Comments on: A-Camp by Rail: An Ode to Amtrak

By: taylor

taylor — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:04:39 +0000

oh yeah! i should finish this story, eh?!

By: taylor

taylor — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:03:33 +0000

too bad she got off in San Jose.

and not that kind of ‘got off’

By: Sophia

Sophia — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 19:11:27 +0000

I always fall in love on trains.

I barely even have to look at her and I spend he duration of the journey imagining various scenarios in which we end up talking and reeeeally hoping she doesn’t get off the train. Then I spend all that dreaming time with my head phones in and my face in a book and then feel really sad when she gets off the train.

I think trains are seriously over looked as a first date location. If someone offered to take me on a train for a date, I’d marry them immediately.

If I won the lottery, I’d be on trains all day every day. I like how people bond over being on the train together. If the train is late, everyone acknowledges it. If you’re on a train late and everyone is drunk, you’re all friends immediately. If the train breaks down, everyone tuts together. In England, I think it’s nice to have that kind of anonymous kinship.

“Do you like trains?”
“Not particularly.”
“Then aparently you hate fun.”

By: GinnyLaPala

GinnyLaPala — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 10:07:53 +0000

Great piece! But we NEED to know the end of the story! Did you talk to the maybequeer?

By: Kath

Kath — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:36:20 +0000

Ha, what part do you live in? I thought being brought up in Llanelli was bad!

By: Brynn

Brynn — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 16:39:00 +0000

I KNOW!!!!!! I may not be able to contain myself I’m so damned excited. They’re not even going to know what hit em! Or maybe, I’m not even going to know what hit me. Either way it’s going to be fabulous. Especially since you’re there!!!

By: Leo

Leo — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 01:21:34 +0000

HAHA love it! Nice code name to you too. Excited to have you guys back on this coast!

By: Brynn

Brynn — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 00:14:48 +0000

So glad I know you. I’ve been wondering when I’m going to see a post from you on here. Nice code name by the way.

By: downthewaterspout

downthewaterspout — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:14:24 +0000

I’ve taken Amtrak cross country (yes, the ENTIRE way across) three times (and back, so six times, actually). Best way to pass the time: making up the life stories of other passengers. It’s equally fun to decide the stories are true or to ask at the end of the trip and see how far off you are. I will never forget a particular passenger who thought she found a mouse in her food that turned out to be a hunk of felted material that came off her own sweater. Good times. Also, best way to make sure you have everything you need: travel in a car adjacent to a troop of boy scouts. It’s true, they always are prepared, and actually do want to help girls in need of screwdrivers on long journeys.

By: Shayna

Shayna — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:02:23 +0000

I LOVE observation cars. One time I took the train from Northern VA to Sanford, FL (yes, I know) and it was weird. This sounds way better. Also one time I took a coal train from Cumberland, MD to Washington, DC but that only took 5-6 hours. It was fun, though.

By: JuliaOA

JuliaOA — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:25:08 +0000

I used to take this same route. Only I was twelve and with my mom. I just remember these two kids that were in our car who were running all over the place and being awful. There was also an old woman with her oxygen tank, who I was worried would die at any minute.

Taking the train as a legal human being might be a very different experience. I want to get a sleeper car someday and ride across the country pretending I am in a Hitchcock film.

By: Emily

Emily — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:40:12 +0000

Arriva trains are almost as bad as the really really old Northern Rail trains that also sometimes come through Cheshire. Yay for Virgin trains
And this summer I’m going to do Camp America in the USA, and so far have planned a 6hr Amtrak journey from St Louis to Chicago – and if I don’t have to resit any exams then I’m going to get a cross country train from San Fransisco to New York before flying home. I’m SO EXCITED.
Wish I could be at A-Camp right now though. sob.