When I take a day trip outside the city limits, I often drive—but I prefer to fly and take the train at the same time. After all, an $8 weekend pass on the Metra is only a fraction of the price of a tank of gas, and I get to be up high . . . well, not in the sky, but it’s the closest thing we’ve got to flying cars.
Even if I can’t flip a single front-facing seat to use the cushion as a table for eating a sandwich or storing my bag, I’ll still always prefer sitting upstairs. Downstairs you may have camaraderie and convenience, but upstairs you have privacy. In a single seat, you can be alone with your thoughts, and if you nab a side seat you get panoramic views through the windows across the aisle. I appreciate the clunky spiral staircase leading up to the top floor and not having to sit next to the bathroom.
