Nevertheless, even if I could fly, I would still take the train because I am convinced that it makes me a better person. Not only does travelling by train give me the opportunity to practice my social skills, but it gives me a rare opportunity to reflect and do some serious thinking.

I don't deny that the Southwest Chief does get progressively nastier the further it roams from its starting point, but that is one of the reasons I travel by coach. Since I don't make a huge investment in a ticket, my expectations are somewhat lower that somebody who spends a ton of money on a sleeper.

Furthermore, with Amtrak in desperate shape, now is the time that we should be rallying behind the cause of passenger train travel, not spreading dissent. Now is the time to gird our loins and meet diversity with a cheerful countenance. If you are concerned that the diner will run out of food (which it probably won't), then pack some sandwiches and some drinks in a cooler.

Think creatively. The bathrooms always get nasty, but since we're stuck with old Superliners, go to Home Depot and buy some of those disposable booties to put around your shoes to keep the coodies off of them. Wear a nightmasque and earplugs to ward off bright light and noise and get a prescription for good sleeping pills to knock you out so you can get a good night's rest.

Amtrak is all us Americans got and, for the time being, we have to make the best of it. For all its problems, the view out the window of the Southwest Chief is still quite splendid. When things go wrong, that's when we get some insight into the sort of people we really are, deep down.

I don't know about the way things used to be on the trains. I only seriously started travelling by Amtrak about five years ago and in that time I have probably logged over 20,000 miles. I have seen delays and I have tasted food of questionable preparation.

But I have also arrived at my destination on time and sometime an hour ahead of time. I have eaten gourmet quality food delivered to me in an elegant and courteous fashion.

I have noticed that the trains can be understaffed and the workers can be haggard, but I have noticed that when I treat these people with courtesy and a modicum of respect they reciprocate, even in the worst of times, with excellent service.

So that's my two cents of the current situation. For the record, I can not wait to climb aboard the train for my next railroad adventure.

He suggests that my response should have been, "What do you think this is, the Orient Express?"

If it was the Orient Express, my friend says it would have cost five times as much and you would have had to book it six months in advance.

In short, it's Amtrak, folks!