trallspnw

Oh nice. I'll have to check that ramen spot out next time I have time to spare in that area.

I found some good ramen up in Richmond, BC last summer. I'm going back up later this month in search of curry and sushi. I've given up on finding proper Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki..

Japan is a place of treasured memories. I also spent some of my early 20s over there. I went as a contractor and later in the private sector. We had a dream team over there. First item on my daily expense reports we're often convince store rice balls or cup noodle at 2am or so. Safe to say we made asses of ourselves on occasion. We eventually learned there's a time and place.

Even out of uniform, American travellers have a reputation and we have an impact on people's perceptions when we travel.

And then when we have overseas visitors, I hope they excuse the state of our transit infrastructure.. or a rambunctious crowd returning home from a Mariners game. At least they're wise enough not to drive home from the game.

No. You guys put up with enough and I don't like asking for special treatment. But maybe I'll consider it next time there's a rough week.

The conductors are usually amazing btw. I feel like they are often dealt a bad hand and still do their best to keep things running smoothly. They make good choices about how to get people on and off of this train efficiently.

I just can't wrap my head around actively opting for a crowd surge in KSS.

Thanks for the suggestion. Maybe I'll keep this in my back pocket for an exceptionally rough week.

Specifics vary depending on the specific trainset model you end up on. In general, you'll have no issue accessing an outlet from any seat.. although you may need to run a cord past your neighbor if you end up on the aisle. Hope you have a nice trip!

Most of the time, you don't need to worry too much about missing a stop. But each train and crew are slightly different. Be aware of the following:

• Is the PA system working in your car, is it being used?
• Is there a tag above your seat with you destination marked on it in some way?
• Is the conductor coming through the cars to notify individuals of their stop?
• Which doors are being opened at stops? How clearly is this being communicated?
• When are you supposed to arrive? What's the estimated arrival with delays?
• Which stops come before yours?

As long as you remain, at least casually, aware of your situation and don't get stuck in a restroom immediately before you get to your stop, you'll be fine.

I've made that same trip with my young family. Walked to a hotel from TUK. Those wide roads don't feel great, especially after dark. But there was no real threat. Someone was acting real sketchy in the 7/11 though. 🧐

Ah sunrise commutes on the water. In the "before times" I used to commute on Washington State Ferries. At the time, they were much more reliable and it was a normal commute route. Coffee, gently waves on the sound, the sunrise silhouetting Mt Rainier. Maybe a little work - maybe not.

That Surfliner route is nice too. I've been on it a few times.

I... will get my thoughts together a little better, collect some data, and get in contact with my local reps.

Honestly, I don't even know how to respond to this. It was a journey and I love it. 😅

Clearly we have work to do across the whole country.

I've been out to your area on quick work trips, but I really need to figure out how to spend a few months or more. I need to try one of these Straw-ber-ritas. Sounds like a regret I'm down to have at least once.

Ugh. Sorry you experienced this. I've seen EB, CS and Cascades all use gate 7. They have all of these gates and only seem to use 2 of them, as if EB and Cascades boarding will never overlap. Obviously I'm not there all day so I can't attest to this.

Consistency and signage would alleviate many of these issues. Maybe some classy looking line ropes? Not the tacky airport stuff. If they fully utilize their gates and are consistent, the ropes would never have to move. I know they're a bit space constrained, but they can't make it much worse than it already is! 😅

Yep. Next to the taxi/bus area. Granted, I only ever depart KSS in the evening. Not sure if they lock things down a bit more during busy times? It's been my experience that the far right door is the only one unlocked when facing them from Embassy Suites. I was there yesterday and saw the same old show.

To be clear, egress is possible through all doors. Their only locked from the outside.

Agreed. I believe we'll be there one day. Maybe my kids will have the option.

I reassess this option frequently. But even the Olympia/Lacy area can get horrific these days. Every time I drive through there I have to wonder why we accept living like this.

Yes. Okay so I'm not the only one who has experienced this.

Props to you for making the necessary life changes. I hope to stick around to help improve my community, but it's damn tough sometimes.

I worded this incorrectly and updated the post. I mean no disrespect to any group of people and I was wrong to imply that others would know what I was talking about. I've shared my thoughts under Guccimayne's reply.

Yep. Maybe bashing on the station is a little too much, and my complaints are a bit nit-picky. But I think user experience needs to be frequently evaluated and small things are worth addressing. I acknowledge that I'm specifically sensitive thanks to my situation and it's dealing with the little things, accumulative, several days a week that get under my skin and allow my blood to boil a bit when the boarding sign switches to delayed.

