That $40 train pass upgrade paid for itself in week one

I used to ride the local bus to work, 45 minutes each way, always standing because it was packed by the time it hit my stop. Last month I got tired of it and dropped $40 extra on a regional rail pass that runs every 10 minutes instead of every 30. Huge difference. The train has actual seats, I get a signal on my phone, and I stopped having to bail out two stops early when the bus got stuck in construction near the bridge. Then last Tuesday the bus line got shut down for a water main break and I didn't even notice until I saw the news on my lunch break. I still cringe at the upfront cost, but it's already saved me about six hours of standing around. Has anyone else made a similar jump and actually stuck with it, or did the price tag scare you off after a few weeks?

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nora_park3d ago

Rent for your sanity is exactly right, I never went back either.

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ray1363d ago

Feel that pain of standing on a packed bus every single day, it wears you down in a way people who drive to work just don't get. I made a similar jump about two years ago and yeah, the upfront cost made me sweat a little at first. But once you start getting that time back, plus a seat and a phone signal, the money stops feeling like a splurge and starts feeling like rent for your sanity. The water main break thing is the perfect proof, your old route fell apart and you didn't even flinch because you already moved on. I've stuck with mine the whole time and never once thought about going back, even on the weeks it feels pricey. Six hours of not standing is six hours of your life back, and that math only gets better the longer you keep the pass.

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