Adventures in public transportation

[stormkeeper_lovedoris]

(Or, for you Jem fans, “I’m takin’ a train, takin’ a train, takin’ a train!”)

Doris and I have been trying to reduce our usage of cars. Although we both drive ultra-low emission hybrid cars that get about 45 miles to the gallon (Honda Civic hybrids, to be exact), there’s still the fact that each minute spent driving a car is rough on the planet and that this is just not a sustainable method of transportation. Many people on my f-list are way ahead of me on this; I know several who don’t even own cars and just use public transportation. Doris and I both live in suburban areas where public transportation is next to nil though. Her ‘burb is about 60 miles north of mine. Normally when we drive to each other’s places, it takes over an hour. And burns a lot of gasoline, whether you’re driving a hybrid or not. So we’ve been looking at ways to reduce our car usage and to use trains to get to each other’s houses.

The results from this weekend behind the cut...



One challenge we have is that there is no train that runs north-south. So what I did on Saturday was take one train from my town to Chicago’s Union Station, and then another from Chicago to Doris’s town.



I left home at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. I don’t know of any overnight parking spots near the train station, so I had asked my friend nytshd3 if I can park at her house and walk to the train station. She graciously obliged me. I left a spare set of keys in her mailbox and set out for the 15 minute walk to the station.



Unfortunately, I always overpack. And I must have had an attack of sheer stupidity as I packed a duffle bag instead of a bag on wheels. I’m in pretty good shape but the bag was heavy, the weather hot and humid, and I was just starting to question the feasibility of my plan when a car drives up and someone yells, “Hey baby, want a ride?” It was nytshd3!!



She very kindly drove me to the station, saving me a lot of pain. So anyway, my train reached Chicago’s Union Station around 11:15 and I had a long lay-over, as the train to Doris’s suburb didn’t leave until 12:35. I had brought books and magazines to tide me over (partly why my duffle bag was so heavy) and to try to tune out the loudness of several youngsters both on the trains and at the station. I arrived in Round Lake Beach at 2:00, and Doris picked me up. We enjoyed a relaxing weekend together.



One problem with this method of transportation was that it really cut into my time with Doris though. On a normal Sunday, I might leave her house around 8pm for the 1 hour drive back to my place. This Sunday, she dropped me off at the station around 4:40.



I knew I was in trouble when the 4:54 train arrived late. The train was scheduled to arrive at Union Station at 6:18, and then the second train I needed to take to my suburb was to leave Union Station at 6:30. I knew I’d be cutting it close. Periodically during the long ride to Union Station, I’d glance at my watch. One stop we reached 7 minutes late. Later, we reached a different stop 10 minutes late. And so on. As soon as we got to the station, I literally ran across to the different concourse where my second train was to depart. Missed it by about 1 minute. I was too tired to cry. Like I said, I’m in good shape but running across a busy station, dodging people, carrying a heavy bag left me really tired from the run and really upset about missing the train, especially since it wasn’t my fault.



The problem – and partly why this upset me so much -- was that the next train didn’t leave in one hour, but rather two hours. That’s a long wait. As soon as I could catch my breath, I called nytshd3, who had offered to pick me up. She again was as sweet as usual and said she’d come get me at 9:05 when the next train (the 8:38 express, put in just for that weekend due to Lollapalooza) would get in. So I had 2 hours to hang out at the station, do more reading, and call a friend or two to chat.



If I were to asses the pros and cons of the two methods of transportation without taking into account the environmental ramifications, then clearly driving wins out. The trip to Doris’s is 1 hour via car, versus 4 hours via train. (And to say nothing of the fact that my trip home took longer than that, due to a train not running on time!) I had less time with Doris and way more time sitting on trains and benches at stations. Clearly a car is far more convenient and time-efficient in an area with little public transportation. Worse for the environment by far, but convenient – it’s no wonder that cars are so popular and alternatives have not caught on here. Additionally, I had to inconvenience a friend by parking in her driveway since there’s no bus that will take me from my house to the local train station and nowhere at the station to leave my car for nearly two days. She offered to pick me up, and nytshd3 is the kind of person who will give you the shirt off her back without you even asking. I don’t want to ever abuse her generosity. The trip also was a bit tiring. The train cars tended towards freezing cold temperatures, but Union Station was always too warm and humid. Bathrooms were a bit icky. Sitting on my butt for 4 hours is rough on me physically too. And I know it sounds a little nasty, but hearing kids screaming for hours on end on trains really tires me out too.



The only pros for taking the train (other than environmental reasons) were: 1) I got to do a lot of reading and to return calls to friends, and 2) cost - with gas prices so high, the train was cheaper. Though again, because my car is a hybrid it uses a lot less gas and so high gas prices don’t impact me that much.



Will I do it again? I don’t know. I don’t want to re-live my mad dash through the train station on Sunday evening only to miss the train again. Maybe I can find out how often that train runs on time. If it’s always 15 minutes late, then I have no way to avoid sitting at Union Station for 2 hours. It means I leave Doris’s at 4:40 and don’t get home till 9:20. If perhaps yesterday’s tardiness was a fluke, then I still have the issue of how to get from my house to the local station without inconveniencing nytshd3 again. There is a restaurant near one of the local stations that has a sign advertising train parking. Maybe I can see how much it costs to leave my car there on an occasional Saturday and Sunday. Maybe this is something I can just do occasionally but not for most of my trips to Doris’s. Maybe Union Station will offer more train options; that would help a lot. I want to help the planet but when your public transportation options are so limited, it’s not easy.



