[TAG] Department of Homeland Security funding Open Source projects

[Benjamin A. Okopnik]

On Sat, Feb 18, 2006 at 10:00:50AM +0000, Jimmy O'Regan wrote:
> Jimmy O'Regan wrote:
> >Benjamin A. Okopnik wrote:
> >>[1] Would someone *please* mention British Rail already, just so I don't
> >>have to throw myself on that grenade?
> >
> >Can't say I've ever had the British Rail experience, but I'm not a big 
> >fan of the PKP (Polish Rail) experience -- on my last day in Poland, I 
> >got on the wrong train (Intercity, instead of one that changed), didn't 
> >have enough money left to pay for a new ticket, and was kicked off 
> >unceremoniously in the middle of nowhere (though, as it turns out, quite 
> >close to a friend's home -- if I'd known, his family would have 
> >collected me). *That* was an experience -- wondering if I'd be able to 
> >make my way to the city where my connecting train was, or if I'd be 
> >stranded.
> 
> Now that I read that, it doesn't seem too unreasonable... unless you're 
> used to the Irish attitude to trains (well, everything): the woman I'm 
> chasing now got off the train two stops too late on her first day in 
> Ireland... "Do I need to buy a new ticket?" "Ah, you're grand!"
> 
> Oh, and some of my Polish friends said I should try getting a Russian 
> train...

Farley Mowatt, in his "The Boat Who Wouldn't Float", relates a story
about the train that runs (well, perhaps "runs" is far too athletic a
term) across Newfoundland, from Port aux Basques to St. John's.  The
locals, in their fine humorous spirit, have nicknamed this fleet
creature - which has been known to take four weeks to cross this
500-mile stretch - "The Newfoundland Bullet".

A young lady aboard repeatedly approached the conductor to ask him,
anxiously, when they would reach the eastern terminus of the trip -
since she was pregnant and was concerned about reaching the hospital in
time. When the conductor chided her for getting on the train in that
dangerous condition, she replied, "Ah, sorr... but I wasn't *in* this
condition when I got on."


* Ben Okopnik * Editor-in-Chief, Linux Gazette * http://linuxgazette.net *