Brian's Brain

As long-time readers already know, I've worked from home-based offices ever since I started writing for EDN in January 1997. On balance, telecommuting has been a great experience; I don't miss getting dressed in workplace-appropriate clothing (as I type this I'm wearing an old, grungy t-shirt and sweat pants, with no socks or shoes on my feet...and no, I didn't shave or take a shower this morning, either) or a lengthy, expensive commute, nor do I pine for cubicles of years and employers past.

Nothing's all-good, though...unless, of course, you're the rare individual who puts into practice a profound acceptance of things-as-it-is. Working from home can be quite socially isolating; I didn't realize how much I enjoyed 'water cooler banter' with co-workers and relied on the workplace as a primary means of also cultivating new personal relationships until this particular acquaintance scenario was no longer available to me. With respect to interpersonal communication, my dog and cats might listen well, but their idea of dialogue is...limited. And for those who think CrackBerries make it difficult to keep work and personal lives separate, try having your full-time office under the same roof as your residence.

While it might be great to be able to take an hour (or few) off in the middle of the day to run errands or go for a hike, the work's gotta get done sometime...which means you alternatively use evenings and weekends for the remainder. Remember, too, that you're now footing the utility charges for heat, air conditioning and equipment power draw, along with the rent or mortgage on your office footprint (an employer will often reimburse your telephone and internet charges, but good luck passing on the electricity, natural gas, water, sanitation and housing bills). And further to the work/personal life balance topic, as I often explain to people who ask me what it's like to work from home:

Most telecommuters fall into one of two camps. Some can't stay away from the refrigerator and the television. That's, in a sense, Darwinist behavior...those particular folks don't last long in their jobs. Others, like me, find it difficult to stay out of the office. While that's a great way to ensure job security (at least to the degree that it's possible for an individual to positively affect the likelihood of his or her continued employment), such behavior doesn't do much for the personal life. Rare is the home-based office employee who can find, and more importantly sustain, a long-term work/personal life balance.

For more on the pros, cons and various other issues involved in telecommuting, see the following recently published links:

• Ingredients for a Successful Home Office
• Six Questions To Ask Before Telecommuting

If you still work from (and therefore commute to) a traditional office but want to reduce your fuel consumption and incremental stress burdens, you might be interested in investigating public transit as an alternative. I've long been an energetic advocate of the approach, but it admittedly isn't glitch-free, as a late-July email (which strangely never made it to the relevant website) from Eugene K. Skoropowski, Managing Director of Amtrak's Capitol Corridor route, makes clear:

This is an exceptionally difficult message for me to write to you, and the hardest part is just realizing that I have to write it. Many of you had your travel plans disrupted due to the track project in June. The Union Pacific completed the work on schedule, and by the start of July the 90%-or-better on-time performance of your Capitol Corridor service was being restored. Amtrak and Union Pacific have worked exceptionally hard to both get the Capitol Corridor performance back to where it should be and to keep it there.

Unfortunately, external circumstances have wreaked havoc on our efforts to deliver you a reliable train service, and these external factors cannot be controlled by a company, agency or any operating personnel.

It started on Sunday, July 6 when an errant delivery truck driver ran his truck through a properly functioning gate in the down position at a grade crossing near Dixon. The truck ran into the side of a dining car on Train #736 at the grade crossing, slamming against the train, broadside. The train was moving just below the authorized speed limit of 79 mph, and the truck was traveling at about 60mph. Luckily, there was no loss of life; but train crews, passengers and motorists at the crossing were all distressed by witnessing the incident. Additionally, the police activity related to this incident took several hours to conclude, further inconveniencing on-board passengers. Passengers on Train #736 were then transferred to a following train, and the damaged train was taken out of service for repairs that will take several weeks to complete.

Since then, we have experienced a number of events, beginning Thursday, July 17 with an individual illegally walking along the tracks and then deciding to step in front a train. When a fatality occurs, the individual not only takes their own life, but also affects the lives of train crews, who are helpless to prevent incidents like this and many times are too shaken to continue work. The law also requires that a county coroner be located and brought to the scene to do their required work. Local police, Amtrak Police, Union Pacific Police and often other agencies conduct an investigation, sometimes involving interviews with passengers. The railroad must be shut down during this entire time. Not only is the train involved in the incident stopped, but all approaching trains must stop until the tracks are authorized for use, and trains can move. Delays of up to two hours, and often longer, are not uncommon in such incidents. The number of train passengers delayed can run into the thousands, depending on the time of day.

On Friday July 18, in the afternoon, a suspicious device was encountered near Shellmound Street, in Berkeley. This type of incident requires specific police action on and around the tracks, again shutting down service in both directions until the “all clear” is given by law enforcement and other involved entities. Many of you were caught in that delay.

Continue reading with Part 2, 'Telecommuting And Public Transit: More From Amtrak, And Closing Thoughts'...