Life in the Fast Train

'Sho gonna make you lose your mind... or keep wishing for more.

One things for damn sure: this ain't no shinkansen.

Took the Acela yesterday from NYC to Boston here for the Flash on Tap conference. First time riding Amtrak in years, and certainly the first time riding their big guns, which they boast to be the fastest line in the US. Supposedly, the stretch between Boston and NYC has some parts wher speeds can surpass 130 mph - and its possible we obtained that speed, if ever for only such a short moment - but for the most part, it really wasn't that fast. Or it didn't seem that way.

Built on a foundation of old rails, it's very clear that it can't run fast for a reason - the cars would simply go flying off the tracks. Not good! But what really got me was how bumpy it was.

Case in point, I went back to the Cafe car (sweet that they had one, but $2 for a can of ginger ale? really?) and as I was walking back to my seat, we hit a bump and I fell over on top of someone. Thankfully for him, my drink only managed to spill on me. Sticky shirt express! Later on, after back in my seat, same thing: two guys were walking, we hit a bump, and I had to push to brace one of the guys from completely falling onto my lap. The seats ain't so easy to grab either.

It was craptastically cloudy yesterday, so I'm hoping for some sun on the way home. Will try and get some good video of the fast parts then, because when it does hit the fast speeds, it is slick. Just beware of the bumpy.