I will be attending the American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco this December. The flight back officially takes 2 1/2 hours, but there’s also the airline system lunacy factor: I have to arrive early to have my shoes scrutinized by the TSA fashionistas; three ounce subportions of each toiletry — insufficient for a week away — would be collected into a one quart, zip-top transparent pouch; and I’d be wedged into a seat sized for juvenile hobbits. Four hours in the airline system.
For a change of pace, I was (briefly) considering taking a train back. Amtrak’s “Coast Starlight,” which, ironically, spends most of its time well-inland, is scheduled as a 22-hour ride from Oakland. Long, yes, but it has seats with legroom and a power outlet. More importantly, it would be uninterrupted time during which I could implement the python module I’ve been wanting to write, write product marketing copy, and read four novels.
Last night I was clicking around and found their arrival was delayed big time. A quick look at Amtrak’s arrival records for the past week:
| Day | Departed | Arrived |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | 21:47 | 20:45 |
| T | 22:44 | 03:10 (+1) |
| M | 22:40 | 21:10 |
| Su | 22:13 | 23:25 |
| Sa | 21:47 | 22:32 |
| Fr | 21:47 | 22:27 |
| Avg delay | 0:27 | 2:35 |
I booked the airline trip back.