Friday Question #50
If you could receive one non-tangible item for the holidays, what would you choose?
I would like my train to be on time, every night.
No more “mechanical problems,” “signal problems,” “accidents not related to this train” (yeah, that was an excuse for one of the delays on Tuesday), no more leaving the station late, no more sitting on the train not moving, with no explanation…
Yeah, I know that is too much to ask for. I think my train is on time in the evenings 20% or less of the time when I take it. I think if it is ALWAYS going to be late, they should just adjust the schedule to accommodate the later time. Then I wouldn’t get as upset, because I would expect it to arrive at that later time.
This may seem like a dumb answer to this question, but it takes me a long time to calm down from the anger the late train causes. Steven can attest to that! It’s silly to let something like that upset me, but it does. I have limited time in my evenings, and I want to make the most of them. So, I would love to get rid of that anger, and anxiety, of wondering when I will EVER get home.
I love riding the train, I really do. But I hate feeling like my evening is out of my control when I get stuck on it. (I hate feeling like anything is out of my control…)
Themocracy
My husband used to take the train every day and when he did, it was always aggravating for me to know what time he was SUPPOSED to be home, and then have him home later than that. The kids would be whining that they wanted to see their dad, and sort of mad at me that he wasn’t home yet because I had said he would be. Now we just never have any idea when he will be home since he drives and traffic is unpredictable. I’m not sure which is better!
I would really like the ability to have a cold last only one day. Bring it on, do what it needs to do, then the next day, you are back to normal. This 2-weeks of coughing at night and other madness of nose-blowing for days isn’t what I consider pleasant.
The train on time is a good gift. When i took the train to work, I always hoped for it to be on time, most of the time. It’s not too much to ask for.
Ugh, i know your frustrations all too well. Delayed trains are the worst! The anger one feels about being delayed from home time is almost too much to handle. More like rage, than anger.
One of the pros about living closer to NYC is not having to deal with the trains. The subways seem to be a bit more reliable.
oh man, public transportation makes me SO. ANGRY. when it becomes unpredictable like that. i know the irrational anger well… 🙂
For people to stop being stupid and learn how to drive. I totally understand how angry you must get with the train and how long it takes to calm down. My commute to work is typically 60 minutes, but occasionally after getting stuck for 2+ hours I’ve found myself actually wishing that whoever caused traffic to be delayed broke their finger or something. So not only do I turn into a horrible, ill wishing, road rage filled driver, but I get home and am crabby with Scott and the dog for something that is not their fault.
I can not wait to move to WA where not only will our commute be shorter (especially me with no job – ha!) but where their idea of rush hour is more than three cars waiting at a stop light.
I would like. . . it to not be awkward on Christmas with my family. Things are strange right now with everyone and we’ll all be together. Here’s hoping we can come together and enjoy each other’s company or that there is enough booze for me to not care.
😉
P.S. I am not sure which part of WA Jenn is moving to but hopefully it isn’t Seattle because there really IS a commute/traffic problem here.
Ahhh, the grass is always greener on the other side. What I wouldn’t do to have a train convenient to my commute. I’d take a few minutes late for the seated time on the train reading a book or listening to a podcast. Knowing the trains will always be late, maybe the intangible thing you should ask for is more patience. =)
mine is up!
Maybe you could write a letter to Metra (I almost wrote Santa–ha!) outling what you said here? At the very least, you might get published in their little newsletter. 😉
I would like to have a seat in the morning on the CTA JUST ONCE…although I think my core & my legs are grateful for the balancing act I perform every day. Ha!
Also, I would like definitive job security going into 2009… 🙁 And an un-broken economy would be nice too.
tori – I am happy you wrote this comment. It makes me sound less crazy. You have it worse than me though, with the kids waiting. I just have Steven waiting. And I think… the car is worse. But not by much 😉
martymankins – A one-day cold! Why didn’t I think of that? THAT WOULD BE GREAT! I am also still congested from a cold I had TWO WEEKS ago. It really sucks and is messing up my exercise. My face gets this weird sweat on it because I am so congested. It’s awful! 🙁
Gina (Mannyed) – You’re right – RAGE is the better word! I am surprised the subway is more reliable, but happy for you! 🙂
Alice – It sucks because you really want to love it, but you can’t, because when it makes you angry, it makes you REALLY angry. And the people running the trains (etc.) make it seem like no big deal. Just another 45 minute delay…
Jenn – Oh, that’s a good one! Probably less likely than my train being on time though! HA! Are you not transferring jobs to WA?
sizzle – Oh sizzle. I hope you have a fantastic holiday without awkwardness too. If it gets weird, I guess you can just hang out with Finn? 😛
Nilsa – I am trying patience. I really am. It’s not happening. 🙁
pinaymama – ok
diane – Ha! I should write a funny Metra letter. Or maybe ask Steven to help me write it. He’s really good at stuff like that! Ugh, I would hate not having a seat. It’s about 20 mins for you? Or more? Or yeah, the “un-broken” ecomony would be nice too. Ha! ECOMONY!
Oh, I hear you about the trains. I hate when someone else is control of my time and I’m not getting paid for it. I also am terrified of being on a plane and having to stay on it because of some security issue or something. I think they should let people off so I don’t suffer a panic attack and do something stupid to get arrested for. Not that I would, but that is my biggest fear – what if I freak out? LOL.
OMG, I just have to respond to Teeni because my family & I joke now about my “emergency plane stash.” It is a bottle I carry when I fly that has 1-2 Vicodin, 4 anti-nausea pills (like, chemo-patient strength, from when I was in the ER this summer) and a few Xanax. I always say that if there is an emergency on the plane, I am not going to be a hero–I am going to be downing my stash & passing out to avoid all of it. Hee hee. Glad I am not the only person who fears they would have a total freakout on the plane!
I would want my friends travel plans to all go well!!!
With so many people traveling it would be great if there were no delays, no missed flights, or cancelled flights.
I’d have to think about what I’d wish for, maybe to figure out that SiteAdvisor thing that you’ve already figured out . . . . (I’ve been fighting with it for a while now)
or to not be sick OR to have us all get sick at once instead of my youngest getting a sore throat Friday evening after the doctor’s office is closed the week before Christmas after I’ve already missed 2.5 days
not seeing 2-3 brown line trains before 1 green comes along would be nice but then you said non-tangible . . . . . I wish for that kind of stuff all the time, it’s kinda like buying a lottery ticket; I assume that it’s just for the pleasure of thought but if it ever were to happen I’d be really happy. so today’s wish would be for one of the previously mentioned things, tomorrow’s may be different
New participant in the Friday Question. I answered this over on my site at Friday Question: Intangible Stuff
I want to know what my purpose here is.
But that’s probably too big a gift to ask for. 😉
teeni – Being stuck on the airplane is definitely worse! I hate feeling so confined. 🙁 I worry about that every time I fly. It always “What dumb thing is going to happen this time?”
diane – That’s not a bad idea! You should go commercial and start mass-marketing your packs 😉
Felicia – That is definitely feasible!
DeAnne – Those are all good. I hope you and yours don’t get anymore illnesses this year, or next year! 🙂
Sandra – Okay, I’ll check it out.
Kyra – That’s a good one. Then what would you do with that knowledge? 🙂
And no more fare hikes from the people at Metra/CTA. Oy!
Cheryl – HA! That just might be TOO MUCH to ask for 😉
I just want a metabolism like Steven’s. 😉
SJ – HA! Yeah, me too 🙂