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I’ve tried all the planes, trains and automobiles this seaboard has to offer in order to somehow get around without owning a car. My preferred method of travel, by far, is Amtrak—but I rarely end up taking it. Why? Because every time I go to purchase a ticket, I have to pay the value of my first child’s kidney just to venture a couple of states away.
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Why do I have to book a train ticket a third of a year in advance just to get a semi-decent price? Why does a round-trip ticket from New York to Washington, D.C. cost the same as an actual flight and often $100 more? Why does Amtrak cost so much less on the West Coast? I understand how supply and demand works (I mean, sort of), but can’t the businesses that car-deprived citygoers rely upon at least strive to be economically feasible for all? Especially when it just got nearly $2 billion in the federal spending bill.
I want the ease of walking from work straight to Penn Station with my bag, saving money on pricey cab fare to the airport and avoiding a lengthy security check and hours of waiting around. I like Amtrak’s comfortable seats, the Wi-Fi and the snack cars. And, most of all, I like not being on a bus. Please, don’t make me take the bus again—I’m begging you!
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