CD That's Me

NYC or bust. I have now traveled to New York just about every way possible. This week, I added to my list of modes of transportation , not preferred mode mind you, another way to get from my home to what seems like my home away from home. On Tuesday morning at 7:30AM I boarded the Megabus. More on why and seriously why below.

First, let me tell you about the preferred modes. By air, and this may come as no surprise to you all but my favorite way to travel is private. I have been fortunate enough to hop a ride from time to time on a friend’s jet or a corporate jet. It doesn’t suck. I am also a fan of the shuttle although in the summer this can be tough with all the “isolated t-storms.” Getting stuck at LaGuardia is a major pain, if you get stuck on a Friday afternoon, it is sheer torture. This happened to me about a month ago and like just about everyone else who was stranded, I hit the airport bar. That particular night I made some new friends. And we even managed to get the bartender to pour our remaining wine into “to go” cups to take with us for our trip home. Private or roadies aren’t so bad. Another benefit, this new friend and I are having lunch after Labor Day to talk about ways to work together. Got to love shuttle networking.

And by land, a preferred method is by train. This one I like to take when traveling with someone. It is a long trip. People argue that time spent door to door, train versus plane, is just about the same. I am not so sure about that one. The first two and a half hours go by pretty quickly. But bonus there is a cafe car and they serve wine. With or without an adult beverage, that last hour or so for me is not so good. I become very antsy and just want out. This basically applies to any trip that stretches beyond 3 hours. Ask Mike, he has been dealing with me and this little quirk for quite a while now. But it has definitely become worse in the past 3 – 4 years for sure. Part claustrophobic, part ADD, part fear of flying, part I can’t really sit still.

I also don’t mind driving, however have not done this in years. But with a companion, lots of snacks and great tunes, it can be kind of fun. I think roadtrip automatically means you can stock up on junk food (Sun Chips are my favorite here – oh, and stopping at McD’s for fries) and stuff you would normally never eat during the day, and especially in front of a companion. One time I drove back very late at night and managed to seize the engine of the car. My saving a few bucks by driving turned into getting a tow all the way from somewhere in CT to Boston and then a new Lexus engine. Should have just chartered a jet at that point. Come to think of it, that was the last time I drove to NYC.

And as I mentioned a few paragraphs back, this week I boarded a “luxury bus.” The three hour plus thing, the motion sickness tendencies, the fact I can’t sit still – all pushed to the side. A one way trip on this bus costs anywhere from $1 – $15 depending on when you book. It is run by Gray Line/CoachUSA a new partner of one of my upcoming events. In a few hours I am off to meet with the Director of Marketing. And I can now proudly state that yes I have been on one of your buses. That is the why.

The ride honestly was not that bad. The buses are clean, I did not get motion sickness and the other passengers were pretty normal. My client and I did not exactly blend, but it was nothing like I imagined. It is however very long. And even with one rest and stretch stop, I was losing my mind by the fourth hour. So that was probably my first and last bus ride.

If you have megabucks, go private. If you want a leisurely (that is for the Director of Marekting) ride and would rather spend your cash once in NYC on something fierce to put on your back, you can always take the Megabus.