Hugo’s blog

So this morning, I arrive at the train station as the train is stopping. I run on the platform, and see that nobody is going in nor out anymore. I quickly think: either I run to the ticket validating machine, and I’m pretty sure I’ll miss my train, or I just get on the train without validating my ticket. I go for the latter. It turns out that the train stays in the station for an extra 30 seconds, so I might have had time to validate my ticket.

Anyway, as the doors close, I go straight to the ticket controller and explain that I didn’t have time to validate my ticket, and ask him to validate him for me.

Ensued a 5-minute lecture about Caltrain rules; some highlights:

• Can you see the sign there? It says that you cannot board the train without a ticket.
• I should really be writing you a ticket.
• Do you know that it’s not my job to validate your ticket? My job is to get you to your work on time. Your job is to get to the train station on time, and validate your ticket.

I did have a time management lecture once as well, but this guy, behind his sunglasses, was just out of control.

When I mentioned that I could have just gone hiding into a corner and not pay for my ride, he just went on and on about how I was making him waste his time. At some point when he was talking about how his job was to bring me to my work on time and how he should fine me for being late to the station, I wanted to ask him what were the consequences of him bringing me late to my work, but the discussion was getting more and more absurd, so I decided to just smile and nod, and he finally validated my ticket.

Interestingly, years ago, I had a similar experience in Paris. I had bought a ticket, failed to find the validating machine, and boarded the train with my freshly bough – but not validated – ticket. When I got off the train, I tried to exit the station, and the machine wouldn’t let me out because it rejected my ticket. Instead of tailgating behind a passenger with a valid ticket, or jump over the doors, I thought: hey, there’s a controller back there, he’ll sort my problem in no time. The guy assessed that I had cheated on purpose (nevermind my proof of purchase from 1 hour beforehand, and the fact that I was the one that came to see him), and proceeded to fine me.

Something’s seriously wrong with ticket controllers!

I have been riding the train daily between home and work for more than 6 months already, and I am amazed by how amateurish the train transportation is in the US. I am of course glad that Caltrain exists, and I still love taking public transportation (it doesn’t take longer than sitting in traffic on the highway). However, I can’t help but notice repeating hickups:

• From time to time, something happens on the line, and the whole system slows down (trains being 30 minutes late) or simply comes to a stop for a while (and you never know how long it will take to come back on); as there’s only one line and one set of rails in each direction, it’s not surprising.
• Train drivers seem not to pay too much attention to what they’re doing: they forget to stop at a train stop or brake too late, stopping in the middle of the street (e.g. ), they stop at a station where they should not have stopped, etc.
• More worrisome: the other day, as the train was leaving the station in Menlo Park, the barriers suddenly decided to go up; so the train proceeded, slowly, across the road; the may explain why about a month ago a car was smashed by a train and dragged for about a mile, and also why trains keep honking all the time, despite all the noise that the make (if you’re on a platform, you’re not going not to notice one!).

Anyway, when you compare this to the train system in Japan, or to be less extreme, to the train system in France – as in France everything is always a little chaotic –, at times, it doesn’t look like you are in a developed country.

It’s very interesting how the US is very advanced in a lot of domains (e.g. all the high tech companies are in the Bay Area), and at the same time is lagging behind in so many areas (health care, high speed internet access, public transportation, …).

This week is Earth week at Yahoo!, in order to celebrate Earth day. To celebrate, I’m offering you a couple of car-free videos.

I’m trying to live a European life in California. Though it’s not always easy, I do ride my bike to work every day and ride the train (I’ve never been a fan of cars).

Here’s what the ride on the train looks like in the evening. First, leaving from Mountain View:

I was asked for my ticket (that happens twice a month, and that was today), so I have a part 2 after the break, arriving in Palo Alto:

Isn’t it a nice ride? Much better than sitting in traffic on 101.

The bottom line is that in California, compared to France, the trains are noisy (as you can clearly hear on this video) and not as punctual. But they exist: leave your car at home, use public transportation!