I love watching trains. I love the sound they make. From the snort of the whistle to the hum of them going by on the tracks and feeling the earth move. Am I alone here? I can sometimes hear them from my house and I just stop, smile and listen. We have tracks very near here that we have to cross quite often. My mind often goes back to the days when people would hop on trains and get a free ride somewhere. Then there’s always the graffiti on them that between you and me, I kind of think is neat. Then I see the Canadian Pacific or the Canadian National and think of that train going north of the border where all my extended family lives. I would just let my mind wander and never understood why people hate to wait for trains. I guess I can go into daydream mode while watching trains and don’t even realize I’m waiting.
My husband on the other hand, hates to wait for trains. I think he may like trains but he just hates to wait for things in general. Like waiting in line or waiting for people. He just doesn’t like waiting. This I can understand. I know a lot of people are anxious and don’t like waiting.
But, often we have to wait for trains. It’s just the way it is with having a track to cross almost everywhere we go. My husband though will drive 10 or 15 minutes out of the way to either “beat” the train or go in the opposite direction that the train just came from. Does this make sense? We wait “maybe” 5 minutes so the waiting that way is shorter than driving around trying to find a way “not” to wait. I guess if your driving, your not really waiting?????
I’ve asked him often, what’s your hurry? Do you have plans or a date or somewhere you have to be? He always says “no, I guess not.” But it’s the same every single time we come across those gates going down, he says hits the steering wheel and says “we almost beat it” and I just grin inside.
Do you hate waiting? Why is everyone is such a big hurry? Hurry up to do……..what?????
Us Girls..Our Views 
I used to live in a place where I had to cross several railroad crossings on my way to anywhere. Since I’ve never been an “early” person, usually I didn’t have those three minutes to spare, but you would think I’d have figured that into my departure time eventually. I guess you could say I did – along with the 3 minute grace period for most classes, etc. But why was it that every time I was running 3 minutes late, I’d have to wait for not one, but three trains?
I actually don’t mind trains if I’m not in a serious hurry. Somehow it makes me feel optimistic – I mean, look at all those boxcars full of goods – those mean jobs, prosperity. Right? Anyhow, that’s what I always think of when I’m waiting.
As for waiting in general – I really don’t mind it as long as I have something interesting to do or think about. It does irritate me sometimes when some incompetent cashier or whatever is making things take 10 times longer than she should – because even I have places to go and people to see eventually. Last weekend we were in the checkout line and my kid needed to go potty. There was one person ahead of me. I didn’t want to leave the line, so I told her we’d go in 5 minutes. Well, that was a long 5 minutes. That time it was because the people in front of me couldn’t seem to find their cash. I mean, the woman dug through her purse for like 10 minutes and finally came out with a couple of 20’s. I was beginning to wonder if they would ever get done. At least with a train, you know it’s going to end someday.
I hate waiting for the trains we have here.. There is a rail yard(I guess thats what its called) in my town and the trains pass the main parts of town and yard is right next to the main road. You don’t wait 5 or even 10 minutes you wait much much longer so your best bet is always to find an alternate route..
Its not that i’m in a huge hurry its just that you always get stopped by the train. First we get stopped leaving my house, then we get stopped again by the same train going through town. Then we get stopped again on the way back from town. And its never for just 5 minutes.
Not to mention those minutes matter when hauling kids to school everyday.. We’ve been made late by the train many many times and it doesnt matter what time we leave the house..
As for being in a hurry in general. I don’t often get in a hurry.. I don’t see hte point..
I realize living right in a town and having to wait for trains like you do Tosha, would be a drag. I’m not sure I thought of it that way. I was kind of teasing my husband. We do need to wait for them quiet often as both towns we go to, have tracks. Often though, like you, they stop and have to switch tracks. We do know all the “spots” they keep open. Here in MN, they have to leave one spot in town open. If you don’t live here though, you don’t know that nor do you know where they are. Ours do follow a strict schedule and I‘ve come to know it. When I used to go bowling, if I left at 6:30 I was fine, if I left at 6:40, I’d have to wait. So, you guys know that I leave myself time, I left at 6:30.
I had my husband proof read this last night and his first words were “I’ve had to wait way longer than that before” and yes, that’s true. Sometimes it is longer. I was half joking with this post because I like watching trains. But, I’m not taking kids to school nor am I going to work.
I don’t have to wait for trains very often, my schedule and routes don’t take me near the tracks very often, but I usually don’t mind waiting for trains if I do end up being stopped by one. I keep a magazine in my car that I can read whenever I get stopped for longer than three minutes. That way I never get too bored.
This is such a good subject. I haven’t given it a lot of thought until now. I have train tracks a few miles from me and I hear them quite often and like you, I really enjoy them. When I’m outside or even inside, I always stop to listen and I usually do smile. I also, know the schedule well and like you, can arrange around them. I can go either 10 minutes earlier or later but I don’t punch in and out nor do I have to take anyone to school.
I’m not really a “hurry up” person and if I have to be somewhere on time, I err on the side of 10 minutes early. They don’t stop to change tracks near me so I only have to wait for them to pass. They never stop. I’m not sure I’d enjoy it then. But I really like the sound of them.
My husband absolutely LOVES trains. So much so, that he went on his vacation in Wales to volunteer on a steam engine railway.
I hear the train ride to take is the one at the Grand Canyon.
Locally to us – there is the wine train… now we are talking my speed!
Wait stop the bus… a wine train??? Now you tell me???
Amber & Sanity, keep your mind on track…GET IT?? LOL, I crack myself up!! This isn’t about wine!! It’s about trains!!! And waiting!!…..Well as long as your at it, pour me a glass.
ROFL tooo corny sheeesh woman! Yers for some reason the tracks always tend to head towards the wine… *pours Joy a glass* hmm it is 7am and I’m pouring tsk
As for trains, I used to jump them a lot when I was a kid, they were my playground from age 7, free reign 🙂 … waiting, well that just irritarts me specially when something is late. If the train is 5 minutes late that is fine, if a human is late well different story… You can do lots while wating!
Can you tell I’ve just woken up???
Trains…..wine trains….yep, you have my attention.
Oops, sorry Joy, but I do have to just say that I am ALL ABOUT the wine train….. pour me up a nice Shiraz, will you??
We have train tracks right up the road from our house. We all love the sounds that the train brings with it; we even have a wooden train whistle in our house, that we love to blow. Our dog howls when she hears the train whistle blow, real or wooden; we sometimes blow it just so she will sing to us!!!
In 1998, I had to go to a training from PA to Orlando, FLA. I hated planes at the time (still do), so I decided to go Amtrak. I had a TOTAL blast; met some cool people, and just sat and watched the world go by for HOURS. I did it again seven years later to Kansas City, MO. Spent a whole day in Chicago waiting for my next leg of the trip. If you are willing to make the time, because God knows none of us have the time, it is a great way to see the country and the world.
I hate waiting for trains, but unless they are stopped and waiting for another train to pass, I don’t go out of my way. My grandpa LOVES trains and gets excited to see the arms come down. He told me once that he’ll go to the train yard in his city and eat lunch while watching the trains go by!
I love trains too and I also have one of those wooden train whistles. My dad gave it to “him” when he was younger. I don’t see many of them though. I wish I could hear them more. It’s such a settling sound.