Yesterday, I had to take a longer train connection than the usual. Instead of a regional express train delivering me to my stopover in 40 minutes, I sat on a commuter train for an hour — and you know what? It was awesome. I had booked my ticket with moans and groans, but as soon as I plopped down on an empty four-seater and noticed the air of quiet in the almost-empty carriage, I realized: This might be better than the usual.
The express train is rather small — and thus always full. It’s fast but also crowded. Noisy. And tight. Sure, it has wifi, but if you have no space to open your laptop, what good is an internet connection? Last time the guy next to me, with his five different bags and gadgets and backpacks, spilled his coffee while trying to maneuver in the cramped space. After pointing it out to him, I was glad I didn’t catch half his thermos on my pants, a stroke of luck that’s all but guaranteed.
Yesterday, I knew exactly what I was getting into: One hour of quiet, offline rattling through small villages and the forest. As it turns out, that’s easy to work with. I spent half an hour reading, half an hour playing Final Fantasy on my Switch, and was rewarded with a generous 30-minute stopover instead of the normal eight-minute window that follows taking the express. I had time to pee, buy a drink, and hit the platform with minutes to spare. Not too shabby!
We instinctively know that when we try to take a shortcut, we might end up on the hard path. But sometimes, even if the quick route is the default, it pays to walk the long way around. The only chance to find out? Book the slower train, and trust you’ll still reach your destination on time.