Why I ride Amtrak (and, Squirrels at Union Station!)

At Union Station you can carry your Ben and Jerry’s ice cream onto the train.

You can sit in the park outside the station, watching squirrels frolic.

Or walk to the Capitol building between train rides.

Or lay in the park and catch up on Babbitt for Humanities Scholars Program Seminar 3.

And walk onto your train.

Carrying your bag.

Not having had it opened, prodded, inspected, sprayed, swabbed, X-Rayed, glared at, shoved onto a conveyor belt, ricocheted off of other bags, zippers strained and buttons popped. And its owner yelled at by the TSA.

At Union Station you can walk through the gate to your train.

Wearing your shoes.

And not having taken them off.