Yesterday I took the train to Opava to pick up a last-minute gift, and our train back was supposed to leave at 5:42 PM. A disgruntled lady was sitting at the other end of the carriage, and the moment the conductor showed up, she tore into him like a convict over why we had waited in Opava for 10 minutes for an express train running 12 minutes late, when we could have gone on to Stitina, where the double track would have let us let the express pass. What the lady did not realize, though, were several things:
- It is perfectly normal anywhere in the world for trains with fewer stops, or those running at higher speeds, to have priority over local trains that stop at every tree. It is quite possible the express would have caught up with us and we would have been holding it up for nothing.
- What is coming from the opposite direction. We might have arrived in Stitina, the train from the other direction might have picked up a delay in the meantime, so we would be stuck waiting, and on top of that the express from Opava would roll in. Suddenly everything would be completely blocked.
- That the systems recalculate the best departure time so that the rest of the journey runs as smoothly as possible with regard to other connections.
- That it is better to wait in Opava, which is a busier stop than Stitina and has more frequent public transport.
- That CityElefant trains, when running late, have engines powerful enough to speed up beyond their usual pace.
Simply put, a know-it-all who knows everything, knows everybody, has been everywhere, but certainly never on Czech Railways. And she kept firing away like a machine gun, over and over: “I could have been in Ostrava long ago if we had passed each other in Stitina” (where we were standing at that very moment). The conductor tried to smooth things over, saying Christmas is a season of calm, peace and goodwill, and just then an announcement came over the speakers:
“Dear passengers, please excuse the delay of this train. The train is delayed due to crossing with a delayed train from the opposite direction.” . At that moment the lady turned to stone, did not even finish the word she had started, and graciously let the conductor go. My guess is she works in public administration, ideally at the tax office, where they are also always in a hurry.
A photo from the trip there: a red sunset sky and the contrails of fighter jets.