Trains

Commuting Sucks. It has since Joseph returned to Bethlehem, since Frodo brought the Ring back to Mordor, since Dick van Dyke swept Chimneys. And it still does. But that is not to say that all commutes are equally bad. Based on length of time, distance and method, some commutes at times seem a gift! Though my commute is an untantilizing hour and a half long – its better than it could be!

When I first came to New Jersey, my commute was by bus. Depending on your take, you could say commuting by bus is like (a) a box of chocolates or (b) russian roulette – you never know what you're going to get. Some days the commute is swift, and quick, other days a well placed fender bender can back traffic up for miles. Admittedly on the bus, I didn't really care because I was seated, warm, etc. It's just annoying to not know when you would actually get to work, and how late you'd be. I believe most people would agree consistency is a good thing with a commute, which makes the bus far from ideal. Yet I will give credit where its due; the bus could be faster than the train, and I am personally enamored with the Port Authority Bus Terminal, but thats a different post. Thats as much credit as I'm willing to give. The train is way better.
Every morning I wake up, walk to the train, which takes me into the city before completing my commute to the office. We live a leisurely 10 minute stroll from the train station, or a diligent 8 minute walk, or a desperate 5 minute sprint. The goal is to arrive at the station at exactly the same time as the train. There are 3 trains which come within 10 minutes of each other each morning. I aim for the second because its less crowded (the early birds catch the first one, the sleepy heads catch the last). Once we've arrived in New York, everyone stumbles out, and I walk the last 20 blocks to my office. Aside from my obsessive interest in the second train, it isn't actually that unique of a routine.

My interest in the empty second train is not rooted in the fact that I'm anti-social in the morning, which my girlfriend will attest I most certainly am, but in the process of seat selection. I'm extremely particular in the mornings, and not so much in the afternoons. In my mind, the golden seats are the seats on the left side of the front car where there is wall, instead of window. There are only 3 seats that fit this description on any train, so you can see why I prefer the empty train. The advantages are numerous – the front car is closest to the stairs at Penn Station in New York, the left side faces north west, so the sun doesn't shine in my eyes, and the wall-less seats offer better head support for sleeping. See, that's what it's all about. If I've got 50 extra minutes to sleep on the train, suddenly the commute starts to look like a gift! I drag my tired butt out of bed early just to be sure I make that train. It's the height future gratification, cutting bed sleep short for extra train sleep!

In many ways, surviving a commute is about mindset. I try to see the positives, like the extra sleep, the chance to read or write a blog on the ride home in the evenings, the monthly pass which lets me ride in on the weekends for free. Plus now I know when I'm getting into the office. So really, my commute is a gift! I can hear you shaking your head sadly and asking, “but what if you just lived closer and had more time to sleep in your own bed and be at home in the evenings?” And I say I'd rather my cheering section be an optimist – just like Samwise and the Marys.