2009/08/29 New York
Nineteenth century
Meadow
This morning I entered the United States for the first time by train.
The train trip from Montreal to New York is worth your while, but that’s common knowledge.
Shortly after crossing the US border the train comes to a standstill in a meadow.
A couple of US immigration and custom officers enter the train.
The passenger imagines himself to be in the nineteenth century.
After an hour or so the train continues its journey to New York.
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7 comments 
Nineteenth century
Have you ever taken the Trans-Siberia Express? Although I don't doubt Canada by tran gives a good idea of time and space too.Going by train makes you feel the distance and thereby gives you enough time to wipe off the place you left before entering another. Being yanked out of a town by force has never been pleasant to me.
But Juliane, the passenger will be yanked out of the imagined 19th century by the time he enters New York. Of course, I do not want to underestimate the flexibility of imagination.
Sasja
Not yet.I've never been checked in this way on a train and what's more I can't imagine that being checked evokes a 19th century feeling.
(@ Arnon
What exactly caused this impression?)
My own experiences, and I travel a lot by train, are the basis for my statement and perhaps I've always been using the train it its proper environment, so far. A narrow-gauge railway in my little hometown on the coast, ICE and IC trains between bigger cities, regional trains between smaller ones and once a night train between Frankfurt and Copenhagen.
(@ Arnon
What exactly caused this impression?)
My own experiences, and I travel a lot by train, are the basis for my statement and perhaps I've always been using the train it its proper environment, so far. A narrow-gauge railway in my little hometown on the coast, ICE and IC trains between bigger cities, regional trains between smaller ones and once a night train between Frankfurt and Copenhagen.
Julianne
Are you too young to remember how it was before the Schengen treaty?Carlos Dee
Yes. I'm 25.[ Add comment ]
