Destination Deadlock

[Kevin L.]

I have a slight snafu with my plans here. I remembered that a while back there was a post here saying that trains to DC Land were booked solid for everyone to see the [inauguration of our 44th president], but the crisis did not affect me. (A thought that many non-voters also had...)

Now I find that I will be in LAF/CHI on the 11th of January with 6 days left and a few segments remaining on my pass. The problem is that if I don't go back to DC on that day (or until the 14th) I won't get back at all, and I'm obligated to be back by the 21st, as luck would have it.

So I have places to go and stuff to see, but thanks to a certain someone, that seems less likely to happen. To show how ridiculous this has become, one of the counties bordering DC in Maryland (a county which is basically an extension of the nether regions of DC) is closing school on that day so that everyone can go see the inauguration. Seriously. This is a big deal, but in a bad way...nothing worth seeing.

If I wanted to ride just to a place near dc and take another form of transit in, would that be possible? Or would the train still happen to be full (as it probably will be).

I originally thought I could wait for the inauguration screwup to be over in a "bunker" city of my choice, but having to be back on the 21st radically changes that.

 

[cpamtfan]

Why blame Obama, he wasn't the one who picked that date.

cpamtfan-Peter

 

[RRrich]

OTOH if McCain/Palin had been elected, things would be much better. [/sarcasm]

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

I don't quite get the point of being in DC for the event. From what I've read, it seems like the majority of people who are in DC for the event will be watching it on a big outdoor TV. And if you're going to watch the event on TV, why not just stay home?

 

[RRrich]

I don't quite get the point of being in DC for the event. From what I've read, it seems like the majority of people who are in DC for the event will be watching it on a big outdoor TV. And if you're going to watch the event on TV, why not just stay home?

Joel, so you can say that you were there! I guess you are not much of a ROMANTIC. Oh well

 

[user 2160]

I have a slight snafu with my plans here. I remembered that a while back there was a post here saying that trains to DC Land were booked solid for everyone to see the [inauguration of our 44th president], but the crisis did not affect me. (A thought that many non-voters also had...)
Now I find that I will be in LAF/CHI on the 11th of January with 6 days left and a few segments remaining on my pass. The problem is that if I don't go back to DC on that day (or until the 14th) I won't get back at all, and I'm obligated to be back by the 21st, as luck would have it.

So I have places to go and stuff to see, but thanks to a certain someone, that seems less likely to happen. To show how ridiculous this has become, one of the counties bordering DC in Maryland (a county which is basically an extension of the nether regions of DC) is closing school on that day so that everyone can go see the inauguration. Seriously. This is a big deal, but in a bad way...nothing worth seeing.

If I wanted to ride just to a place near dc and take another form of transit in, would that be possible? Or would the train still happen to be full (as it probably will be).

I originally thought I could wait for the inauguration screwup to be over in a "bunker" city of my choice, but having to be back on the 21st radically changes that.

if you can make it to martinsburg, wv (on the CL) you can take the marc train in.. or get to philly and take some sort of bus (megabus or volt)

 

[Kevin L.]

Because watching the event at home wouldn't cause problems for anyone.

Yes, it would have been better if McCain had been elected because people would not have flocked to DC in droves.

The ghettos outlying dc would not have declared an unofficial holiday to go to DC, which is expected to block up the metro and marc, had obama not been elected.

If you want to see obama, fly to dc--commit an ultimate irony and fly to Ronald Reagan National Airport. If you're feeling particularly nasty, just for grins stop off on Theodore Roosevelt Island, or drive in on I66 and cross his bridge.

However you get there, stop hogging the trains, as ya'll have essentially blockaded DC in a moment of selfishness from the people who actually have to suffer the curse of living near DC, and don't want to be harassed by the politics of a blight that we don't even want geographically in our state.

EDIT: After reading posts on the forum that bashed the northern states for being red, I should have figured a deluge of half-cocked replies would flood in

 

[Railroad Bill]

A suggestion that might help get you to Washington DC. Try taking the Lake Shore Limited to NYP and then a northeast corridor train to Washington or Baltimore, whichever is closer to where ever you are headed. We have booked a trip on the 17th to NYP from Cleveland and then riding the Silver Star to Orlando, the next day. But you could catch a late corridor train after 8 or 9 PM and still get you into DC.

But yes, the inauguration of a president is a big deal! No matter who it is. And this is an historic event. I checked and all regular Amtrak trains into WAS on that weekend are booked solid. Crescent, Meteor, Capitol, etc. And that is very good news for Amtrak--

Have a great trip!!!

Railroad Bill-- Lovin Amtrak

 

[Kevin L.]

