So, okay. Iām a sucker for trains. I think they are nice and comfy, and Switzerland, where I currently study and live, is said to have one of the best train systems in the world so itās basically law to like this particular mean of transportation over there... but even then, when I used to live in Paris, there was something about the subway that made it so very often relaxing to meā even during (the evil and ever so obnoxious) PFW.
So, to all of those who cannot see it and refuse to catch a vibe, hereās a little breakdown on what makes train rides so goddamn cool and how to make them better if you still think they suck after all this.
PROOF THAT TAKING THE TRAIN IS COOL
- First of all, I donāt want to brag, but the SNCF (SociĆ©tĆ© Nationale des Chemins de Fer FranƧais, Franceās very own messy-ass train company) sends you a yearly breakdown of the CO2 you save by taking the train instead of driving everywhere like a dumb dumb. (Yes, I do not have my driverās licence yet. No, I am not bitter about it at all). And let me tell you, if Katy Perry et al. took a train to space instead of riding J*ff B*zosā d*ck, maybe weād have had a chance surviving climate change. For one, I did my part by figuratively crossing the country a whole lottatimes in breaststroke (I am aware this is not the most accurate way to calculate length but Iāll happily treat it as fact). So, yeah, fuck you Blue Origins.
- Second and maybe the most important point : Do you even know how much time you can save by doing things you really need to do in the train??? Do you????
I am not even kidding, this is the perfect way to multitask if youāre a college student or a WFH type of lad. Train rides can be boring, sure Iāll concede. But bring a good book youāve been trying to read but didnāt have the time to or your computer and youāre set for the next X hours you would otherwise be spending trying not to fall asleep at the wheel of your shitty 2014 Fiat 500 (again Iām not bitter just ecologically aware...ish).
- Last point: landscapes. Few are the places where you get to see so much whilst doing so little for it. Itās like hiking for lazy people. Love it.
SO YOU ARE A HEATHENā AND REFUSE TO ADMIT THAT YOU ARE WRONG ABOUT TRAIN RIDES? HERE ARE A FEW TIPS TO MAKE YOURS MORE FUN!
- A good playlist : can and will make almost anything 1000 times better. Hereās mine if youāre too busy being so cool driving your cool person car (NOT. BITTER.) to make your own train mixtape and enjoy the ride.
- Crosswords : chances are, if youāre in the train, thereās an old person in your immediate vicinity. Ask them to help you out on the hard words instead of checking the answer sheet at the back of the book. Then, if (and only if!) they match your vibe, ask them their life story. Youāll get reheated, well-infused tea AND a heightened sense of self for not checking out the answer sheet. Youāre welcome.
-Last but not least, and my favourite game to play ever, find the hottest person on the train : If thereās one, congrats! You can now ogle away and make up stories about your life together after they inevitably catch your gaze, ācoz letās face it, if you thought you were discrete you were anything but (Trains are smaller than youād think and thereās not so many people that you wouldnāt recognise them when you inevitably take the same bus home afterwards. If you noticed them, they probably noticed you back at some point). If thereās no hot people on your trainā congrats as well! It means itās probably you. Boom, free dopamine boost. Go on with your day feeling like sex-on-rails.
To conclude, we should all fuck with trains. Except when thereās a tuna sandwich involved in any way, shape or form. Fuck you if you are a tuna in the train person.