# Murder,Death,Kill,Amtrak,RO **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 22, 2009, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942 "2009-04-22T03:57:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942/21 "2009-04-22T15:55:42Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > I’m sorry this has turned out to be so expensive for you. What a lousy situation. > > The statement above has me curious, though: which mode of travel uses more energy? Is it more energy-intensive to run a jet engine to climb to 38,000 feet and fly five hours, or to run a train engine for two days? Depending on the source, rail appears to be somewhere between marginally and significantly more efficient than air travel: [Energy efficiency in transport - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_efficiency_in_transportation) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942/22 "2009-04-22T15:56:35Z")
What are your destinations? You may be overlooking some travel choices. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942/23 "2009-04-22T16:35:45Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Depending on the source, rail appears to be somewhere between marginally and significantly more efficient than air travel: [Energy efficiency in transport - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_efficiency_in_transportation) Interesting information. On a per-passenger basis the opposite seems to be true, though, which I guess would be the cost driver for the ticket price. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942/24 "2009-04-22T18:13:33Z")
> [@Idlewild](#): > > Like the old joke: > > A stats professor plans to travel to a conference by plane. When he passes the security check, they discover a bomb in his carry-on-baggage. Of course, he is hauled off immediately for interrogation. > “I don’t understand it!” the interrogating officer exclaims. “You’re an accomplished professional, a caring family man, a pillar of your parish - and now you want to destroy that all by blowing up an airplane!” > “Sorry”, the professor interrupts him. “I had never intended to blow up the plane.” > “So, for what reason else did you try to bring a bomb on board?!” > “Let me explain. Statistics shows that the probability of a bomb being on an airplane is 1/1000. That’s quite high if you think about it - so high that I wouldn’t have any peace of mind on a flight.” > “And what does this have to do with you bringing a bomb on board of a plane?” > “You see, since the probability of one bomb being on my plane is 1/1000, the chance that there are two bombs is 1/1000000. If I already bring one, the chance of another bomb being around is actually 1/1000000, and I am much safer…” > > Borrowed from here: [Math Jokes](http://www.math.ualberta.ca/~runde/jokes.html) but heard all over the place. False logic. A stat prof would never make this case. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942/25 "2009-04-22T18:54:50Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Coach on Amtrak isn’t that bad. There is tons of space and it’s rarely anything near full. I did a four day cross-country trip and it was no problem, though I did get a little stinky near the end. You also lived in Cameroon for 2 (?) years, so I suspect his mileage may vary significantly. I mean, I’ve spent two and a half days on a train across the Western Ghats in India that broke down, and I didn’t mind at all, but I was seven then. I’d probably go fucking nuts if that happened now. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942/26 "2009-04-22T19:07:26Z")
> [@The\_Falling\_Reverend](#): > > Ok first to firm up a few things, > > When I said deathly afraid of flying I meant just that. Last time I flew I was informed if I flyed whatever airline I was on in the future (can’t remember which airline, too scared) I would be greeted at the gate by air marshalls. This is because I was so scared I was scaring other passengers. > > Second, Drugs won’t even take THE FEAR away. I also tried that the last time I flew. See above for results. Whiskey kinda helps so long as I have someone with me. > > So far Boyo has the best idea. What kind of drugs have you been using? I’m serious. I wasn’t as bad as you are, but I can claim that several airplanes didn’t fall down because I was holding them up by sheer force of will and a deathgrip on the armrests. After I was prescribed Cymbalta to go with my Lexapro, though, things changed. I was able to contemplate a plane trip without immediately going into full panic mode. I’ve flown half a dozen times since starting Cymbalta, and while I can’t say that I fly for fun, I am as relaxed and comfortable as it’s possible to be in the high security environment in modern airports. When I was having flying anxiety, I looked into train travel a couple of times. It seems that trains really only want commuters in the Northeast corridor, because they certainly don’t offer much in the way of service anywhere else. I fondly remember taking the train in Spain (mostly through the plains) when I lived there. They were fairly comfortable, fast, and very convenient. ---
