On Sunday, 26 Feb 06, I did my first trip on my own since a small stroke in November 05. I rode Surfliner #774 from SBA to LAUPT. We left SBA on time and actually arrived in LA a bit early. Service in Business Class was very good. The attendant, who boards in Oxnard, took orders for coffee, tea, water, and juice and either muffins or danish.
Today, 27 Feb 06, I was on #769 which left LAUPT on time and arrived a bit early into SBA. Again, the service in Business Class was very good. The rolls and muffins along with juice and coffee were available in the service center and shortly after departure the attendant came through with the "Snack Packs" and too drink orders. I had that nice Chilean Chardonnay.
I stayed with my partner, who is a Continental Airlines F/A at the crew hotel in Culver City last night. He dropped me at the LAX Transit Center and I took a #42 bus that took exactly one hour to get to the front entrance of Union Station on Alameda Street. I was early for the Express (42A) that was due to leave at 9:08AM and I'm not sure how much faster that would have been. I paid the regular fare of $1.35 since nobody (including the driver) seemed to know how old a "Senior" was. That fare would be 45 cents!
This was much easier and cheaper than taking the Green Line to the Blue Line to the Red Line, which I've also done. That now costs $3.00 since you have to buy a "Day Pass" if you change lines.