A suggestion that might help get you to Washington DC. Try taking the Lake Shore Limited to NYP and then a northeast corridor train to Washington or Baltimore, whichever is closer to where ever you are headed. We have booked a trip on the 17th to NYP from Cleveland and then riding the Silver Star to Orlando, the next day. But you could catch a late corridor train after 8 or 9 PM and still get you into DC. But yes, the inauguration of a president is a big deal! No matter who it is. And this is an historic event. I checked and all regular Amtrak trains into WAS on that weekend are booked solid. Crescent, Meteor, Capitol, etc. And that is very good news for Amtrak--

Have a great trip!!!

Railroad Bill-- Lovin Amtrak

Thanks for the advice. This way I don't have to forfeit days and segments.

 

[cpamtfan]

A suggestion that might help get you to Washington DC. Try taking the Lake Shore Limited to NYP and then a northeast corridor train to Washington or Baltimore, whichever is closer to where ever you are headed. We have booked a trip on the 17th to NYP from Cleveland and then riding the Silver Star to Orlando, the next day. But you could catch a late corridor train after 8 or 9 PM and still get you into DC. But yes, the inauguration of a president is a big deal! No matter who it is. And this is an historic event. I checked and all regular Amtrak trains into WAS on that weekend are booked solid. Crescent, Meteor, Capitol, etc. And that is very good news for Amtrak--

Have a great trip!!!

Railroad Bill-- Lovin Amtrak

Thanks for the advice. This way I don't have to forfeit days and segments.

I hate to break it to ya, but I think most NEC trains are selling out too :unsure: .

cpamtfan-Peter

 

[Kevin L.]

A suggestion that might help get you to Washington DC. Try taking the Lake Shore Limited to NYP and then a northeast corridor train to Washington or Baltimore, whichever is closer to where ever you are headed. We have booked a trip on the 17th to NYP from Cleveland and then riding the Silver Star to Orlando, the next day. But you could catch a late corridor train after 8 or 9 PM and still get you into DC. But yes, the inauguration of a president is a big deal! No matter who it is. And this is an historic event. I checked and all regular Amtrak trains into WAS on that weekend are booked solid. Crescent, Meteor, Capitol, etc. And that is very good news for Amtrak--

Have a great trip!!!

Railroad Bill-- Lovin Amtrak

Thanks for the advice. This way I don't have to forfeit days and segments.

I hate to break it to ya, but I think most NEC trains are selling out too :unsure: .

cpamtfan-Peter

Apparently I can go to NYP and then straight to DC Land from there, going to martinsburg is an extra step, though it would allow me to ride the full portion of that MARC branch, which I haven't done before

I knew obama couldn't keep me down, though he can try. After all, as some cheesy merchandise I saw in DC last Monday said "He ain't heavy, he's my 'bama".

(If you think that was bad, you aren't alone...though I at least understand that one, I don't understand the "1st president of the united states" shirts that street vendors had though)

 

[Railroad Bill]

Just checked and there are still openings for the late evening NEC trains NYP to WAS on the 17,18 or 19. But I would not wait too much longer to book them.

 

[user 2160]

A suggestion that might help get you to Washington DC. Try taking the Lake Shore Limited to NYP and then a northeast corridor train to Washington or Baltimore, whichever is closer to where ever you are headed. We have booked a trip on the 17th to NYP from Cleveland and then riding the Silver Star to Orlando, the next day. But you could catch a late corridor train after 8 or 9 PM and still get you into DC. But yes, the inauguration of a president is a big deal! No matter who it is. And this is an historic event. I checked and all regular Amtrak trains into WAS on that weekend are booked solid. Crescent, Meteor, Capitol, etc. And that is very good news for Amtrak--

Have a great trip!!!

Railroad Bill-- Lovin Amtrak

Thanks for the advice. This way I don't have to forfeit days and segments.

I hate to break it to ya, but I think most NEC trains are selling out too :unsure: .

cpamtfan-Peter

Apparently I can go to NYP and then straight to DC Land from there, going to martinsburg is an extra step, though it would allow me to ride the full portion of that MARC branch, which I haven't done before

I knew obama couldn't keep me down, though he can try. After all, as some cheesy merchandise I saw in DC last Monday said "He ain't heavy, he's my 'bama".

(If you think that was bad, you aren't alone...though I at least understand that one, I don't understand the "1st president of the united states" shirts that street vendors had though)

and you wonder why people are taking issue with your comments.. it's like you're trying to bait people on purpose..

if you would have kept the politics out of it from the beginning,everything would have been fine...

 

[Kevin L.]

Someone would have mentioned it, so I figured I'd take the initiative and be first

My only complaint (here) about him is that he is drawing in droves to where I want to be.

Trains are actually open on the 20th to DC. Shocking. I guess no one wants to risk getting there too late. Union Station counts as a bunker, it's underground enough lol. (Why is every other train station named union station?)

