On the MARC

By Hunter Barrat

What’s the story? Well, I have met a lot of interesting people on the train, that’s for sure. I watched a grown man eat his boogers and remove nose hairs throughout his entire ride. That was the most disgusting, I guess. There is a Howard Hughes type-of-guy, who wipes down his seat with anti-bacterial wipes. The problem is that he throws all of his garbage on the floor, or he leaves it on his seat. He also takes off his shoes and socks, and takes up an entire row of seats.

The characters. There are many characters on the train:

Drunks: Drink the entire way, act like 13-year-olds and make asses of themselves.

Lovebirds: Married folks (not necessarily to one another) who often flirt

Booger Boy: See above

Loud Lady: Ex-hippie who always seems to talk about compost.

Eaters: Bring all types of food on board that either makes you hungry or nauseous.

Opras: Share their most intimate things with everyone on the train, ex.. “My 13-year-old daughter is pregnant.”

Runners (I’m one of these): Have to run to their cars to beat the Drunks out of the parking lot.
Sleepers: Lucky folks who can sleep the entire way.

Howard Hughes: See above.

Poptart: Man who eats two chocolate Poptars and drinks a liter of Pepsi every day. He eats in the most bizarre fashion. He spins the Poptart in a circle, nibbling off little bits until the Poptart is in the form of a circle. In between nibbles, he rests the Poptart on the heel of his shoe. It is revolting!

Goldie Locks: A man in his 50’s, with long flowing blonde locks, who must be first at everything: First on and off the train and first out of the parking lot. He drives at lightning speed and is not afraid to take you off the road.

Backpack: A man who smacks everyone with his 50-lb. backpack. He is fun to watch go down the aisle.

The drinking. I have never had anything to drink on the train. I don't see a problem with having one though, but some people push it too far. They pose a risk on the roads. I think that it's irresponsible.

Is it worth it? My family and I love Shepherdstown. At times I feel like it isn't worth it; that is, until I realize that it isn't about me; it's about the happiness of my family.

The best thing. The best thing about riding the train is that I don't have to deal with D.C traffic!!

The worst thing. The worst thing about riding the train is that I am not in control of my own destiny. I am at the mercy of the train and its characters.

The toll. Prior to moving to the area, I coached football, softball, etc., and assisted my daughter's Brownie troop. Unfortunately, given my current schedule, I am unable to participate in many of my children's activities. I have missed many events, including my work events in D.C. I know that my wife understands the toll it takes on me mentally and physically. She is really supportive, and I know that my family appreciates the effort.

How long can you do it? I will do it as long as I have to, but the commute has prompted me to look for employment out of state.

Do you have the option to telecommute? I am exploring that now. I might be able to in October. I have my fingers crossed. If that happens, I would be able to be a normal human being again!

Another job for you? I’m looking, but don't want to leave the government.

The Spouse: MaryAnn Gallagher

What's the hardest thing about having a commuting spouse? Not having him home for dinner and other parts of family life—I know that Sean really feels like he’s missing out on a lot. There isn’t anything pleasant or easy about it!

What do you do to cope with your spouse's long absence during the day and late in to the afternoon? I’m so busy I don’t have time to think about it, I just deal with everything on a daily basis and take it as it comes. I am always on the move to drop someone off or to pick someone up; I also have to be home for homework and other things. I’m looking forward to when one of the teenagers can start to drive!

Do you avoid asking him to do certain chores or errands? Definitely. I don’t bother asking him—except on weekends!

On the train: I am a senior production planner for the molecular biology area in my company. I try to use the ride as downtime so that it doesn’t merge into a continuation of my work day. I am always asleep in the morning, although I need to be careful that I don’t sleep through my stop and end up missing my stop. On the way home, it’s pretty much the same—sleep and maybe sleep some more. I did try to read a book once but ended up falling asleep.

Is it worth it? Why or why not? I do think that it has been worth the commute. I enjoy living in the town where my husband grew up and where his parents still live. I am also within a few hours of my family. We have a lot of family and friends in the area, and the time spent with them balances out the time spent on the train.

What’s the story? One morning as I was stepping onto the train, my shoe fell off and landed underneath the railcar. A very considerate gentleman following me retrieved it. It was pouring down rain, and I was holding up the line of my fellow commuters trying to board. Since I am in my 7th month of pregnancy, I hope I won’t have the tale to tell of having a baby on the train!

The characters: One of the very nice things about riding the train is the great mix of people that you meet also commuting. It seems that people definitely have routines and like to stick with them (myself included). This includes sitting on a certain car, sleeping in the morning, knitting or reading.

The best thing: Probably one of the best advantages is that there is not all of the traffic on I-270 to deal with on an everyday basis. I especially dislike driving and find it stressful to deal with the traffic back-ups, aggressive drivers, and accidents.

The worst thing: During the summer months the heat restrictions slow down the train and really make the commute a lot longer in the evenings.

The toll: It’s difficult to participate and volunteer for my son’s school and sport activities. A lot of this is because I cannot commit to being home consistently at a certain time. The other activity that I do not participate in very much is cooking dinner (but this might be the same even if my commute was only five minutes).

Does your spouse understand? I think that my husband has a pretty good understanding of my commute. His father made the commute into Washington while he was growing up. Marc also made the same commute during summers off from college when he was working in Washington. That doesn’t keep me from reminding him occasionally.

How long can you do it? I don’t really have a set timeline.

Can you telecommute? Not at this time.

Another job for you? I am very lucky that I have found a job that is challenging but with a great working atmosphere. That can really make a difference.

The Spouse: Marc Wenner

The routine: It really isn't too bad. Mostly, she doesn't want to do too much in the evenings and sometimes it even negatively impacts her willingness to drive more than a few minutes to go out to eat or shop. We also don’t get to have lunch too often. [And] we don't usually wake up together, but I don't think it bothers us terribly.”

Mealtime: We always wait for Dipa to get home. This usually results in the family eating between 8:00 and 9:00 pm.

The hustle from place to place: We haven’t yet had to cut back. We have a lot of family and friends who have helped us keep up. My dad is retired and although he works part time, he has really been a big help. When he can’t assist, our friends have been there for us.

What’s the good thing? That she is free to ride the MARC train if she wants. That saves fuel and allows her to rest both to and from work.

Can you reach her on the train? Not generally. She can’t get cell phone service on the train.

Do you avoid asking her to do certain chores or errands? My wife doesn’t mind reminding me that she deserves these small favors. I find myself acquiescing more often than not.

What if she found a job closer to home? I would jokingly ask if she was going to have to take a pay cut. Seriously, I’d be very happy for her if she could be closer to home.

Do you worry about her commuting? No. I am optimistic and I’m sure plenty of bad stuff can happen around here.

Is it worth it? Yes. We both enjoy the time we get to spend with my family and we have a lot of great friends in this area. It is nice to be able to attend a party without driving five hours. We also are aware that we would never be able to afford our lifestyle down in the metro area.