h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The train had WiFi, so I looked up "Accidental Express" on the Internet. Basically, the system was run like France's Ouigo or some of Italy's low-cost trains, though unlike some of those we at least had a dining car. And, I didn't have to share my seat with a rooster. The managers looked for bargain cars and lightly-used rail links that could be accessed for a song. Plus, extremely limited amenities -- who needs beds when you can sleep in your reclining seat? My seat was, in fact, a recliner, so I assumed I would be sleeping in it. That assumption turned out to be right, though I hoped for some kind -- any kind -- of a bed until reality finally kicked in.

After Strasbourg we passed through Munich. Lunch turned out to be a frozen dinner [hey, at least the train had microwaves!], which consisted of Weisswurst, a sausage served with mustard, pretzels, and Bavarian beer, with German goulash as a side dish.

We had supper somewhere in Austria: Wiener Schnitzel, the country's national dish, with a side serving of Austrian goulash.

After a not-very-comfortable night spent in the reclining seat, I was annoyed to find that breakfast was the ubiquitous espresso, and actual food was a miserly version of the already-minimal Continental Breakfast: a few rolls, some butter, and jam.

Mid-day, things got interesting again. Scribbles approached me with something that looked like a manual lawnmower. "Have you ever seen "Paul Blart, Mall Cop?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied. "That was filmed at the Burlington Mall. I recognized the scene where some bad guys cut through the Rainforest Cafe."

"Maybe you remember the little two-wheeled personal transport that he rode on." He patted the contraption in his hand. "This is it, the Segway PT. You stand on the platform that connects the two wheels, with the stick straight up, so you can hold onto it. When we stop in Salzburg, you will ride it from here" -- we were in the very last car -- "to the first car. That will be your 'transportation' for today."

I can't say I looked very elegant or assured on the Segway, but I did manage to get to the first car in one piece. Then I realized that I was now at the opposite end of the train from the dining car, and would need to pass the same astonished passengers who had watched me ride the Segway when I meekly walked back to my original seat. And, I was sure images of my dorky ride were already going viral on the Internet. Then I noticed that the other passengers were smiling. They knew what was going on, and they were on my side. This put a spring in my step as I worked my way back to my seat.

That was the high point of the day. Things went a considerable ways downhill with the next meal. We were barely in Hungary, but Hungarian goulash was the only option. "I must be in the Goulash Archipelago," I muttered darkly when I saw it.

I've never rode on a Segway, does not look easy to ride on.

[Amy P]

I've seen security guards ride them. They don't look hard to ride. They're good for getting you from one part of the mall to another at great speed. They might be good at airports, too.

There's just one thing that puts me off driving a Segway:

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/segway-owner-dies-in-segway-crash/?_r=0

"the Segway image took a hit in 2003 when George W. Bush fell off one."



Gerald Ford did the same for golf when he made some klutzy shots.
Dick Cheney tarnished the image of hunting guns when he accidentally shot someone who was with him at the time. Of course, most things regain their luster after the adverse publicity wears off.

On our way back home from holiday we saw a policeman on a police Segway. Riding slowly beside him was a policemen on a police bike. San Francisco International Airport rocks!

Yes, I guess it does .

I love San Francisco for many reasons.