Amusing security and lack of consistency
 

I was at Terminal A in BOS the other day, which right now is the best kept secret at BOS (never long lines for security, even now).

I had everything ready to go through the security checkpoint -- wallet, keys, change all in briefcase, laptop out, ID ready, blah, blah, blah.

Then the poor guy in front of me set off the metal detector. So they wanded him and felt him up :-)

I walked through after him. Didn't set it off. Well, it was slow, so the other guy wanted to wand me. No big deal.

Then he asked me to remove my shoes. That's when I wondered why the guy that set off the detector didn't have to take off his shoes, but I did. My sanity is starting to take a hit. Airports used to be fun places to be, but no more.

I'm sincerely starting to wonder if it is worth flying BOS-EWR (actually going to Manhattan, which I do using the AirTrain and the NJT) and whether it would be easier to use the Acela Express.

Blah.

WMH

since i came to school down here in suburbia, i've learned to love the Acela Express in ways that just can't be described in words.

plus, 500 points a pop means ten trips means 5K Guest Rewards points, which magically become 5K OnePass miles if you so desire.

i still love CO. i just have more love for flying on rails. and you can gab on your cell the whole trip, use your CDPD modem...it's great. the legroom's aces, too. just watch out for those new seatback trays. they're out to get me.

I used to fly the shuttle from BOS to LGA. Since 9/11, it is such an infernal pain that I've started taking the Acela. Hands down a substantially more pleasant experience, although it takes on average about 30 minutes longer door-to-door. Of course, this obscures the frequent long-tail events inherent in flying the BOS-LGA corridor, such that my minumum door-to-door is 2:15 (beats Acela's 3:30 or so), but the maximum can be counted in days if the weather conspires against you.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your thoughts on Amtrak), it seems a lot of other people have come to this same conclusion, and I have found the Acela to be quite full at times.