A conservative sides with 'Amtrak Joe' on train travel
Douglas MacKinnon, opinion contributor
Back in the day, it felt as if I lived on airplanes, especially during my time at the Pentagon. Unfortunately, those collective hundreds of hours may have contributed to pressure-related issues in my ears. After experiencing hearing loss and severe balance issues, which led to multiple visits to specialists along the East Coast, it was determined that I should avoid flying to be on the safe side.
That advice taken - especially after temporarily losing my hearing again by simply going up to the 60th floor of a New York City skyscraper - I have not boarded an airplane in 15 years. Because of that, those who knew I loved to travel thought I would be miserable.
But it's just the opposite. I rediscovered the joy, camaraderie and mental relaxation of train travel, here in the United States and across Europe.
In the late 1980s when I worked in the White House, I took Amtrak often between Washington and New York City, a route that makes a stop in Wilmington, Del. That's the city where, on weekdays, one of Amtrak's most famous and loyal customers - President Biden, then a U.S. senator - would embark from every morning and return to every evening to be with his family.
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-conservative-sides-with-amtrak-joe-on-train-travel/ar-BB1fLduL
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(53,876 posts)soothsayer
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(53,876 posts)That's dedication to his family, and the country.