One of the main reasons I moved to Montclair (and my apartment specifically) was it's proximity to the train. Even though I'm only 12 miles from the city, that 12 miles can often take an hour with traffic and cost a lot of money with bridges and tunnels. As it is now, I walk across the street and pay 11 bucks, and I'm in the city in a half hour without any hassle. One thing I never expected was how much I would grow to love the sound of the train, it's rumbling and vibration and the train horn itself.
When I moved here, there was already an ordinance in place that prohibited any train horns between 7 pm and 7 am. Recently, the town adopted an ordinance making it a "Quiet Zone". This means any train horns at any time are not allowed. Ignoring the obvious safety issues that may come with this, it bothers me because I miss that sound. There was something oddly comforting about it.
I moved here knowing full well that there was no shortage of snooty, entitled a-holes. But this is what they decided to focus time and energy on? If you don't want to hear trains, why move to a place that has had them for years?
Every now and again some rogue conductor comes through, blasting the horn with reckless abandon. I love that guy for two reasons. First, because I miss the hell out of that sound. Second, because you know some uptight jackass is furious about their peace and quiet being disturbed. I just can't figure which reason makes me smile more.
No comments:
Post a Comment