All Aboard!

When creating this blog, I figured some of the stories told will be ones that I’ve just experienced and others are about past adventures. Today’s story is about my last train trip.

For those of you who have never taken a train long distance, you really should, if money and time allows you too. It usually takes a little longer, depending on where you’re going, than driving in a car. It is quite a great way to go. You can bring your own food and drinks, you don’t have to pay for your suit case, you don’t have to go through all of the metal detectors. Your seating area is more comfortable then a plane or charter bus. You can get up and walk around, there are dining cars, and tables if you wanted to play like a card game. Plus, you have a place where you can plug in your computer, DVD player, or cell phone. No more dead batteries here! Sit back, relax, play games, watch movies, or read a book or check out the scenery.

I enjoy chugging down the tracks(chug-a-chug-a-chug-a-click-clack-click-clack-whoo-whooooooooo). It is really cool because you get to see all the back lot of cities and towns. Not all of it is pretty, but it is very cool to go from hills, cows, fields, to old train stations, apartment buildings, roads, little houses with clothes drying on lines in the yard, to city townhouse with broken cars in the over run back yards. You’re going over hills, around bends, sometimes through tunnels, all the while staring out of HUGE windows. It makes you appreciate the diversity of our county.

The last train ride I took was from Lynchburg, VA to Penn Station Newark, NJ. I was visiting friends and we were going to run the 5k Mud Run. It’s a fun race if you haven’t tried. My friend dropped me off at the station, and while waiting to board the train, I was chatting with a conductor. I had already gotten my ticket, had my one giant bag, and was waiting in the slow line to board. After asking questions, what about I cannot remember, I found a seat. They don’t really have assigned seating on trains. It is first come first serve, or at least where I sit it is.  After we left the station the friendly conductors asks everyone for their tickets. They punched a hole it in, make a little note of your end destination and continue up the isles. I sat back, read a book and took a nap.

Our first big stop was in Washington DC. There was a short layover while they changed engines. I was meeting up with one of my new friends to go run the race.

After everyone boarded and we got settle in, a new conductor asked for everyone’s tickets again. For all the new people, and for people like me, who have already been on the train.

I sat waiting for him to check out my ticket when he stopped and said wrong ticket. I was like… okay… maybe I had two tickets for this trip up and two tickets for the trip back? I was going to have to get a new set when I went home on Sunday? I didn’t really pay attention so I gave the conductor my other ticket he wanted and he punched it. I sat back and back and continued to chat with my new friend.

When we were getting nearer to Penn Station Newark, I still had this nagging worry about the whole second ticket being punched. What had happened? I thought I only needed two tickets. So I pulled them out again to check them out. Sure enough, I was only supposed to have two tickets. The first one was going from Lynchburg, VA to Newark, NJ, and the other one Newark, NJ back to Lynchburg. The first conductor has punched the wrong ticket! It was both my fault and his fault, but a ticket, not used yet was punched. This couldn’t be good. I was so excited to see my friend, and hang out with my other friend I decided to wait until the next day to worry about it.

Fast forward, I gave the train company a call, about the wrong ticket being punched. The lady on the other end was not helpful. She did not understand, and it sounded like I was going to have to pay for my ticket again. This was not cool. Train tickets aren’t always super expensive, but why would I have to pay for the same ticket twice, when it was as much their fault as it was mine that the wrong ticket was punched wrong? I hung up the phone and decided not to worry about it. We’d go to the train station early the next day and see if talking to someone in person would yield better results.

Crazy night of awesomeness ensued. Still very much groggy and hung over, we had breakfast at a diner and then time to go to the train station.

I waited in line and told my story of woe to the teller at the window. I showed her the ticket that had been punched for a train that had not yet arrived or left the station. I had to explain what happened to three different people. The manager had me wait in line for at least 30 minutes while they talked with their higher ups. At this point, the clock was ticking and I was mostly just worrying about being able to even go home. I was giving in to the fact I’d have to pay for the same ticket twice, I mean, what else are credit cards for? When all hope was lost, I was scolded. I was told that conductors are really busy and cannot always be sure to punch the right ticket. You need to help them by making sure you’re giving them the right ticket. Here is your new ticket for this trip but be more careful next time. I was like, I most certainly will! I took my new tickets and ran to the platform go wait for my train.

My biggest issue with the handling of this miss punched ticket was they acted like it had never happened before. Really? Seriously? Of all the tickets, passengers, and conductors, over all of the years on all of the trains this is the first time this has happened? I must just be that talented.

So that picture is showing off my victory of being able to ride the train home.

Lesson: Always make sure you hand the right ticket to the conductor on the train.