To the editor: I have just read The Eagle’s detailed coverage of rail service from New York’s Penn Station to Pittsfield. ("Five years in the making, Berkshire Flyer's inaugural run from New York City to Pittsfield a 'sold out' success," Eagle, July 8.)
While I laud the valiant efforts by state Sen. Adams Hinds and the countless hours spent on bringing this to fruition, I am reminded of the old adage, “Bad breath is better than no breath at all.” And I’m questioning whether that is, indeed, true. The idea is wonderful, but the time schedule seems to make the entire idea relatively useless. Arriving in Pittsfield on a Friday evening allows for little more than a cup of coffee before bedtime. Too late for theater, Tanglewood and most restaurants. And leaving on Sunday afternoon allows for brunch at best. Eight hours on a train and commuting to and from the stations hardly seems worth the effort for a little more than one day in paradise.
I gather that this is the best that could be done under the rail time constraints. While I wish it well, I have little hope for its ultimate success under these conditions. I fear that the oxygen will eventually run out.
Elliot Slotnick, Becket
