Stuck on a train vs. stuck at the airport

A scene at an airport, as reported by the NYT this morning, 12/31/20:

Elizabeth Barnhisel and her husband were heading off on a delayed honeymoon when a canceled connection forced an unexpected overnight layover on Tuesday at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Entering a baggage claim area, they found what looked like hundreds of bags lined up and crowds of miserable people — some crying, some napping, because they had been waiting so long for their bags.

I've been delayed on many a train (but never bustituted), and things can get a little hairy when the food gets low, but this sad, increasingly familiar scene is unique to air travel.

When SHTF, travel edition, I think I'd rather be on a train.

hrsn wrote: ↑Fri Dec 31, 2021 8:50 am A scene at an airport, as reported by the NYT this morning, 12/31/20:

Elizabeth Barnhisel and her husband were heading off on a delayed honeymoon when a canceled connection forced an unexpected overnight layover on Tuesday at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Entering a baggage claim area, they found what looked like hundreds of bags lined up and crowds of miserable people — some crying, some napping, because they had been waiting so long for their bags.

I've been delayed on many a train (but never bustituted), and things can get a little hairy when the food gets low, but this sad, increasingly familiar scene is unique to air travel.

When SHTF, travel edition, I think I'd rather be on a train.

I would prefer to be on the train as well.

Stuck on a train: At least you have some food, you can recline the seat a bit to snooze, they can dump the tanks and reload food in various depots, and more. Plus if you're bus subsituted, you can get your luggage and get it loaded into a bus.

Stuck in an airport, you got "scenarios":

• Your connection is delayed/canceled, you're rerouted, and you're stuck inside the secure zone overnight.
• Your luggage is on another flight and you gotta wait for it... outside.

Ugh. Both bad choices.

Your luggage is on another flight and you gotta wait for it... outside

Hence the crying referred to in the NYT piece.

At least an airport, you can Uber yourself to a hotel or find a restaurant.

Good luck ordering Uber Eats while stuck on a train.

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eolesen wrote: ↑Fri Dec 31, 2021 3:39 pm At least an airport, you can Uber yourself to a hotel or find a restaurant.

Good luck ordering Uber Eats while stuck on a train.

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Well, there has been cases where the train staff ordered pizza for everyone.

Which is more likely to get through bad weather to your destination? Which puts you through hell from screening through luggage pick up?

Both situations stink. Some of us remember when common carriers [no matter which mode] went out of their way to accomodate the paying passengers.

This just makes it better to drive, at least you have more options that you can select.

urr304 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 31, 2021 10:07 pm Both situations stink. Some of us remember when common carriers [no matter which mode] went out of their way to accomodate the paying passengers.

This just makes it better to drive, at least you have more options that you can select.

Would nick low write about Christmas stuck on a train?

A train seat is much better than an airport cot or worse the terminal floor. Have done that not fun.

I would much rather be stuck at home.
Why are you traveling in the middle of a storm, in the middle of a pandemic, in the middle of the holidays?
Traveling during bad times usually results in bad times......

eolesen wrote: ↑Fri Dec 31, 2021 3:39 pm At least an airport, you can Uber yourself to a hotel or find a restaurant.

First, I have now been in an Uber. To me, its was just a German word for "Higher".

Friends of mine from Indianapolis were in town this past October, and they invited me to come in to join them for some in-room wine (Palmer House - a leading hotel - had no Room Service; we brought our own) and Dinner afterwards.

In the morning, they asked me about a good Breakfast place. I quickly said, "Lou Mitchell's" (very near CUS). She says, "how far"? I say, "about a mile", She says "I can't handle that, let's Uber it" (is that a verb?). So I've now been a passenger in one of such.

But to Mr. Olesen's point; when I hear of the likes of "Camp SEATAC", I really must wonder how hard have these stranded folk tried to find a hotel? Returning from Miami during the "Vortex" of Jan. '19 (ah, "normalcy" days) and with snow coming down and 0dg on the "thermo", with hindsight, I should have at least checked the O'Hare Hilton to see if they had a vacancy. But no, I pressed on with my "poor man's way home from O'Hare". My phone was ringing "Gil, get an Uber; you could die out there".

But if you're "stuck on Amtrak", you really have no choice; an airport (in the terminal; not on the aircraft with a "ground hold"), you do.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Fri Dec 31, 2021 3:03 pm , they can dump the tanks

OH REALLY!

Christmas, 2002. I took my son to see his grandparents at Disneyland. We took 3 KC-LA. Chicago didn’t empty the tanks. THE EFFING TRAIN FILLED EVERY LAST TANK TO OVERFLOW! I asked each conductor to call for a honey wagon. They would not … at Las Vegas, at Albuquerque, at Flagstaff, or even at San Berdoo.

Do not dare to talk about “they can dump the tanks.”

eolesen wrote: ↑Fri Dec 31, 2021 3:39 pm At least an airport, you can Uber yourself to a hotel or find a restaurant.

Good luck ordering Uber Eats while stuck on a train.

I guess that would depend on how many other strandlings (or strandees?) were trying to do the same thing at the same time for the same reason ...
Like everybody trying to get off an 8-lane expressway at the same exit because of a multi-car pileup ahead.

ExCon90 wrote:

eolesen wrote: ↑Fri Dec 31, 2021 3:39 pm At least an airport, you can Uber yourself to a hotel or find a restaurant.

Good luck ordering Uber Eats while stuck on a train.

I guess that would depend on how many other strandlings (or strandees?) were trying to do the same thing at the same time for the same reason ...
Like everybody trying to get off an 8-lane expressway at the same exit because of a multi-car pileup ahead.

Well, to be fair, Airlines have gotten much better about canceling flights before people even get to the airport. That's a much better approach then stranding people mid-trip. That way, when you do have a cancellation that takes place with people at the airport, there's a lot fewer people trying to get out that one lane exit per your example...

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