zip trip

I never board a plane or train on holiday peak travel days after being completely traumatized one Thanksgiving trying to catch the local commuter train from Manhattan to Jersey. It took me three tries to get my feet from the platform onto a train and the only reason I was finally able to board the third one is because a kind sole witnessed me sobbing, put his arm around my shoulders and swept me safely into and along with the surge of the crowd as the doors opened (when the previous two trains had arrived, I was spun around by the swarm of bodies as if I was passing through a revolving door). He squirreled me into a corner, instructed me to stay put and said I’d be okay right there. I remember calling out a heartfelt thanks to the back of the conductor as he disappeared into the mob that covered every inch of no standing room only.

I’ve got a history with hordes of people that dates back to when I was around four and got separated from my Mother in a department store during the Christmas rush. I had and still have a tendency to get so fixated on something that once I am no longer transfixed, the folks I’m with may no longer be by my side. That was not the case when my friends and I ventured out to Obama’s swearing in, an historic event that I had no intention of missing, mob scene in freezing weather or not; we locked arms never breaking the chain as we maneuvered through throngs of other excited attendees until we found our spot. But on this Labor Day weekend, I had to break my no travel rule and decided that the path of least resistance may be an early Amtrak in order to avoid the masses. Thankfully I managed to do so, tipped the Red Cap to take me down to the train before everyone else boarded and settled down in my favorite place.

The quiet car is where one can sit quietly and enjoy the peace of quietness. Conversations must be kept to a smidgen above a whisper, electronics censored. Quiet is Amtrak’s five letter way of politely reminding riders that they need to shut up and shut down already. But there is always someone who wants to ignore the rules. In a world of 24/7 access to people talking I think too many of us are just not comfortable with silence. TV stations used to sign off at 1:00am just after Johnny Carson said good night. Now on any given channel in the middle of the night you can find someone yapping their trap off on an infomercial if there is no regular programming. Unless of course you have a service that provides 200 plus channels…how many stations do you (because I only have a limited number) really need when in actuality many broadcast a lot of the same stuff? Our brains are gettin' mushy people including mine because I do indulge in a few guilty pleasures on the stations I do get, but I have digressed.

I love the stillness of quiet. I question those who come to rest in the quiet car then fidget in their seats as they make jokes about then try their best to skirt the rules of where they came to roost. Consider this a warning…don't mess around with the policies when I'm in transit or you will receive a visit from the conductor courtesy of moi on behalf of all of us who adhere to the restrictions which is why we sat ourselves down in here in the first place. Now that we understand one another…

My grandmother used to have us sit on the pinkish-beige divan for quiet hour; we thought it was a game. As an adult, I now appreciate her desire to have us be still. It was her polite way of telling us to zip it!

keep your peepers open!®