 

[RRrich]

(Why is every other train station named union station?)

'cause the Union Army beat the rebs.

So its not the reason, it sounds good

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

(Why is every other train station named union station?)

'cause the Union Army beat the rebs.

So its not the reason, it sounds good

Its the same reason that the other stations are named Scab stations! LoL

 

[sky12065]

(Why is every other train station named union station?)

You didn't know that every other train station is supposed to named Union by rule? Actually the rule does create big problems from time to time. Whenever a train station is shut down and the building is leveled, all the rest of the stations down the line have to change their name in order to maintain the "every other station named Union" rule! :blink: :unsure: :wacko:

 

[sky12065]

(Why is every other train station named union station?)

Seriously, according to Wikipedia, "A union station or union terminal is a train station where tracks and facilities are shared by two or more railway companies allowing passengers to connect conveniently between them." If Wikipedia is correct, this obviously has it's origins in pre-amtrak days!

 

[user 2160]

(Why is every other train station named union station?)

Seriously, according to Wikipedia, "A union station or union terminal is a train station where tracks and facilities are shared by two or more railway companies allowing passengers to connect conveniently between them." If Wikipedia is correct, this obviously has it's origins in pre-amtrak days!

the more interesting question is why so many are called pennsylvania station.

union actually makes sense.. pennsylvania, not so much

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

(Why is every other train station named union station?)

Seriously, according to Wikipedia, "A union station or union terminal is a train station where tracks and facilities are shared by two or more railway companies allowing passengers to connect conveniently between them." If Wikipedia is correct, this obviously has it's origins in pre-amtrak days!

the more interesting question is why so many are called pennsylvania station.

union actually makes sense.. pennsylvania, not so much

Owned by the PRR

 

[wayman]

So I have places to go and stuff to see, but thanks to a certain someone, that seems less likely to happen. To show how ridiculous this has become, one of the counties bordering DC in Maryland (a county which is basically an extension of the nether regions of DC) is closing school on that day so that everyone can go see the inauguration. Seriously. This is a big deal, but in a bad way...nothing worth seeing.

Counties in Northern Virginia have closed school on inauguration day for several election cycles. It's nothing new for Obama, trust me. It's not so everyone can go see the inauguration. It's because traffic on inauguration day is so tied up that the school buses finally arrive at the schools three hours late, and then it takes an extra three hours to get the kids home at the end of the day too. Better to just have everyone--kids, teachers, staff--stay home and not add to the mayhem.

 

[ralfp]

Better to just have everyone--kids, teachers, staff--stay home and not add to the mayhem.

What transportation method do the hordes of one-day only child-care workers use?

 

[Kevin L.]

Better to just have everyone--kids, teachers, staff--stay home and not add to the mayhem.

What transportation method do the hordes of one-day only child-care workers use?

Child Care Workers? You mean teachers? Why would they only be child-care workers for one day? They will mostly use the metro, since you ask for my assessment. The DC metro is fun to ride on--too bad it earned its reputation as the "felony express" and doesn't really extend much outside of the DC Ghetto Suburbs

I don't know about NOVA--I figure they have it worse than we do--but I do know that for one of our counties near DC to close on inauguration day is a rarity, and the holiday was explicitly declared so that the majority of the population could go see obama be sworn in. People interviewed said it was the first time they would actually go to DC to see the White House

All things considered, coming back prior to B day seems like a better idea.

 

[syntaxfactory]

However you get there, stop hogging the trains, as ya'll have essentially blockaded DC in a moment of selfishness from the people who actually have to suffer the curse of living near DC, and don't want to be harassed by the politics of a blight that we don't even want geographically in our state.

Dude, if you hate it so much. move.

 

[syntaxfactory]

It's not that irregular. According to a quick Google search, cancellations for inauguration were planned into the school year:

"Some systems, including those in the District, Alexandria and Fairfax County, had already planned to be closed for the day. ... Alexandria and Fairfax recognize it as a holiday.

Arlington County schools will release students for the day. Elementary schools in Prince William County will be in session for a half-day because of parent-teacher conferences, and students in Frederick County, Md., will be off because of a teacher workday...

"Friday, Jan. 23 was already on the LCPS calendar as a moveable holiday for students/planning and conference day for teachers. The moveable holiday was moved 3 days (to Jan.20), thus giving people the chance to attend or watch the inauguration. As Babyduck said, it will save a little money (no subs), and give everyone the chance to watch the inauguration either in person or on TV. What's the downside? Really, what's the big deal about moving a moveable holiday? No extra days off have been added, and in fact a little money might be saved, which is what everyone wants to do anyway..."

Presumably, these planned work days and so on would have been held regardless of who won the election.