to me to type, or I can scoot it away from me for better movie watching.
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cabarne4
> Your boy, BJR
04/20/2014 at 10:53 |
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Wow, that's like... The most stereotypical 20's gangster shootouts I think I've ever read. I love how everyone has nicknames.
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Your boy, BJR
> cabarne4
04/20/2014 at 11:24 |
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It was pretty much this:
But with more tommy guns and nicknames.
so yeah…….gangster (not "a") as fuck.
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jkm7680
> cabarne4
04/20/2014 at 12:17 |
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Nice, it's nice that they actually make the seats somewhat bearable.
Slave2anMG
> cabarne4
04/20/2014 at 13:43 |
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The NY - Florida trains actually have a LOT of passengers...it's hard to keep a pair of seats to yourself the entire trip. I managed to do just that on my NY-NC trip last month but the Florida bound passengers kinda got jammed up in their cars.
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cabarne4
> Slave2anMG
04/20/2014 at 19:40 |
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I was on a train from Birmingham, AL to NYC a few years back, managed to get two seats to myself the whole way. Across the aisle was a pretty cool French guy though.
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cabarne4
> jkm7680
04/20/2014 at 19:40 |
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Oh yeah. Seats in the lounge car are pretty comfy too.