Of course the other solution would be for Doris and I to just move in together already! We’ve discussed it numerous times and I’m ready when she is. She likes to take her time when it comes to making the big decisions.

Comments

[zooey-glass04.livejournal.com]

It's a bummer that public transport is so damn difficult to use. I can't drive anyway, so most of my travel is done via public transport (although my DF does have a car these days). It's so very expensive and almost always more hassle than driving - no wonder people are reluctant to give up their cars! I imagine it's even harder in America, where petrol is much cheaper - the financial incentives must be even more compelling. So go you for trying, at least! I think if you can cut down on other journeys closer to home (which it sounds like you do anyway) then you can justify the long journeys by car. Another thing you could consider - I don't know if they have this in America, but in the UK there are a few websites which help people meet up to share journeys, so you can save a little money, potentially help someone who doesn't have a car, and reduce the impact on the planet all at once.

I hope you and Doris do get to move in together eventually. My quality of life is so much higher now my DF and I (mostly) live together - it means even when you're busy you get to enjoy their presence, whereas when you're living apart busy times tend to mean fewer visits. It sounds like Doris is slowly coming round to the idea - it's really exciting that she's decided that the rings is something she wants you to share.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

It's so good to hear that it's working, you and your DF living together and getting to enjoy each other's company more often. :-) I do hope Doris comes 'round to that idea. I try to be patient. She's a 42 year old woman who has never had a serious, LTR other than a brief one in her twenties that was a disaster and heartbreaker for her. So I understand why she's slow to want to do this. The ring was a major milestone, I think.

And car sharing is a great idea! I don't know if they have that here but let me definitely look into it. Thanks! Of course I might worry a bit about the trust issue. Any idea how they handle it, the fear of sharing a car with a stranger?

I also like your idea of reducing car trips closer to home and I have been doing that. :) I meant to post on the time last week when I walked to the mall near my office for lunch, rather than driving. I had to dodge SUVs and Hummers and really feared for my life a few times (no one stops for pedestrians at all)- but it worked out fine.

[yubsie]

Oh, real cities. That's going to be an interesting change next month. In the town where I did my undergrad, cars stop if you even look at the road. Possibly because it's UTTERLY a university town and most of the students don't have cars (really no point in a town you can walk across in half an hour :p)

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

The times I've been a pedestrian in Chicago have been nice since cars actually stop for you. In the 'burbs, you're just lucky if you don't get hit when you walk somewhere.

University towns are sweet, aren't they? At least they're nice to those without cars.

[yubsie]

We were walking across the intersection where all the walk signs go at once and my friend commented that she was going to get killed when she went back to Toronto. :p

Sackville was particularly nice because the students make a quarter of the population (and when there's an attendance cap of 2200, that says something :p) The town kinda dries up and blows away in the summer, because so much is aimed at the students. The movie theatre runs midnight movies for $2.50 on Fridays during the school year, and the restaurants all run specials during finals. :p

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

*nods* One of the books I read recently was by a diabetic woman who went blind, and she loved living in a university town as she could get around on foot with her seeing eye dog. If she lived in my suburb, she'd be in big trouble unless she was wealthy enough to hire taxis all the time.

P.S.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

I imagine it's even harder in America, where petrol is much cheaper - the financial incentives must be even more compelling.

I forgot to mention - you hit on a great point here! Gas is cheapter here...so no one wants to take public transportation, which leads to fewer public transportation offerings, and it becomes a circle.

[denisia.livejournal.com]

It sounds as though you've now had the Complete Train Tour of the greater Chicago area. :) Yikes, what a long journey! I give you a lot of credit for even attempting to do this. It's unfortunate that the train schedules aren't more coordinated. That happens here sometimes too, and it's always a pain. Sitting in a train station somewhere when you're tired and you just want to go home isn't fun.

As a compromise, if you don't want to drive the whole way but the public transport is such a hassle, would there be a way to drive part of the way and cut *one* of the trains out? For instance if Doris picked you up and dropped you off directly @ Union Station or if you drove to another station where you could intercept that second train? Admittedly it still means you'll be driving a little, but not as much.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

That's not a bad idea at all. I like it. In fact, it might work well...Doris has family in Chicago and she frequently stays overnight at her mom's. So maybe someday she can take me to the train station and then drive herself to her mom's.

Sorry to hear that NYC has the same problem with the lack of coordination of trains. :(

[nytshd3.livejournal.com]

aww, i'm glad i could help :)

once when my sister was in high school i pulled up to give her a ride and greeted her the same way, and got a dirty look from someone who presumably thought i was cruising a high school girl. when i was pulling up to you there was a person on a bicycle and a little girl on the sidewalk n i didnt want either of them to think i was some creepy weirdo ;)

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

I do really appreciate your help!

And that is hilarious, someone thought you were cruisin'!

[razycrandomgirl.livejournal.com]

I just had to say that I use PT ... and I kinda hate it. -shrugs- trains are nice though. better than buses. Trollies are kewl too. don't take those as much. :-\

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

What is it that you don't like about it? Do they run late all the time? What's the main reason you use PT - do you not have a car? Just curious.

[razycrandomgirl.livejournal.com]

the main reason I use it is because I don't have a car and I don't drive. It's ok but I'm tired of it. the people, the lateness. I plus they keep jacking up the prices and cutting back service. I should just be a hermit. that'd be great!