I'm glad I made my big "grand tour" of the Amtrak system, most of it by coach, back in the 1980s before everyone had a cell phone or a blue tooth glued to their ear. I can't think of anything worse than having to listen to some idiot talk to some other idiot all the way from L.A. to Seattle. Supposedly, use of cell phones in coach are prohibited from around 22:00 hours to around 08:00 hours so people can try and get some sleep, but everyone ignores that policy because, after all, it's all about them. Between the cell phones and all the other electronic noisemakers (DVD players, laptops playing games, gameboys, IPODS, etc.) that everyone now has and insists on using at their coach seat with or without an earpiece, the appeal of driving your car or flying just seems to increase. Expecting any of these morons to relocate to the lounge car is asking waaaay too much of them. They want to be an irritant right next to you and do their best to ruin your trip. Besides, they don't like to relocate to the lounge car to make their cell phone call or watch their DVD player because there's too many other morons there doing the same thing and the noise pollution is too intense.

Once upon a time, people used to look out the window and be content with observing the scenery. Not anymore. That's waaaay too boring. Now, everyone has to be entertained for the full duration of the trip by their electronic gizmos. You'll just about see riot conditions ensue on a train if one coach is equipped with electrical outlets and another coach isn't. I guess the trains of the future won't have to be designed with windows. Nobody bothers to look out of them anymore. I'm sure that Lateesha character had no idea what city or state she was traveling through, or cared to know. "Jus lets me know when we gits to Poteland!"

Sometimes I really wish I could get in a time machine and go back to the 1950s. Today's society is on such a fast track to the bottom depths.

Even though they're illegal, I'm giving some serious thought at buying a cellphone jammer.