My first official commute to the Great Desert University on the new light-rail trains was a great success!
The ride was quiet, comfortable, and uneventful. People-watching was reasonably good: a young mother with a cute baby, giggling teenagers, rangy young men, goofy high-school boys, spiffy office workers, and one brightly dressed mental case who carried on a flamboyant conversation with herself.
Commute time was about the same as the horrid drive to Tempe: about 40 or 45 minutes. Only instead of having to spend three-quarters of an hourdodging homicidal maniacs andstaring at thousands of tailpipes snaking endlessly through dreary concrete ditches, I got to sit back and read a book.
More specifically: page proofs. I spent the entire time proofreading a detective novel for the Poisoned Pen Press, a highly entertaining enterprise. Got through about a quarter of a short project for which I’ll probably charge around $200. At that rate, I earned $50 while I was commuting to work.
Uncle Scrooge would love it.
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
I commuted on the train for years and came to love it greatly. Headphones, music, and a good book is a great way to start and end the day, although in my case, there is always a chance of missing my stop when engrossed. Enjoy your ride!