Text 21734, 116 rader
Skriven 2009-03-09 08:50:00 av Glen Jamieson
     Kommentar till en text av Dave Drum
Ärende: CITY OF NAWLINS 90309
=============================
 -=> Quoting Dave Drum to Glen Jamieson <=-

 GJ> Is it necessary to book ahead on these US trains, or can one just check
 GJ> the timetable and roll up and buy a ticket just before the train
 GJ> leaves, like on buses?

 DD> If you are riding in peasant class you can (with a few exceptions)
 DD> just get a ticket and clamber aboard. Or, I have seen people arriving
 DD> late to the station board sans ducat and pay the conductor when he
 DD> comes around to collect tickets.
 DD> Whether that worthy turns in the lolly to his bosses or no ... I have
 DD> no idea. 

If he issues and clips tickets he should have to account for them.

 GJ> If time is not a factor, the cost of meals should not be significant,
 GJ> as you have to eat, wherever you are.  Night trains can save on hotel
 GJ> accommodation costs.

 DD> If one is stuck on the train the cost of food is significantly higher
 DD> than if on the ground and able to "shop" for a venue. OTOH - most
 DD> dining car grub has been of higher quality than in most of the place I
 DD> patronise with regularity. Service is linen and heavy flatware with
 DD> much bowing and scraping of the waitrons.

That service can be very enjoyable.  I last travelled First from Perth
to Adelaide - two days.  The quality of food was good restaurant class.

 DD> Some trains have only a "snack car" which sells canned brewskis, soft
 DD> drinks, and really bad sammiches and salty snacks at inflated prices.

Thanks for that info.  I hope to use it some time.

The Australian and European long distance trains have peasant class
dining cars, with a choice of hot dishes bought from the buffet.  The
meals can be eaten in the diner or taken back to the seat.  Not so good
on the NZ trains, which do at least sell beer.

 DD> If flying, meals (if served) are included in the ticket price -
 DD> usually. Except
 DD> for a couple of very mercenary (and low quality) US carriers. Besides,
 DD> most domestic (US) flights are short enough that if the airline doesn't
 DD> feed you it is possible to tighten the belt until the areochine lands
 DD> and then seek reasonably priced comestibles.

Virgin Blue operates here like that, and even sells food and drinks on
the flights to NZ.  After being warned of their catering practices, I
have taken my own snacks to eat on Southwest Airlines in USA.

 DD> And, of course, Ryan Air is considering charging to use the "comfort"
 DD> facilities to discharge the natural result of consuming their
 DD> overpriced drinks
 DD> and food. In any aeroplane I have traveled there is no way to crawl
 DD> onder or clamber over the door to the "facility". So one would either
 DD> have to cross one's legs and squirm or suffer the embarassing,
 DD> spreading wet stain - or pay up for relief.

Hmmm.  How do they take payment?   Coin in the slot, or do you hand the
money to an elderly flight attendant, seated outside the toilet, who
hands you paper, like in some Italian railway stations?
 
 GJ> Travel by ship is one of my favourites; not so much the cruise liners,
 GJ> but smaller coastal ships, ferries and the like, where there is room to

 DD> Other than the odd day-trip on a st. Louis based riverboat I've not
 DD> travelled by commercial ship/boat/ferry/etc. At one time I was an owner
 DD> (part-owner) in an old converted fishing schooner (100' - three masts -
 DD> fore & aft rigged) which we sailed out for a couple week long trips to
 DD> Baja Californica. I had to miss the biggies - Hawaii and Acapulco - as
 DD> they would have taken more time than I could afford to take off work.
 DD> Eventually I sold my share to someone with the required dosh and more
 DD> time to enjoy his investment. 

That would have been fun.  I have known people who have hired large
sailboats to cruise the Greek islands - and have been unable to return
to base because of adverse winds and lack of sailing skills.

During my PNG days I used to occasionally charter coastal ships and
barges to take vehicles and supplies to island outposts.  Usually I
travelled with the equipment, which was a pleasant experience.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
 
      Title: Coney Island Dogs
 Categories: Mains, Beef, Newsgroups, May.rec
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
      1 lb Ground Beef, Lean
      1 sm Onion, Chopped
      2 tb Prepared Yellow Mustard
      2 tb Vinegar
      2 tb Sugar
      1 tb Water
      1 ts Worcestershire Sauce
    1/4 ts Celery Seed
    1/4 ts Tabasco Sauce
    1/4 c  Catsup
           ;Approx (Use enough to
           ;keep mixture loose)
 
  In salted skillet, over medium heat, brown ground beef with onion,
  breaking up meat with fork to crumble fine. Drain off fat. Add
  mustard, vinegar, sugar, water, Worcestershire sauce, celery seed,
  and Tabasco sauce. Mix well. Add enough catsup to keep mixture loose.
  Reduce heat to low, and simmer (uncovered), for 35 to 40 minutes.
  Makes enough sauce for six to eight medium wieners.
  
  From: Luckytrim <luckytrim@comcast.Net>
 
MMMMM
 

___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30 [NR]

--- FLAME v2.0/b
 * Origin: Braintap BBS Adelaide Australia (3:800/449)