I’m writing this in the quiet car of the Acela Express train from Boston, after my fourth day trip to visit the offices of the Bridgespan Group. Tighter baggage regulations went into effect nationwide today, so it seemed like a good time to try the train instead of the Delta Shuttle. The Delta Shuttle is great — a 40-minute flight and fast check-in. (last week, I arrived at the airport at 6:45 AM and made a 7:00 boarding call — and that’s including time to get thoroughly frisked twice.) The Shuttle trip is fragmented, though: taxi to La Guardia, metal-detector line, boarding-gate line, takeoff, landing, two T trains to Bridgespan’s office above the Hard Rock Cafe.

Amtrak, by contrast, is one uninterrupted three-hour ride with a tray table, a laptop plug, and a fully stocked cafe car. Plus a quiet car, where there are no cellphones allowed. It’s the same price as the shuttle and you end up right where you want to be instead of 20 minutes outside the city. I’m sold!

Adding to my joie de vivre is my destination: I’m taking the train all the way to Philadelphia, and Kate’s taking me to a rodeo at the Spectrum tomorrow. I’ll take plenty of pictures, though in posting them I’ll try not to be a prolix as I was about the Turkey Pro.