I probably should have suspected this, but now I know for sure: This whole passenger-train thing really does work.

Movies and TV shows -- my main reference points in life -- always hint that trains work. They show passengers riding effortlessly; along the way, people find romance, sex and mysteries, plus a mean  guy who's intent on killing James Bond.

Still, I keep forgetting to try. My one previous train trip (from Minnesota to Michigan) had included fun and Scrabble; then I went back to my usual car life.