The Third Rail
One man's quest to take the train to new York without ever boarding Amtrak.
Cover Story
It’s no wonder that Amtrak rules the well-traveled path between the District and New York. It’s fast, the stations are conveniently located, and it’s comfortable. The first time I took the quiet car, by the time I got to New York I was so relaxed and engrossed in my book that I didn’t want to get off.
But that comfort comes at a price—$97 for the regular train and $188 for the high-speed Acela.
So I, and many other Washingtonians, suffer the bus.
The Greyhound and Chinatown buses each have their partisans. I have been a Greyhound man, mainly because it’s the lesser of two evils—it’s flexible, doesn’t require reservations, and offers a more pleasant ride than Chinatown, which subjects travelers to C-grade movies at earsplitting volumes, not to mention some well-documented safety problems.
(I have not yet tried the new Bolt Bus, a Greyhound offshoot with comfier seats and onboard WiFi. Its main draw is its complex, gimmicky pricing scheme with some fares only $1. But whenever I’ve looked, it’s been the same price as Greyhound, with the same inconvenient schedules as Chinatown.)
The $38 round-tip Greyhound ticket comes with its share of get-what-you-pay-for indignities. Like the traffic on I-95, which can add several hours to the trip. And Greyhound’s first-come-first-serve policy on getting a bus can mean you wait a couple of hours on busy days.
On a recent Greyhound trip back from New York, I showed up at Port Authority on Sunday afternoon, and at the gate for D.C. buses encountered a line so long I couldn’t see where it ended.... Continued 
Issue of May. 9 - 15, 2008
News and Features
- The Third Rail
Cover Story - Jumping the Gun
The City - Buyer's Market
The City - Page three photo
Distractions
Distractions- Elite=Lite
The Mail
Columns
- 'Marks-a-Lot
Loose Lips - Kastles in the Sand
Cheap Seats - Tearing Down an Old Complex
The Straight Dope - Sweet 16 and Never Had AIDS
Savage Love
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Young & Hungry
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- Speed Racer and Son of Rambow:
Star Vehicles
Film Review - Kicking and Scheming
Film Review
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- One Track Mind
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- Frilly Love Song
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- Hurls Gone Wild
Show & Tell - What's Your Problem?
What's Your Problem? - Rough Drift
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- The Points
Arts & Events - Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Green Dance Company
Arts & Events - Tony Scherr
Arts & Events - Laurie Lindeen
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Arts & Events - Indian Jewelry
Arts & Events - Lu Zhang
Arts & Events - Polvo
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City Paper History
- Angels Without Wings
Oct. 2 - 8, 1998 - Fare Elections
Oct. 3 - 9, 2003 - Kicking and Screaming
Oct. 3 - 9, 2003
