5 ms·

This is disappointing. I used the Empire Builder to commute back and forth between Hood River and Portland before the pandemic. I've since stopped riding as my

by tspike 6y ago

This is disappointing. I used the Empire Builder to commute back and forth between Hood River and Portland before the pandemic. I've since stopped riding as my office has transitioned to full remote, and I can't justify the risk of spending almost 2 hours each way in a metal tube with strangers. In that sense, I guess I am part of the cause of its demise. It was by far my favorite mode of travel for my commute. The scenery through the Gorge and relaxation it brought me relative to the drive were so valuable. I got to know the staff, and in the evenings, could kick back with a beer in the observation car while looking at Multnomah Falls. I'd rather spend 2x the time on a train and have the full time be usable than driving, where I would always show up stressed out and feeling behind in my day before I even started. I also took it eastbound one time to ski in Montana. That was wonderful. I boarded about 7pm, dinked around on my computer for a couple of hours, fell asleep, and woke up at a world-class ski area where I could walk to my motel, catch a bus to the slopes and back, and walk to a top notch concert downtown at night.

seanmcdirmid 6y ago
On a road trip my family and I stopped at Wishram once. What a strange little community in the Columbia with its own train stop. It was a Sunday, so it was pretty deserted (maybe everyone was at church?), but you could see signs of human habitation everywhere.
jdxcode 6y ago
What a beautiful place to commute from. I proposed to my wife at Multnomah Falls.
pottertheotter 6y ago
Reading this made me feel relaxed.
RealityVoid 6y ago
That is a 4h commute each day! While I echo your feeling about trains and commuting, a 4h commute would absolutely crush me. Let's say you sleep 8h, you work 8h and you commute 4h, that does not leave a whole lot of time in the day.
- ceejayoz 6y ago
  I'd happily take a four hour commute during which I can read, watch movies, browse Reddit, etc. over a two hour commute which requires me to be behind the wheel of a car. (I'll take remote work over either one, of course.)
  - bluGill 6y ago
    Not me. What I hated most going from driving my car to taking the bus is I could drive in 12 minutes, the bus took 25. I miss that extra 26 minutes per day with my family. Working from home is better, but I suppose it must end (when there is a vaccine)
    - monkeynotes 6y ago
      I think there will be a sizable number of people who will still work from home post-covid. Businesses can save a boatload of money by closing down office spaces. If their business is still productive with remote work why would they sign a new lease?
      - bluGill 6y ago
        There are real downsides to not working together. There is a reason my boss told me I can schedule a trip to India anytime I felt like it - seeing the people I work with there face to face was often important.
  - monkeynotes 6y ago
    When I used to commute (also close to 2hrs each way) I just never got enough sleep. I'd have to get up around 6am to be on the train by 7am. I'd get to my desk worn out and dreading another slog back home for 7/8pm. It sucked so much I decided lifestyle is more important than work and moved to Canada where I have been able to walk to work or had an otherwise easy commute. In my opinion anyone travelling 4 hrs between work is living in a poverty of sorts. Perhaps not financial poverty, but in my opinion a lack of freedom to enjoy your life outside of work is a considerable deficit in your short time here.
UncleOxidant 6y ago
> In that sense, I guess I am part of the cause of its demise. In a more ideal situation we'd be backstopping all forms of public transport right now at the federal level so that they don't suffer any diminution of service after covid is over. It's understandable - and necessary - that people don't want to travel in various types of metal tubes right now, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be an option again post-pandemic. Instead there are actual attempts in DC to bail out cruise lines. Also love the train station in downtown Portland - it was restored to it's 1913 glory some years back. It's so much more pleasant catching a train than a plane as you show up 15 minutes prior to departure and not miss your train. Also so much more legroom. Going by train just feels so much more civilized.

by tspike 6y ago

seanmcdirmid 6y ago

On a road trip my family and I stopped at Wishram once. What a strange little community in the Columbia with its own train stop. It was a Sunday, so it was pretty deserted (maybe everyone was at church?), but you could see signs of human habitation everywhere.

jdxcode 6y ago

What a beautiful place to commute from. I proposed to my wife at Multnomah Falls.

pottertheotter 6y ago

Reading this made me feel relaxed.

RealityVoid 6y ago

That is a 4h commute each day! While I echo your feeling about trains and commuting, a 4h commute would absolutely crush me. Let's say you sleep 8h, you work 8h and you commute 4h, that does not leave a whole lot of time in the day.

ceejayoz 6y ago
I'd happily take a four hour commute during which I can read, watch movies, browse Reddit, etc. over a two hour commute which requires me to be behind the wheel of a car. (I'll take remote work over either one, of course.)
- bluGill 6y ago
  Not me. What I hated most going from driving my car to taking the bus is I could drive in 12 minutes, the bus took 25. I miss that extra 26 minutes per day with my family. Working from home is better, but I suppose it must end (when there is a vaccine)
  - monkeynotes 6y ago
    I think there will be a sizable number of people who will still work from home post-covid. Businesses can save a boatload of money by closing down office spaces. If their business is still productive with remote work why would they sign a new lease?
    - bluGill 6y ago
      There are real downsides to not working together. There is a reason my boss told me I can schedule a trip to India anytime I felt like it - seeing the people I work with there face to face was often important.
- monkeynotes 6y ago
  When I used to commute (also close to 2hrs each way) I just never got enough sleep. I'd have to get up around 6am to be on the train by 7am. I'd get to my desk worn out and dreading another slog back home for 7/8pm. It sucked so much I decided lifestyle is more important than work and moved to Canada where I have been able to walk to work or had an otherwise easy commute. In my opinion anyone travelling 4 hrs between work is living in a poverty of sorts. Perhaps not financial poverty, but in my opinion a lack of freedom to enjoy your life outside of work is a considerable deficit in your short time here.

UncleOxidant 6y ago

> In that sense, I guess I am part of the cause of its demise. In a more ideal situation we'd be backstopping all forms of public transport right now at the federal level so that they don't suffer any diminution of service after covid is over. It's understandable - and necessary - that people don't want to travel in various types of metal tubes right now, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be an option again post-pandemic. Instead there are actual attempts in DC to bail out cruise lines. Also love the train station in downtown Portland - it was restored to it's 1913 glory some years back. It's so much more pleasant catching a train than a plane as you show up 15 minutes prior to departure and not miss your train. Also so much more legroom. Going by train just feels so much more civilized.