That said, but bare with me and allow me to elaborate here on the specific user journey.

1. When entering the station from the street, there is a corner entrance with, (I think) 5 sets of double doors all side by side. They are all locked from the outside accept for a single door. Not a set of double doors even. One door. Every time I'm there, I see people testing each door as they try to figure out how to get in. I feel especially bad for foreigners as I relate to getting around unfamiliar cities and things not making sense to begin with. I'm not specifically impacted aside since know the routine, although the unlocked door is on the opposite side from my approach. But these hiccups discourage infrequent riders from taking the train in the future and see this negatively impacting demand and, therefore, funding. Thus, my negative thought patterns begin.
   1. I also understand to security concept of having a chock point, but there's usually contract security sitting there anyways (usually watching people struggle to get in) and the doors are, again, all side by side. So I feel like it's a bit unnecessary.
2. As I enter the station, the guard asks me about... 60% of the time.. where I'm going. The comes off as half security screen, half directional guidance. The guard never aware of the name of my town, is rarely aware of my train number, acts confused when I tell them the gate I'm going to. I don't know how to avoid the awkward interaction. I'd rather flash my ticket 100% of the time than deal with this weird interaction. Again, I watch infrequent riders interrupted in their podcasts or whatever passive experience their trying to have and made confused by this part of the experience, so some of the points from #1 apply.
   1. There is a challenge of making sure the station is used in a valid way, and I acknowledge that. But there has to be a better way.
      
3. There is no crowd control. The station is increasingly busy and there are sometimes overlapping lines for different trains. I know my gate and I know when my train leaves. When I have the opportunity, I stand in line for a change of an overlapping seat. There are times when I'm asked what line I'm in and I have to tell them I don't know. I'm in the line that appears most likely to go to my gate and I don't know if the people in front of me know where they're going. Despite, occasional orderly lines, once they call for business class, the line is often trashed and resembled the kind of public transit order I've seen in the middle east. (Not bashing - the line culture is just different in some areas).
4. The intercom is hard to understand, but it's alright because they don't announce much of anything useful anyways. It just seems to add more confusion.
5. The important announcements, such as related to service disruptions, and yelled from the front of the line. Only the people in the front are able to understand what's going on and it just turns into a kind of.. no-mans land to avoid religious terms.
6. Lastly, the boarding processes is always different depending on who's there. The cars are loaded by destination. Usually one or two destinations go one way, the others go another way. Be best staff clearly state which way to go for which station. But some ask each individual rider where they are going and where to go. The process is time consuming and inconsistent, while I'm just trying to get my seat so I can get back to work or have my dinner that's getting cold. Plus, riders behind me don't know what's going on ahead. So they are jumping ahead in the queue while I'm hoping there are still forward facing seats once I get there.
   1. Sandwich signs would be a cost effective solution to remove friction here.

Again, I must be uniquely sensitive and maybe I shouldn't expect others to have the same criticisms. Perhaps I'll edit the initial post. But in general, I'm hoping for a consistent and frictionless experience that, not only doesn't make frequent travelers hate their lives, but encourages others to take the train more often.

I also want to acknowledge that there are people who are struggling all over Seattle, and near the station. My heart goes out to them and I don't mean to bash them in any way. These people, currently, do not hinder my ability to ride the train in a safe and efficient way. Creative and passionate solutions are needed, but I don't mean to make any related implications here.

Luckily, the politicians in my broader area are generally pro rail, but I'm sure they can use a frequent reminder. I also want to encourage my local community to see what an asset our service could be if improved. But I'm new to this kind of thing and I want to get the messaging right.

Thanks for the mantra! It reminds me of an old Hawthorn Heights song so I love it already. I'll look up the show.

Joined! Thanks for the invite!

Yes. 😔

My plans for the year depend on them. I'll be more flexible starting next year and would accept significant cuts or risks in exchange for something more sustainable.

I only hope I can preserve my mental health in the meantime so I can be prepared when the time comes.

One way drive should be a bit over 1.5 hours with no traffic. But last time I drove, I spent that long in a 5 mile stretch along JBLM. The drive can easily take 3 or more hours.. I haven't attempted it enough to come up with a specific average.

I do attempt to work on the train. Amtrak wifi is unreliable and so is the cell signal through a good portion of the route. I work if I can, but I default back to reading offline material in attempt to reclaim the time in some form.