**Author:** ![Clare\_de\_Loone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/clare_de_loone/32/3407_2.png) [@Clare\_de\_Loone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clare_de_Loone)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942/27 "2009-04-22T19:53:10Z")
Really, dude. Mental health professionals exist for a reason. They can fix this, and you’ve got some lead time before your trip. Rent a car, or see if you can network to drive with other people headed your way. Alternatively, see if you can adjust your train fare choices a day or so each way so you’re not paying peak weekend or holiday rates. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942/28 "2009-04-22T19:58:16Z")
> [@The\_Falling\_Reverend](#): > > Whiskey kinda helps so long as I have someone with me. Well, there you go, then. How much are 2 coach tickets on the airline? And do you have a friend willing to keep the drinks coming? Or fly in first class, and they’ll keep them coming for free. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942/29 "2009-04-22T20:46:31Z")
> [@Clare\_de\_Loone](#): > > Really, dude. > Mental health professionals exist for a reason. They can fix this, and you’ve got some lead time before your trip. > Rent a car, or see if you can network to drive with other people headed your way. First suggestion isn’t workable - most car companies place mileage restrictions on the vehicle making it usable only at the destination, not in transit. The second suggestion actually is pretty workable - you can use Craigslist to rideshare with others traveling at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942/30 "2009-04-22T20:51:26Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > First suggestion isn’t workable - most car companies place mileage restrictions on the vehicle making it usable only at the destination, not in transit. > > The second suggestion actually is pretty workable - you can use Craigslist to rideshare with others traveling at the same time. You HAVE heard of the Craigslist killer, haven’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942/31 "2009-04-22T21:02:13Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Wow, for a thousand bucks, you can probably hire a nurse to fly with you, give you some kind of knockout shot as soon as you sit down, and wake you back up with another shot when you get to the gate at the other end. I pity da fool who tries to knock me out and put me on a plane! ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942/32 "2009-04-22T21:10:36Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > You HAVE heard of the Craigslist killer, haven’t you? As per the stats prof anecdote, the best way to avoid the Craigslist killer is to _be_ a Craigslist killer. Problem solved! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942/33 "2009-04-22T21:27:19Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > You HAVE heard of the Craigslist killer, haven’t you? Well, since the killer was looking for hookups and not a second driver for a trip, I think we can make distinctions and use common sense. I bought a bicycle off of Craigslist - I’m still here. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942/34 "2009-04-22T21:30:28Z")
Trains are a little disappointing in this. They’re somewhat cost effective if you’re moving several people, but it is cheaper for me to fly coach than to take a train coach. Let’s say I’m taking my usual trip from Austin to Toronto. I’m on a train for two days and I pay about $450 round-trip, not including food. Alternately, I can take a plane and be in the air and in airports for about 7 hours for about $400 (cite: recent Expedia search). But that’s an odd trip, you say? Okay, let’s try going from Los Angeles to Chicago. The cheapest way on the train is $286 and takes almost exactly three days (69 hours, 22 minutes, assuming everything runs on time – which, let’s face it…). Flying is $228 and takes about 4 hours. But that’s not fair, you say – trains have to take such a roundabout way to get there. Fine. How about Chicago to Buffalo? It’s a straight shot and a relatively short trip. I’ve even taken it myself. The train is $133 round trip and takes ten and a half hours (in my personal experience, a bit more). Compare that to 90 minutes and $129 – almost the same price, but almost ten times as long. The upside to trains: you can get up and walk around once in a while, the seats are MUCH larger and more comfortable, trains are often less populated so you can stretch out, and you’re not in the air hurtling around at 500+ mph. Riding up the Mississippi River is a true joy: it can be very beautiful and quite enjoyable to eat lunch and watch the river go by. They are more cost-effective for larger groups: under $400 versus over $500 for two adults traveling with two kids, for example. You can have a lot more luggage shipped for a lot less money. The downside is pretty much everything else. They’re cramped, especially in the rooms. They’re often in rather bad repair, and the food is about as good as you can expect from a microwave. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942/35 "2009-04-23T02:57:20Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > As per the stats prof anecdote, the best way to avoid the Craigslist killer is to _be_ a Craigslist killer. Problem solved! Your logic is unassailable. I bow to your wisdom, and vow never to be alone with you in a confined space. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-death-kill-amtrak-ro/493942.md?page=1)