CTBFF advised me to request a Red Cap on arrival at Union Station. A red cap? Not wanting to appear totally clueless in the realm of train travel, I agreed that was a sound suggestion.
As the train began to slow, Conductor announced we would be arriving in Washington, D. C. in a few minutes and he "hoped you all had a pleasant journey on Amtrak." Yeah, now he decides to be a personable, friendly guy. Asshole.
I gathered up my carry on bag, and made my way down the narrow stairway to the luggage rack. As I endeavored to collect the rest of my baggage, people shoved and pushed to pass me. Finally, I stepped aside until the crowd thinned, quickly pulled the bags down from the rack and shoved them out the door onto the platform.
Conductor stood off to the side, impervious to any passenger's needs. Including mine.
His eyes narrowed as I approached him. I could read his thoughts .... "The butt-ticket lady. What does she want?"
Summoning my courage, I said, "I need a red cap." No "please," no "thank you," no "excuse me sir" would be uttered by me. I could be just as impolite as he had been.
He keyed his radio and requested a red cap to our location, then walked away.
Very soon, a cute little golf cart came zooming towards me. The driver was wearing .... a red cap! Okay, now I knew what a Red Cap was! He hopped out, tossed my bags into the back of the cart as though they weighed less than a feather, helped me into a seat and off we went, dodging pedestrians, luggage and other golf carts. After ascertaining which train I'd next be boarding, Red Cap drove right into the station! Skillfully, he avoided all obstacles in our path, driving at top speed, constantly beeping the little horn.
We pulled into a waiting area, he unloaded my bags, I tipped him nicely and then asked where I would be boarding. He replied that if I would wait right there, he'd be back in 15 minutes to take me to my train. Well, heck .... that sounded good to me.
Sure enough, 15 minutes later I could hear the golf cart's engine roaring down the promenade of the station. Screeching to a halt, Red Cap gathered up me and my belongings and situated us in the cart. I braced myself for take off.
Speeding through the crowd, horn tooting, we zipped out of the station and onto the loading platform. The cart picked up momentum as we barreled towards my new train.
With a flourish, Red Cap braked, jumped out, hoisted my bags and had them stowed on the train nearly before I was even able to climb out of my seat. Big tip. Thanks, Red Cap!
The car to Newport News was nearly empty - maybe only a half dozen passengers. No steps up to a 2nd level on this trip! I made myself comfy, opened my book and settled in for a relaxing ride.
I quickly laid aside the novel and instead watched the amazing views of Washington, D. C. as the train headed south. I caught glimpses of the Jefferson Memorial as well as the Washington Monument. We crossed the Potomac River and headed into Virginia ..... I think. (Once I was beyond south central Pennsylvania, I was never sure what state/district I was going through.)
The train made numerous stops in small towns, but none were long enough to jump out and snap some pics. Deciding I should grab some lunch/dinner (it was now 6:30 p.m.), I headed for the cafe. I placed my order for pizza and a Yuengling. What a lovely experience .... sitting in a booth, eating dinner and watching the world pass by! By this time I had been in the same clothes 32 hours and was longing for a hot shower, a couple of cold beers and to experience sleep in a horizontal position. I headed for the loo and attempted to clean up a bit (to no avail .... I still resembled a homeless person) in anticipation of meeting cousin Harry.
Soon the nice conductor (the crew on this run was really pleasant) called out the words I'd been longing to hear for many hours .... "Next stop, Newport News!"
Stepping off the train, I saw Harry approaching. Thank God he hadn't forgotten to pick me up! We shared a quick hug and then he took a look at me and said, "Wow. Rough train ride?" Gee, he really knows how to make a girl feel good.
We loaded up his car and headed off. Harry suggested dinner, but really, I just longed for a couple of cold beers and a comfy bed. We stopped at a 7-11 (there are still 7-11's Back East!) and I snatched up an icy 6-pack of Heineken's.
After checking into the motel, I decided I was too pooped to shower. Quickly slipping on my jammies, I pulled back the duvet and dove into the bed. Heavenly! Pillow-top mattress, 6 pillows, crisp, cool sheets ..... ahhhhhh. I reached for a beer and gave the top a quick twist. Hmmmm ..... it didn't budge. I tried again ..... nothing. Horrified, I realized that this wasn't a twist top bottle. OH NO!! I tried popping off the top using the door lock mechanism, I tried smacking it off using a counter top. It was useless ..... I was doomed to only look and fondle the ice cold bottle, dripping with moisture. I began to doubt the existance of God.
I flipped off the lights and immediately fell into the arms of Morpheus.
Tomorrow ..... Harry & I are off to Hatteras!!!!
1 comment:
Oh no! You don't carry a church key in your purse?
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