Missing Metro-North, Loving my Car

My car. It's perfect. Photo by Owen Whelan '27

Before, I was almost certain that the Hudson Line train with a stop in Poughkeepsie was the pinnacle of transport. The train, however, has fallen out of favor: the vehicle that has now won my heart has a broken transmission and idles when I brake too quickly. MTA, I still love you, but driving is much better.

My 2011 Subaru Legacy has 110,000 miles and makes strange noises when I’m on the thruway, but its benefits still outweigh the cons of the train. Getting past Marist University’s 50-credit hurdle to have a car on campus is one’s prime opportunity to fall into parking hell and simultaneously ascend to the heaven of vehicular convenience.

Unlike the train, my car is not bound by a timetable. Its direction and motivation are determined by nothing more than my ability to navigate a GPS and the amount of gasoline I pay for. An 11 a.m. trip home, a 2 p.m. grocery run, or a 9 p.m. McDonald’s outing are all within reach with my prized, constantly-breaking-down piece-of-garbage chariot.

Quasi-chauffer is also a desirable role. Many detest having to drive their friends to the grocery store or CVS, but my passenger royalty are excellent travel companions. Conversations that could not bear the loudness on the train run free, accompanied only by my personal music selection.

Storage is also a key factor: the pain of carrying bags on the train completely subsides with the marvel of my car’s trunk. Having the peace of mind that my belongings won’t be stolen or lost also lets me travel much more comfortably.

I can’t say I’m abandoning my first love forever. Being dropped off at Grand Central will forever beat having to drive into New York City, and I’ve already had to return to the train following my car’s (multiple) breakdowns. If you don’t have a car, I can at least give the Hudson Line a glowing recommendation for any Marist student looking to get home or get to the city for a weekend.

It doesn’t help that there’s much left to be desired from the Hudson Line, too. While New York has one of the best robust transportation systems in the country, the accessibility of other countries’ transport systems leaves me wanting. Of the stops that exist on the Hudson Line, only three ever stand out as relevant to me, meaning the trip sometimes feels rather long. Transferring trains is also a process that I found surprisingly difficult, with timing windows often being four minutes or less.

Yet I beat on, reminiscing on my exclusive relationship with the Hudson line. I won’t miss hearing other people scream over my own thoughts, but I will miss the weirdly comforting vistas and strange charm of the ticket system that the MTA has graced me with. Perhaps in another life, the train system.