The Zen of Amtrak
Oct. 14th, 2002 04:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eruthrosI took Amtrak to visit my parents for the weekend; I have, in the past three years, taken Amtrak a lot. And it's been delayed. A lot. Sometimes both directions, round trip. I've been on delayed trains to talk to realtors, to get to class, to see shows, and to meet people. My personal favorite was the three-hour-delay on a trip that's usually an hour and a half, thus causing me to be too late to sign the least for my current apartment. It's days like those that really make you appreciate a cell phone.
Amtrak, btw, does this really neat corporate thing: they have those airport-style little departure-arrival tv screens at some stations. And trains are never late, according to these screens. Because they just change the expected arrival time, and keep claiming it's on time. So the train that was supposed to arrive at 10.30 is now going to arrive at 11.45. And is still "on time." Because it will be there when they expect it to be. Brilliant, in a disturbing way.
Anyway, I've developed the Zen of Amtrak. Accept that it is out of your hands and there is nothing you can do. Meditate on the sound of PA scratchiness. Let go of your notions of "time" and "late." You will get there when you get there; time is now irrelevant. Sit in serenity while those around you freak out.
I really don't understand people who yell at the conductor in this situation; I mean, I'm a control freak, but this is a situation in which everything is out of your control. There is nothing you can do. The freight train in front of you has broken down. Unless you're Clark Kent, you must just wait for it to be fixed or towed. If you can, see what you can do: accept that you will be late, but maybe you can move meetings or call someone to pick you up. But you will be late. Nothing you can do.
And yet there are always these incredibly annoying people jumping up and down and running around and cursing at the conductor -- like (s)he's responsible, like anyone at all can do anything, like they did this on purpose. I mean, what? Is cursing under your breath while trekking the length of the train to find someone to yell at going to fix anything? And the funny thing is, these are often the people with communication options -- I've usually been incommunicado on the train, since I only got a cell recently. They have communication options, and they bitch out the Amtrak employees about the meeting they'll miss -- something now totally out of their control -- and they don't phone the people in the meeting. Then they're late and bitchier, because their meeting or whatever went badly or because people had to wait for them or didn't know what was going on. I totally don't get it.
Actually, Amtrak this weekend was dead on time. Incroyable. But this woman persisted in being annoyed at everyone anyway, and telling long stories about how she couldn't be late to her concert, and insisting they hurry. You are on a train; read a novel. Listen to some music. Close your eyes and listen to the train.
You'll get there when you get there. And you will always, by Amtrak definitions, be on time.
Amtrak, btw, does this really neat corporate thing: they have those airport-style little departure-arrival tv screens at some stations. And trains are never late, according to these screens. Because they just change the expected arrival time, and keep claiming it's on time. So the train that was supposed to arrive at 10.30 is now going to arrive at 11.45. And is still "on time." Because it will be there when they expect it to be. Brilliant, in a disturbing way.
Anyway, I've developed the Zen of Amtrak. Accept that it is out of your hands and there is nothing you can do. Meditate on the sound of PA scratchiness. Let go of your notions of "time" and "late." You will get there when you get there; time is now irrelevant. Sit in serenity while those around you freak out.
I really don't understand people who yell at the conductor in this situation; I mean, I'm a control freak, but this is a situation in which everything is out of your control. There is nothing you can do. The freight train in front of you has broken down. Unless you're Clark Kent, you must just wait for it to be fixed or towed. If you can, see what you can do: accept that you will be late, but maybe you can move meetings or call someone to pick you up. But you will be late. Nothing you can do.
And yet there are always these incredibly annoying people jumping up and down and running around and cursing at the conductor -- like (s)he's responsible, like anyone at all can do anything, like they did this on purpose. I mean, what? Is cursing under your breath while trekking the length of the train to find someone to yell at going to fix anything? And the funny thing is, these are often the people with communication options -- I've usually been incommunicado on the train, since I only got a cell recently. They have communication options, and they bitch out the Amtrak employees about the meeting they'll miss -- something now totally out of their control -- and they don't phone the people in the meeting. Then they're late and bitchier, because their meeting or whatever went badly or because people had to wait for them or didn't know what was going on. I totally don't get it.
Actually, Amtrak this weekend was dead on time. Incroyable. But this woman persisted in being annoyed at everyone anyway, and telling long stories about how she couldn't be late to her concert, and insisting they hurry. You are on a train; read a novel. Listen to some music. Close your eyes and listen to the train.
You'll get there when you get there. And you will always, by Amtrak definitions, be on time.
no subject
Date: 2002-10-14 06:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-10-14 08:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-10-14 10:34 pm (UTC)i'm *trying.* honestly.